Edible School Gardens

We have set up successful edible school garden programs in over 2 dozen schools, mainly primary aged students, on the Sunshine coast (Queensland).  Programs generally run for 12 months either once a week or once a fortnight.  Teachers are empowered with the information on how to use the garden and eventually take over the project.  

From my experience over the past decade at dozens of schools and speaking with schools I've worked with, I believe that the ideal situation is to run the Edible School Gardens program for a 12 month period, either one day a week or one day a fortnight.  In 12 months you can work with all seasons, record all the information about planting, caring for plants, harvesting, seed saving, propagating, composting, worm farms and green manure crops, keep a journal and create reference folders so the information is all there for the teachers, parents, grandparents and students to empower them with knowledge and confidence so that they too will become part of the program and use the garden as a living classroom.

Experience

Implemented the Edible School Gardens program in 20 schools to date (Dec 2011) with more booked, some schools attended more than once.

Founding committee member of Veggie Village Community Gardens Peregian Beach

2011  Achievements

•BOGI (Brisbane Organic Growers Organisation) - Guest Speaker
• Blackall Heartland Festival Qld running organic/permaculture gardening workshops
• Qld Home Garden Show organic gardening workshops  Nambour
• Maroochy Community Gardens  organic gardening workshops  Yandina
• NSW speaking tour on Edible School Gardens and Eat Your Garden
• President Permaculture Noosa
• Member NSAA  (National Speakers Association  of Australia) Brisbane Chapter
• Member Toastmasters Noosa

2010 Achievements:

• Self published Eat Your Garden organic gardening for home and schools (print edition book) available through my website
• Woodford permakids workshops creating a permaculture village
• Presenter at APC10 permaculture conference in Cairns.  School Gardens Education day for teachers.
• Speaker at Sydney Organic Expo & Green Show
• Woodford Folk Festival Greenhouse event, school gardens panel
• Qld Home Garden Expo speaker and workshop presenter
• Organic gardening course for parents at Our Lady of the Rosary, Shelley Beach
• Guest speaker QPCA AGM and conference
• Guest speaker C&K Pre school professionals conference Brisbane
• Segment (presenter) of Give it a go DVD on No Dig Gardens
• President Permaculture Noosa
• Member NSAA  (National Speakers Association  of Australia)  Brisbane Chapter
• Member Toastmasters Noosa

Past Achievements:

2006-08    Qld Home Garden Expo (annual event)  part of the team that put together the Permaculture and Giant Kitchen display gardens and work shop programs.
June 08    World Environment Day  Sunshine Coast University  workshops of No Dig Gardens.
May 2008   Teacher training Siena Catholic College.
April 2008 Presenter and Workshops at Outdoor learning and school Gardens Seminar/Future Ready Expo.
July 2007  Noosa Beyond 2010 lecture of Permaculture and Edible gardens.
March 2007 Workshop Presenter Australian National Community Gardens, City Farms and School conference  Melbourne 2007.
Children's Workshop   Woodford Folk Festival since 2004
Peregian Community Gardens  Veggie Village, workshops

Current Member of Toastmasters Noosa, Achievement: Competent Communicator