ITALY CELEBRATES ITS 224 SLOW FOOD SCHOOL GARDENS

On November 11th Italy held a national celebration for the 224 gardens that have been created by Slow Food in schools throughout the country. The project, which actually began within Slow Food U.S. and the Edible School Garden, spread in no time at all around the world reaching countries like Uganda, for example, where there are 19 schools with more than 1,000 children who are learning how to appreciate the earth and the importance of producing and consuming locally by growing fruits and vegetables themselves, as well Canada, where high school students send the vegetables that they grow to the school cafeteria. The 224 schools involved in the program in Italy can be found 19 regions, with the most based in Tuscany (49 gardens) and Piedmont (41 gardens).
The school garden is a new way to educate children about food and the importance of biodiversity and respect for the environment through a direct relationship with the land – an issue that Slow Food considers one of its main endeavors at a global level.
Italy chose the day of Saint Martino, which also marks the end of the agricultural year, for students, teachers, parents, and grand parents who are involved in the program to put their gardens to rest and celebrate together the bounty of their harvests by sharing snacks and dinners together and even a jam competition.
Info: www.slowfood.it