A Growing Initiative
The highly anticipated Grow it Yourself Challenge (GIY) by the Ministry of Sport and Community Development, under the Prime Minister’s Best Village Trophy Competition in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries is underway. Over 230 aspiring gardeners throughout Trinidad and Tobago has accepted the challenge to grow their own kitchen garden. The challenge is meant not only to encourage persons to grow what they eat and eat what they grow but to enjoy the many health benefits derived from gardening.
According to the Honourable Minister of Sport and Community Development, Shamfa Cudjoe, “We are extremely elated by the overall response to the competition and the interest persons are taking to grow their own food. A kitchen garden is not simply about growing food for cooking; it also offers so much more- the potential to generate an income, it makes for an excellent outdoor habit, it reduces mental stress, and can certainly improve your nutritional and physical health. We cannot wait to see what the challengers’ gardens look like at the final stage of the competition”. The GIY challenge offers over $300,000 in cash prizes where participants will be judged in categories of small, medium and large gardens, hydroponics, aquaponics as well as special prizes for the people’s choice, best influencer, family, decorative, sustainable and innovative kitchen gardens.
Participants have uploaded their first video on the Ministry of Sport and Community Development’s, Grow It Yourself micro-site for the first round of judging. The judges will review the video submissions to determine who will move forward to the second rounds of the competition and second video upload carded for May 19th – 21st. At the third and final video submission voting will open for the People’s Choice Award from June 11th so keep checking the website at https://mscd.gov.tt/giy-challenge_2021/ for the progress of these gardeners.