Show their skill in marketing farm produce in school

A small school of the Pallikuppam village at Madhanur block in Vellore was turned into a vegetable market with messages like ‘Turn away plastics’ and ‘promote organic farming’.

The students of the Madhanur Block Primary School were inspired by their success in the cultivation of traditional vegetable varieties, last year. Now, they have on offer different varieties of organic vegetables at affordable rates.

“We have launched the project to promote organic cultivation through the students,” said Sekar, Headmaster of the school.

As many as 30 volunteers cultivated different varieties of organic vegetables such as broadbeans, bittergourd, pumpkin, coriander, green chilli and Sirunelli near the premises. The students spent their free time before and after class looking after the gardens. The students have put up a stall at the school to sell their produce.

Good demand

“There is good demand from the public for the organic vegetables and we sold the entire produce by 11 a.m.,” said one of the school’s teachers. “Students have been taught to use electronic weighing machine and their entrepreneurial skills have been tested by allowing them to interact with the villagers. We are selling the produce at a nominal rate with a message by asking the customers to bring their own bags,” she added. Thus the students also promoted the avoidance of plastic usage.