YOU have to carefully till children's minds to make fascination with vegetables grow.

And Stockbridge Technology Centre, near Cawood, has been producing a bumper crop of kids with healthy appetites for both knowledge and food just lately.

All the more reason why Stockbridge is pitching for the Think Green award as well as the firm providing the Best Business And Education Link in The Press Business Awards 2006.

The six-year-old company carries out research and development and technology transfer in horticulture, exploring new varieties, growing techniques, and new product development for a range of clients, including the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Horticultural Development Council and commercial firms.

It grows arable and vegetable crops, plus three acres of glasshouse food.

But right from the start, staff wanted to do something about a national problem that most children knew little about where their food comes from; and that on average they ate only two or three of the five recommended portions of fruit and vegetables a day.

They drew up a plan to change that by inviting pupils to Stockbridge to grow crops on their own allotments.

Teachers were excited by the idea and, as soon as the centre received a Selby Leader+ grant, the grounds were filled with the chatter of youngsters as they sowed seeds, planted lettuces and watered their own tomatoes.

Soon they were planting red and white cabbages, different types and colours of courgettes, sweetcorn and lettuce.

Even when the money ran out with the end of the three- year grant, schools picked up the tab, but with Stockbridge continuing to pay for the costs of crop growing as its part of the project. Recently, 480 children have taken part, plus parents who come along for open days.

Julian Davies, business manager, said: "This year other activities with schools have been developed. In March, for example, 45 Year 5 pupils from Bishopthorpe Junior School visited for a day as part of their science week.

"Various activities were planned, including seed growing, tours around the glasshouses, looking at composts and developing their own green growing material.

"The final part was fruit tasting and looking at where the different fruit came from by looking at a map of the world."

Other groups from Fairburn and Oyster Park Junior School in Castleford arrived in June as part of their farming week which meant accommodating 240 children over two days.