Edible School Gardens

 Edible School Gardens

by Leonie Shanahan; Photographer: Di Harris

People often ask me why I started Edible School Gardens. I was at my young daughters’ school when the students came out for their lunch break and inside those lunchboxes were brightly coloured food that came in plastic, this food was mostly made in laboratories and manipulated to look and taste like food...... I was horrified ... where was the fresh food the real food that was going to support their growing bodies, minds, immunity and wellbeing. It was that moment I knew I needed to go into schools and teach children about growing organic food and let children experience food bursting with flavour and freshness. I had studied horticulture , permaculture and organics.

That was 10 years ago now and I have had the pleasure of implementing the edible school gardens program into over 20 schools and changing the eating habits of thousands of students.

The program is kid focused, every steps of the process must involve them – it’s going to be their garden, not mine. Ownership. More than ever we need to empower students with information about growing food for their own life skills and to teach their parents. The students learn about garden design and they come up with the design they want as their edible garden. We source as much materials required second hand and locally to support our community.
Our design is brought to life with a school community set up day where parents/grandparents come along and make the garden with the students, in these designs we will have several different shaped gardens, herb spirals, worm farms/baths, compost systems, arches and more. I am passionate about soils – not any soil but soil that is bursting with life, we do no dig gardens and all our garden beds have minerals and microbes added to them. Healthy soil- healthy food- healthy YOU.

Then its all about learning the magic of growing food from seed, seedling, plants, cuttings etc, watching how they grow and how long it takes, and of course, eating food from our much loved garden. Food that is wholesome, healthy & fresh. Students Love their garden, its not a chore, its a learning experience with fun attached to it which connects them back to nature and health. Feed your heart, mind, body and spirit eating food that is going to nourish you.

Nothing gives me more pleasure than to drive into a school yard and see students eating the snow peas before school. Growing food with children is so very important for their wellbeing, start today no matter whether in a pot or in a garden.

Leonie is also the author of Eat Your Garden Organic Gardening for Home and Schools with easy to follow, clear steps on all aspects of organic growing based on the work she does in schools. Just released is her first DVD Edible School Gardens, a film company followed Leonie around and recorded her successful 12 month program Edible School Gardens.