Let’s grow together…
@ Local Schools
Supporting Schools to Grow Food & Skills
Sustainable Kirriemuir are passionate about ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to experience the satisfaction of growing their own produce. We want to enable this to happen at as early an age as possible, and to ensure children and their families learn about the importance of growing skills in relation to building resilience to climate change. We offer support to local schools to develop their school’s growing spaces. Support for staff to teach pupils the fundamental skills in growing food can also be provided through our Grow @ School project. We always grow with nature and climate change in mind, and incorporate this into our work with schools. If you’re interested in what we can provide for your school please contact us and we’ll be in touch.
As part of our Nourish Kirriemuir Project
We supported all 3 Kirriemuir schools to grow 1.3 tonnes of nutritious food for local people from 2020-22.
Northmuir Primary School
Northmuir Primary School is home to a 16m x 6m poly-tunnel, which doubles up as a growing space and outdoor classroom. They grow all sorts of exciting fruit and vegetables!!
The growing area is continually being developed, along with an orchard and wildlife pond. With biodiversity and habitat creation at the top of the school’s priorities, they’ve planted wildflowers and a hedge to create wildlife corridors.
During 2021 the pupils and staff grew 200kg of edible produce, with the help of our Growing Leader, Emily. Read about their bumper potato harvest here.
In 2024 our Community Gardener, Linzi, will be working with Northmuir Primary to revive their polytunnel and outdoor beds.
Southmuir Primary School
Southmuir Primary School is home to an Urban Garden on the south facing tarmac site, and is a bit exposed to the elements! We supported them to create a wind break by planting up tattie boxes with trees and hedging. They now have 60 raised beds, and in 2023 each class took ownership of their own beds. Classes had some interesting combinations of produce, including a pizza planter!
With the support of our Growing Leader, Emily, in 2021 the pupils and staff grew 100kg of edible produce. Read about their potato harvest here.
Webster’s High School
Webster’s High School garden is hidden away on the north facing side of the school. It includes a well established apple tree, 7 fruit and veg beds and a small poly-tunnel that was built by Mr Milton and Mr Campbell from the Design & Technology department.
There is a gardening group who help to sow seeds, prick out, take cuttings, water and harvest the fruit and vegetables. The Home Economics department use the produce in their classes, using the farm to fork model to explain the importance of locally grown food and the circular economy.
While our Growing Leader, Emily, supported their project, the pupils and staff grew 120kg of edible produce. They also achieved Level 5 in the RHS School Gardening Awards.
An Update from the SK Team…
I love working with the children at the Kirriemuir schools. They are always full of enthusiasm and willing to get stuck in!
Nourish School Garden
My class are enjoying the varied opportunities to get involved with the garden. They have enjoyed sawing trees, using drills, digging, planting, sowing and using wheelbarrows. They are learning lots!
Nourish School Garden
My son really enjoys ‘Welly Wednesday’. He is always keen to share with me what he’s been up to. It is fantastic that outdoor/environmental learning is seen as an important part of their education. Not only does it broaden his learning and application of knowledge gained in the classroom, it positively contributes to his health and well-being too.
Get in Touch
Together we can make good choices and live better, join Sustainable Kirriemuir!
If you would like to know more about what we are doing please get in touch. We are always looking for new members to join our organisation. If you have particular knowledge around climate change issues, or growing, making and mending skills you’d like to share, or just want to know more, we want to hear from you. Everyone is welcome, together we can make a difference.