Volunteer and mum, Rangimarie Marris, and son Liam, 9, working in the school garden. Photo: Viv Posselt
Kihikihi School is helping students grow some foundational food preparation skills.
Principal Sunny West told The News the school adopted the Garden to Table initiative at the start of the year, and staff and students are reaping benefits.
Garden to Table was established in 2008 by current chairperson Catherine Bell and Dennis La Touche and benefits around 30,000 primary school children in more than 300 schools around New Zealand.
Its aim is for skills-based food education to be available to every child in New Zealand.
West said a joint effort between school staff and other community volunteers made the Garden to Table project, run every Friday,
possible.
Kihikihi School has an established vegetable garden and Garden to Table teachers help students with the process of
harvesting and maintaining the garden.
“Kitchen specialists” help students prepare recipes.
“We’re very fortunate to have wonderfully skilled adult volunteers – and even a qualified baker – involved here at school,” West said.
West said everything from muffins to vegetable soup has been made during the Friday sessions.
“The Garden to Table programme fits wonderfully with our concept of whakawhanaungatanga here, creating a meaningful sense
of togetherness, while also helping our students gain new matauranga, or knowledge, and some new foundational skills.
The school has a seedling sale planned as part of its fundraising initiatives.
- An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported it was founded by Stephen and Margaret Tindall and involved 10,500 children in more than 170 schools.
