This Kerala school grows, cooks and serves organic vegetables to students
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a novel mission to keep children safe from diseases caused by carcinogenic pesticides used in the vegetables, Government MNLPS at Vellayani provides food made from organic vegetables to their students.
The vegetables are grown by the school authorities and farmers in Vellayani. As many as 55 children study at the school.
“Vellayani is an agricultural village and we wanted to be a role model for the other schools to provide organic vegetables to students. They are happy to be a part of the novel mission,” said school headmaster and Green Army co-founder M Shaji. The initiative under him started two months ago in the school.
Vegetables consisting of brinjal, lady’s finger, tomato, amaranthus, chilly and pea are grown in around 160 grow bags.
“We have been utilising the amaranthus grown in our garden in the diet prepared for our children, for the past 16 days,” said Shaji. Class III, IV and V students were given the duty to water the plants everyday with the help of class teachers for half-an-hour.
Recently, the vegetable harvest in the school was inaugurated by Kalliyoor panchayat president R Jayalekshmi and ward member Manoj K Nair. During the function, the school was declared as the only school which sources organic produce for its midday meal programme.
“Vegetables that are unavailable in our garden are brought from ‘Sangamitra’, a society by the farmers of Vellayani that provides organic vegetables,” said Shaji. The school also plans to provide organic eggs to students.