Children launch farmers' market to sell bumper crop from Hartlepool school garden

Ward Jackson Primary School class teacher Jenni Petch (left) and Angie Dawson from Tesco Extra Burn Road with Ward Jackson pupils with a selection of vegetables they planted and grew at the school. Picture by FRANK REID

Pupils at Ward Jackson C of E Primary School, in Hartlepool, grew a bumper crop of fruit and vegetables.

At the end of term they held a farmers’ market to sell off their pile of produce to parents.

The pupils Farmers Market taking place at Ward Jackson Primary School. Picture by FRANK REID

Nine and ten-year-old children from Ward Jackson’s Wingfield class spent the previous term lovingly nurturing spring onions, potatoes, peas, carrots and tomatoes all grown on the school site.

They turned a series of flower beds into an allotment and proved to be a huge success.

Teacher Jennifer Petch said: “At the start of term they dug out all the raised flower beds in the quadrangle in the middle of the school and planted some seeds.

“They were really enthusiastic; they went out every day watering them and took up all the weeds.

Ward Jackson Primary School pupil Ellie Wood sells vegetables to headteacher =David Akers. Picture by FRANK REID

“They worked really hard together as a team.”

It was also the class’s idea to hold their own farmers’ market and advertised it by drawing posters.

Miss Petch added: “They were shouting out ‘come and get your fruit and veg’. They made quite a lot of money from it, which they are going to use to buy more seeds and equipment for the garden.”

Tesco supported the event by donating some tomatoes as the pupils’ were not quite ready.