By GEORGIA WESTGARTH
EGG salad sandwiches, picnic blankets and gardening gloves were packed up into baskets as six Tooradin Primary School grades set up next to their vegie patch for a spot of lunch.
As part of the school’s Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden program the students made broad bean dip, egg salad sandwiches using eggs from their own chooks, homemade pita crisps and fruit skewers.
Kitchen specialist at the school Fiona Berkholz said the sunny day was the perfect opportunity to get the students into the vegie patch to help prepare the soil for spring planting.
“They dug out arm-fulls of weeds and turned over the garden beds, and left them looking fabulous,” Ms Berkholz said.
With kale, cabbages, tomatoes, eggplant and lettuces almost ready to pick, the school was lucky enough to get four garden beds donated from Tank-You Water Tanks.
“Damien and Melissa Dixon have donated beds to us in the past and this means we can grow even more fresh produce,” Ms Berkholz said.
“Two of them will go in the sensory garden to grow either Italian or Asian herbs and the others will be for vegies.”
Ms Berkholz said the enjoyable day wasn’t just about the weeding but was an educational experience as well.
“It’s about getting the kids out and showing them where their food is coming from, so they feel like they’ve grown and harvested their produce to cook with – it gives an investment in the garden,” she said.
