Mike Neary, Manager, Horticulture Division, Bord Bia

Bord Bia has recently launched a DVD titled Organic Gardening for Primary Schools. It is a complimentary DVD available to primary schools to equip them with the knowledge and ability to build, develop and maintain an organic garden within existing school grounds. Students can learn how to grow healthy foods, understand plant life and the importance of seasonality. The garden can also be used to explain concepts such as water cycle, biodiversity, composting and other related areas.

This initiative by Bord Bia comes at a time when the level of interest in “Grow Your Own” has never been greater in recent years. This interest has spanned from the back garden to allotments to community gardens. Consumers across the country have embraced the GYO concept which has been driven to some degree by the current difficult economic environment.

Market research on the gardening market by Bord Bia has confirmed this trend. In the key gardening months April to June some 44% of adults purchased an amenity horticulture product(s) and of these 8% purchased herbs, fruit or vegetable plants with a similar figure purchasing bulbs/seeds. These two categories collectively made up 4% of the spend on amenity products by consumers for the period.

For further information on the DVD contact tina.leonard@bordbia.ie