Cultivation as an educational tool

Astrid Lindgren's Hometown provides funding for the cultivation project that Eksjö municipality has applied for from the association. Astrid Lindgren's Hometown board made a decision about the project last autumn, and now the Swedish Board of Agriculture has reviewed the application and given its approval.

The initiator of the project is Gun Svensson, who works as a meal developer in Eksjö municipality. She describes the purpose of the project as laying the foundation for a growing interest among children and students in cultivation and showing in a concrete way where food comes from, something that is hoped to promote a sustainable lifestyle.

The project means that a number of preschools in the municipality will receive a cultivation plot on their grounds, and during the growing year, there will be regular visits from the project's own grower who will teach the basics of cultivation in a pedagogical way.

Linnea Granath is the one who will drive the project, and she is employed as a project manager by Eksjö municipality.

– Through the project, the participating children will gain a better understanding of the vegetables' journey from soil to table, and we hope this knowledge can be passed on to the children's families. We want to spark interest in cultivation and show how fun and educational it is. It is about so much more than just growing vegetables. How we make the soil thrive, beneficial insects flourish, and how seeds develop. How many adults have actually even thought about how carrot seeds become carrots? The children participating in the project will be able to tell that this autumn, says Linnea Granath.