Win Dh10,000: Grow food garden at home

Grow your own food garden and get rewarded with Dh10,000.

Yes, you heard it right!

Dubai Municipality launched a unique initiative to encourage its residents to convert spaces inside their homes to grow herbs, fruits and vegetables.

Talking to Emirates24|7, Hussain Nasser Lootah, Director-General of Dubai Municipality, highlighted the importance of such a home project.

“It’s our way of telling people that we need to focus on eating healthy.”

The civic body detailed that the food garden could be on the balcony, rooftop, courtyard or even a small space down the parking lot where one can sow seeds of greenery and freshness to inspire healthy living through home-made vegetables and herbs.

The campaign, which was launched through social media, is aimed at 'seeding a culture of freshness and healthy living among the residents of Dubai'.

The contestants must post pictures of their food gardens on the campaign’s Facebook page.

The jury will then pick the best 100 images and 10 winners after visiting the houses.

Lootah added that the winners will be announced in February 2015 in line with Gulfood 2015.

They will be honoured during the National Day celebrations with a certificate and cash prize/coupon worth between Dh5,000 and Dh10,000.

When asked whether the Dubai weather could prove tricky for home farmers, Khalid Sherif, Director, Food Control Department, insisted that there’s always a way around it.

“I know it might be challenging but I’m sure there are many who could invent innovative ideas to make it work,” he told Emirates 24|7.

The campaign is being organised by the Food Control Department in collaboration with Eastern Masala and Jaleel Holdings.

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