For the Golden Carrot election, municipalities were invited to submit a vlog about the importance of school gardening, how it connects with and is embedded in municipal policy, and the way in which they support school gardens. This year, entries came from Buren, Ede, Leiderdorp, Leeuwarden and Almere.
“All the entries beautifully highlight these different aspects. The support varies from one municipality to another. The cheerful video from the municipality of Almere makes it very clear what benefits a school garden offers, that school gardening aligns with the core objectives of education and touches on the various policy areas of a municipality. From cooperation and care to health and nature. Even in these financially challenging times, Almere is investing in school gardens in all its neighborhoods, making it an excellent example for the rest of the country. We are therefore delighted to present the Golden Carrot 2025 to Almere,” said Marjan van Creij, of the Ministry of LVVN and the Jong Leren Eten national programme, on behalf of the jury.
‘Important for every child’
Alderman Jesse Luijendijk responded proudly: “As the municipality of Almere, we are leading the way with our food strategy. School gardening is a logical next step in bringing food closer to residents and children. In this way, they learn about the origins of their food, and about life, animals and plants. They spend time outdoors and happily get their hands back into the soil. This is important for every child.”
In cooperation with the municipality, Stad & Natuur has already created school gardens at many locations throughout the city. And more are on the way. “A textbook example,” said Thijs van der Meulen of the School Gardens Alliance.
Audience Award for Leiderdorp
The first Audience Award was won by the municipality of Leiderdorp. Leiderdorp received 61% of all votes. During a celebratory drinks reception on Friday, 23 May, the Audience Award was presented to aldermen Gebke van Gaal and Herman Romeijn and school garden coordinator Joop van Huut. On behalf of the School Gardens Alliance, Lianne van der Kruk presented them with a framed certificate and a large carrot cake.
Alderman Gebke van Gaal: “You can see how incredibly much energy there is in the school gardens. All the children design their own garden. This teaches children that a carrot does not grow in the supermarket and that the healthiness of food is extremely important. Pure food that you grow yourself, and making a delicious mix from the harvest together. That is what we do it for. I am proud of the commitment of all those volunteers and children. The award is a wonderful recognition.”
Golden Carrot jury
In addition to Marjan van Creij, the jury for the Golden Carrot 2025 consisted of Ignas van Schaick (EMS, School Garden Film), Irene Harmsen (independent education adviser) and Sjoerd Grootendorst, school garden coordinator of the municipality of Groningen, the 2024 winner.
The Golden Carrot and School Garden Week were established by the School Gardens Alliance and Jong Leren Eten. During the week, from 19 to 23 May, which more than 12,000 children took part in, the spotlight was placed on the importance of school gardening and on municipalities that support school gardening in an inspiring way.
‘In more and more municipalities’
Marjan van Creij of LVVN and Jong Leren Eten: “When it comes to food education, we need everyone. It is fantastic to see that more and more municipalities are taking this up. In the school garden, children also learn that quite a lot is involved in growing their carrots and radishes. This contributes to an understanding of the value of food and appreciation for our farmers.”