School children eat what they sow

If Kym Kruse has his way, he will force-feed our young children.

 €œHow sick do our children have to become before parents and government do something about it?€ says Kym Kruse of Permaculture Cairns.

 €œWhen food became a commodity, people stopped growing their own food.€

 Kruse invited creator of the Edible School Gardens programme, Leonie Shanahan to view Machans Beach State School€™s organics garden.  The Sunshine Coast mother says kids need to grow their own nutritious food for their health and this can start at school.

 Leonie Shanahanhas been instrumental in developing the programme in seven schools.

 €œWe ingest approx 4.5 lts of pesticides & herbicides a year, 2kgs of addictives, and 66kgs of sugar,€ she says.   There is the much talked about obesity, mental illness, immune deficiency, heart disease, and diabetes.  We need to take action!€  says Ms Shanahan.

 Ms Shanahan  says that some food is not even made from nature.  €œIt€™s made in laboratories, stored in jars, plastic and cardboard and has a very long shelf life.€

 She also says that we get grapes from the USA, carrots from Belguim, green beans from China when we could be growing our own food.

 Edible school gardens are now getting more attention as an educational program.

 And the children at Machans love the idea of growing their own food.  €œI planted lemon grass, mum uses it in cooking€ says Russell Norris.   €œIt amazes me how plants grow,€ he says.

 
Graphic to the right: Orlen Ritzeu, Leonie Shanahan of Permaculture Noosa,  Kym Kruse of Permaculture Cairns,  Henry Blench, Russell Norris, and Christopher Weeks check the Vegetable garden at Machans Beach State School.

Article: 'Cairns Community Newspapers'