Edible School Gardens

Q: I want a veggie garden at my child's school, how do I start?

A:  It is important, before starting, that you engage others within the school.  You need the support of your school Principal and a teacher. Also speak at your P&C meeting to gauge potential support and volunteers from fellow parents.

Q: What about funding?

A:  Occasionally there are large amounts of funding available from the Federal Government you need to check websites for current grants. There are often smaller grants available from Government and/or business groups.

Approach local Community Groups for  support.

Put notices in the school newsletter or local paper asking for donations of goods required for the garden project (eg: besser bricks)

Approach local businesses for donations.

Q: What are the on-going expenses?

A:  When designing your school garden you should be designing for the future...

-  grow your own mulch
-  grow your own soil compost, worm castings, green manure crops
-  save seeds from each crop for next planting.  Propagate, divide any cuttings from plants
-  cook up produce eg: pesto to sell to teachers and parents
-  fund raise... pot up plants & sell to parents

Q: What about water restrictions?

A:  Veggies do need water to grow.  Design your school garden to catch and hold water. Use compost and worm castings in the soil to hold water and mulch, to stop evaporation.

Q: Why bother with growing food when it's so cheap?

A:  In today's modern, fast-paced world with so much fast food, junk food and food with low/minimal nutritional value, more than ever we need to educate our children, our future generation, on eating food that will sustain a healthy body and mind.

Obesity, heart disease, addiction to sugar (and its many products), immune deficiency, mental illness, cancer, diabetes, infertility in later life this is the path of the future because of our "modern lifestyle".

Teaching our children about the value of eating fresh food through edible school garden programs is an essential life skill, ensuring our next generation of greater health and longer life.