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Bridgend County Borough Council is one of six local authorities to participate in the ‘Welsh Veg in Schools’ project, a cross-sector initiative to introduce more organically produced Welsh vegetables into primary school meals across Wales.

Co-ordinated by Food Sense Wales, the scheme involves enthusiastic growers and other critical partners, including food partnerships, local authorities and health boards covering Cardiff, Carmarthenshire and Monmouthshire along with wholesaler Castell Howell, as well as Farming Connect Horticulture.

 

“At its heart, Welsh Veg in Schools is about getting sustainably produced, local veg into schools to nourish children via their school meals – the more progress we make, the more benefit we can deliver to them,” says Katie Palmer, Programme Manager for Food Sense Wales.

“We aren’t producing enough veg in Wales and we need to be building our own supply base, bringing benefit to local communities and reducing our reliance on imports through connecting local growers with local wholesalers and fostering relationships that help businesses flourish.”

 

Louise Kerton, Bridgend County Borough Council’s Team Manager for Catering Services, said: “It is wonderful for our school meals to be part of the Food Sense Wales Welsh Veg in Schools project. The scheme is supporting the local authority and the growers by bridging the funding gap between the cost of the conventional frozen broccoli on our menu and the fresh organic broccoli.”

 

By supporting sustainable, organic farming, the project offers growers and farmers a new or alternative key income stream, as well as opportunities for children to connect with nature and farming through visiting local growers.

 

News provided by:

Huw David, County Borough Councillor for Pyle, Kenfig Hill & Cefn Cribwr

Tel: 07890 399742, Email: Cllr.Huw.David@bridgend.gov.uk, Please follow me on Facebook

Image: Deposit Photos