Shastri Boodan
GML Correspondent
National 4-H Council president Natasha Lee has encouraged young people to embrace agriculture, food security and sustainable practices as the organisation continues to promote school and community gardening.
Lee was speaking at Tuesday’s prize-giving ceremony for the 2025-2026 National School Garden Competition at the Nal Ramsingh Auditorium, Couva Point Lisas Chamber of Commerce administrative complex, Camden Road.
She said the competition taught students responsibility, teamwork and sustainable food production while reconnecting them with Trinidad and Tobago’s agricultural heritage.
“Today we celebrate much more than gardens. We salute our young people who have learned that with patience, knowledge and teamwork, a simple seedling, slip or stick can become a source of nourishment, learning and opportunity,” Lee said.
The initiative featured root crops and other plants, including cassava, dasheen, sweet potatoes, yam, eddoes, ginger and turmeric. Lee said the project encouraged participants to consider nutrition, food security, sustainability and waste reduction, while demonstrating how locally grown produce could be transformed into nutritious meals.
She thanked root crop specialist and Chaconia Gold awardee Ramdeo Boodoo for conducting training, and Jason Ramsaran of Extension Training and Information Services for supporting voluntary leaders.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture and the National Agricultural Marketing and Development Corporation also assisted with sourcing and distributing planting material.
The competition assessed garden management, plant health, sustainable practices and record-keeping, while allowing clubs to explore traditional gardening, container planting and hydroponics.
Participants had two weeks to plant their seedlings, but some projects were affected by snails destroying their gardens. Lee said such setbacks highlighted the challenges of agriculture and the need for adaptability.
She urged students and voluntary leaders to continue cultivating gardens, documenting their experiences and sharing their harvests, regardless of whether they won awards.
California Government Primary School won the short-crop competition, while Chatham Government Primary School captured the root-crop title.
Lee encouraged the awardees to remain committed to local food production and contribute to a more sustainable Trinidad and Tobago.
