In Spring 2026, RHET AACI launched our first primary school potato growing project. Partly with RHET Year of Vegetables and partly because Ayrshire has a heritage of potato growing, such as Ayrshire Rocket and Epicure potatoes.
We were grateful to Wilson family of Low Boydston Farm, North Ayrshire for donating Epicure seed potatoes which enabled us to provide 3 free seed potatoes to 50 primary schools. We sourced bags of vegetable growing compost at a generous discount thanks to Gemmells Garden Centre, Stair, East Ayrshire. Schools also received the RHET Project Potato Teachers Pack. Our competition was to see which school could produce the heaviest total crop yield from their 3 seed potatoes. Some used the compost bags to cultivate their potatoes and others used old tyres, grow bags, large plant pots or planters.
Pupils carefully tended their potato plants although the variable Spring weather showed them the challenges faced by arable farmers. Even the commercial growers reported that the harvest of some Ayrshire new potatoes might be slightly late. However, the pupils showed patience and resilience and we received lots of photos of happy pupils weighing their potato crop.
The winners were West Kilbride Primary School. Their potato plants produced an amazing 5kg of potatoes, what a great yield. The school have an active outdoor vegetable project and were delighted to receive a gift voucher from Gemmells Garden Centre to continue their vegetable growing.
Over 1,000 Ayrshire primary pupils participated in this activity and feedback from teachers was very positive. Learning outcomes supported food and health, sciences, physical activity and food-technology. RHET AACI aims to repeat this Project in Spring 2027 – hopefully with better weather.
