Minister Congratulates Grow Eat Save Graduates
Last week, the Minister of Public Works Lt/Col David Burch addressed the graduates of the 5th Grow! Eat! $ave! programme.
Grow! Eat! $ave! is an initiative of Nutrition Services of the Department of Health with the aim of encouraging the public to eat more vegetables, teach sustainable nutrition and at the same time save money. It is offered to the public free of charge.
During the Workshop individuals learn the fundamentals of gardening. After completing the 6-week workshop they are then able to sign up for the advance class where they are assigned a plot of land and grow and maintain their own garden.
Minister Burch said, “Good afternoon. It is my pleasure to be here this evening to witness the 5th graduation of the Grow! Eat! $ave! programme – an effort towards one of this Governments goals “to encourage more Bermudians to get into farming.
“The education of basic Bermudian food growing techniques that must be shared in order to sustain the culture of growing food seasonally. Sharing can “promote and develop community gardens that can assist in meeting the needs of the less fortunate in our community”.
“Grow! Eat! $ave! is an initiative of Nutrition Services of the Department of Health with the aim of encouraging the public to eat more vegetables, teach sustainable nutrition and at the same time save money. It is offered to the public free of charge and takes place on 6 consecutive Thursdays and is led by Chaplin Kevin Santucci.
“During the Workshop persons learn the fundamentals of gardening. After completing the 6-week workshop they are then able to sign up for the advance class where they are assigned a plot of land and grow and maintain their own garden.
“I recognize that this cannot be accomplished by one Ministry alone so I am delighted at the continued collaboration and partnership of government and non-governmental agencies. I applaud the agencies that are working together in the GROW.EAT.$AVE initiative – the Ministries of Public Works, Health and Home Affairs, the Bermuda Agricultural Group, BELCO, Animal and Garden House, Pacheco Farms, Willing Workers, The Devonshire 7th Day Adventist Church, Well Bermuda, the Bermuda Dietitians Association, Crown Landscaping, Brighton Hill Nurseries and the Bermuda Agricultural Group.
“And of course this couldn’t happen without the support of our Overseas sponsors True Leaf Market of Salt Lake City Utah a subsidiary of Mountain Valley Seed Co. All these entities working together demonstrate the power of unity in our community.
“As I said earlier – this class is the fifth since the programmes’s inception and it has seen over three hundred students graduate. The success of the program is due in no small measure to the unwavering commitment and dedication of Chaplain Kevin Santucci – whose passion for farming is well known throughout this entire community. Thank you Chaplain Santucci and all those who have had a hand in making this a success.
“Some of you may recall this governments commitment to expand the community garden concept across the island – so I am delighted to report that we will shortly be having two more coming online – one in Southampton being led by a husband and wife team and another just around the corner from here being spearheaded by MP for this district Michael Weeks.
“In addition to the Ministry proper – I have also tasked Wedco in the west and BLDC in the East to participate in this initiative by identifying areas under their remit that can be used for community gardens.
“We continue to investigate other government lands that can be used for this purpose.
“So let me congratulate all those graduating this evening and wish you well in your planting futures and encourage you to invite others to engage in this most worthwhile exercise. Thank you.”
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