Permaculture at Schools is Magic

Students eat what they have grown to create a balanced diet by Roxanne McCarty-O'Kane

Our Lady of the Rosary mother-of-three Liza Neil never thought she would hear her daughter say she did not want McDonalds.  Especially when Matilda Smith's preference was to eat vegetables from the garden.
But this was magic to the ears of Edible School Gardens Leonie Shanahan, who has transformed the eating habits of studnets from 14 schools across the Coast through action.

Ms Shanahan creates edible permaculture gardens, spending 12 months with each school to work with students on design concepts for their garden, the building and planting of the garden and eventually demonstrates how they can then eat what they have grown to create a healthy, balanced diet.  "The trick is not to use the word healthy" she said.

"Permaculture is mimicking nature and reducing our needs on resources and being more self-sufficient.  The tree principals for permaculture are care of the earth, care of the earth and sharing things like plants, seeds and information. 

Ms Shanahan said she was spurred to action after being "horrified" to see what her children's friends were taking to school in their lunchboxes.  "I had studied horticulutre and permaculture and I knew I needed to go in there and show by example," Ms Shanahan said.  "To know making a difference to their health, that's why I do it.  "This changes their habits without nagging and gets them thinking eating healthy is good.  "They love it, they're not outdoors enough.  "Most gardening days, we go around and try different food, some are hesitant at first, but they all end up eating all the food from there.  "Most of them you cna't hold back, they're like a grasshoppers going through the garden."

OLR students, teachers and parents set up their permaculture garden last week with money from the Gambling Community Fund and many donations from businesses throughout the local area.
For information visit www.edibleschoolgardens.com.au