Local Newport area schools have been eagerly awaiting the results of the Great Potato Challenge 2021 set by the organisers of Newport Show.
Last March, 14 schools were provided with a growing kit consisting of 4 seed potatoes, compost, grow bag and instructions by Newport and District Agricultural Society, with the aim of seeing which school could produce the heaviest crop.
Robert Watson Jones, chairman of the society’s education committee, said “Although Newport Show had to be cancelled this year due to the pandemic, we were determined that this part of our educational programme should continue. This is the 6th year that we have run the competition and schools have always enjoyed participating.”
He added that, although the emphasis has always been on the educational elements, it is competitive as well. Schools have learned to be very secretive as to some of the techniques they employ to ensure their crop is the heaviest.
Mr Watson Jones said “We decided to take a tractor to each of the schools as part of the weighing schedule, in a way bringing a bit of the show to the schools. The children really enjoyed seeing a tractor close up and asked many questions as to how it operated.”
After all the weights were tallied up, it can now be revealed that Lilleshall Primary School have won the competition with a weight of 1.82 Kilograms. They will receive a prize of £100 to be spent on gardening equipment to be used by the children at the school.
