Second Cambridge eco-challenge is to grow a summer mini-garden

The second eco-challenge organised by Cambridge Schools Eco Council, which focuses on growing a summer vegetable garden, is now open.

The first eco-challenge, which involved building a composter for use in the garden, concluded in July, with chair of the judging panel Lord Rowan Williams saying he was “deeply impressed by the imagination and care, and the level of research that these young people put into this project, and it was an honour to be involved with it”.

The council has been busy with a series of eco-seminars since lockdown, followed by the eco-challenge series which has been created by Cambridge pupils with guidance from the United Nations Voices of Future Generations.

The objective of the new challenge - entries close on July 25 - is “to grow a sustainable garden of vegetables, fruits, herbs and other edible plants”.

“If you participated in our first eco-challenge, which was to design and build a composter, this task will give you the perfect opportunity to put your compost to good use – by planting a veggie and/or herb garden!” say the pupils.

There is an element of research - and planning - in the new theme.

“By growing your own produce at home, you are producing food that doesn’t need to be transported in delivery trucks or packaged in plastic. The objective of this eco-challenge is to contribute to a sustainable food system, so think carefully about what you can plant that is in season, and what vegetables or herbs are most often enjoyed by your family at mealtimes.”

The eco council also notes that “the next eco challenge will be to use your garden plants to make a vegetarian meal, so it’s worth having a think about the plants that could form a nutritious bite”.

Easy-grow summer vegetables includes radishes, salad leaves, peas, spring onions, broad beans, runner beans, onions, tomatoes and beetroot.

Contestants are expected to:

- Draw a plan for your garden and show how you will organise it. Make a list of all the tools you will need to plant and maintain it.

- With the help of your parents and/or siblings, plant your garden and give your plants the care they need to grow.

- Evaluate what the plants could be used for in terms of recipes

The questions you’ll need to ask yourself include:

- How will my garden contribute to a more sustainable food system?

- How will I care for my garden and keep my plants healthy until they are ready to harvest?

Keep track of the challenges you faced when planning out and planting your garden, and ask yourself which parts of the project you most enjoyed.

To enter, you’ll need to submit a high-quality scan or photo of your drawn design of your garden and tools list, a high-quality jpeg photo (at least 1 megabyte in size) of your garden, and one photo of you with your garden, plus a description of your project of 250 words maximum.

Submit the components to ecochallengecambridge@gmail.com by Saturday, July 25. Judging will take place from Saturday, July 30 to August 13.

Happy gardening!