A local farm situated between Pembroke and Tenby is helping with a project that supplies Welsh organic vegetables to Welsh primary schools.

Market garden Underwood Organic, located in Lamphey is supplying organic produce to local schools - as part of the Welsh Veg in Schools pilot project that aims to get more organically produced Welsh veg into primary school meals across Wales.

Together with Food Sense Wales, Castell Howell and Pembrokeshire County Council, Underwood Organic’s locally grown produce has made its way onto the plates of school children in Pembrokeshire.

Underwood Farm, run by Kate and Calum grows a diverse range of mixed vegetables which it sells to local restaurants, cafes and shops, specialising in mixed leaves.

The farm also runs a veg box scheme, delivering every Friday to households in the area.

The farm has been running for 5 years and is certified organic by The Soil Association. This was important to Kate and Calum as organic farming supports biodiversity and local wildlife.

“We are thrilled to be a part of this project to bring welsh veg onto plates in welsh schools,” said Kate.

“It gives a real value and meaning to the efforts put into farming these crops to know they will feed children a nutritious healthy meal. It’s especially rewarding to be working alongside other Welsh farms to produce and supply a mix of different vegetables that can be grown in Wales.”

By leveraging the market opportunity that the Welsh Government’s Universal Free school meal policy creates, and by supporting public bodies to meet their statutory requirements, Welsh Veg in Schools is catalysing organic veg production in Wales and building resilience for the future.

This work is crucial if public bodies are serious about meeting their obligations under the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act whilst supporting local communities and building resilience against future shocks and climate change.

Food Sense Wales first started exploring the procurement of locally produced veg with the ‘Courgette Pilot’ – a pilot project that involved one grower and one wholesaler and delivered nearly one tonne of courgettes into primary schools in Cardiff during Food and Fun in the summer of 2022.

In 2023, with support from the Welsh Government’s Backing Local Firms Fund, Welsh Veg in Schools launched its first phase, working with three growers across Cardiff, Carmarthenshire, and Monmouthshire, supported by local Food Partnerships.

Recognising the value in Welsh organic produce the pilot has covered the price gap between local, organic produce and standard prices. In Spring 2024, Food Sense Wales received additional funding from the Bridging the Gap programme to scale the project and expand its reach across the public sector.

What began as a small pilot project has since grown into a movement and in 2024, Welsh Veg in Schools served 200,000 portions of fresh, organic veg in more than 200 schools across Wales.

“We have a clear vision that every child has a right to good, wholesome school food,” said Jeanette Orrey, the Co-Founder of the Food for Life programme.