Fresh veg and full hearts at Nairne Primary School

Key points  

• Thanks to our partnership with Costa Group, 30 primary schools will be supported to kickstart their food education journey through the Kitchen Garden Program.  

• Nairne Primary School is one of the first 11 schools to receive a Kitchen Garden Program membership and an infrastructure grant.  

• Their thriving garden is growing Asian cabbages, broccoli and bush tomatoes, supported by new sustainable infrastructure like composting and rainwater systems.  

Earlier this year, we welcomed 11 schools and early childhood services into our kitchen garden community thanks to our values-aligned partnership with Costa Group.

These schools and services are all based in a community where Costa Group operates farms, to foster connections between education, agriculture, their staff and the community. They each received a two-year membership to the Kitchen Garden Program and an infrastructure grant to support their kitchen garden activities.  

One such school, Nairne Primary, nestled in South Australia’s Adelaide Hills, is off to a cracking start.  

Lemons, herbs, Asian cabbages, spring onions, leeks, radishes and more at Nairne Primary School Winter Farmers Market.

“The membership has given us access to invaluable resources to plan and deliver our kitchen garden classes with ease, significantly cutting down my preparation time and making lesson content decisions a whole lot easier,” explains Kitchen Garden Coordinator and Student Support Officer (SSO) Kali Vincent.  

What’s growing in their garden? 

Despite some soggy weather and a few persistent aphids, Nairne Primary School’s garden is thriving. Students have been busy tending to Asian cabbages, which were harvested and turned into okonomiyaki, a dish that proved wildly popular. “The kids absolutely DEMOLISHED the okonomiyaki!” says Kali.  

There’s also broccoli and potatoes growing steadily (which they plan to turn into a hearty soup), as well as garlic, oranges and lemons. Native herbs and bush tomatoes were proudly showcased during NAIDOC week.  

Beyond the harvest, the garden has become a space for much more than food. “Children are seeking out the garden as a place to regulate their emotions, showing a strong interest in plants and developing courage in trying new things both in the garden and the kitchen,” says Kali.  

A recent working bee helped tick off a long to-do list while bringing families and the broader community together.  

What’s been cooking?  

The kitchen has been just as busy. In addition to the beloved okonomiyaki, students have whipped up native herb sourdough crackers and seasoned kale chips, both of which disappeared fast. A wonderful display of hands-on, healthy, pleasurable food education.

Okonomiyaki in the making

The students also built a solar dehydrator from salvaged materials. They've used it to dry herbs, chillies, tomatoes, and apple slices.  

Putting their grant to work  

The Costa sponsored infrastructure grant has already been put to good use. The school has begun work on a compost shelter, a rainwater catchment and an outdoor cooking station.   

“This will increase opportunities for the students to experience and develop a love for growing, harvesting and cooking their own food,” says Kali. “The compost system that we have set up and streamlined to be accessible and user-friendly is working so well! We are looking forward to improving our soil with our very own home-made compost,” she adds.  

With so much already underway, the school isn’t slowing down. In the future, they’d love to expand the bush tucker garden, make it more accessible, and protect their fruit trees from birds and wildlife.  

They currently offer the Kitchen Garden Program to Years 2, 3 and 4, but Kali has a bigger dream: to see the whole school involved.  

What’s unfolding at Nairne Primary School is more than a garden: it’s a living, learning space where curiosity blooms, confidence grows, and community takes root. With support from Costa Group and the Foundation, these young learners are discovering the joy of growing, harvesting, preparing and sharing food.  

Nairne Primary School's garden is thriving.

Throughout our three-year partnership with Costa Group, there will be a total of 30 schools and early childhood services welcomed into our kitchen garden community across Australia. We look forward to sharing more inspiring case studies from this collaboration. 

The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation and Costa Group have partnered in a values-aligned multi-year agreement that ensures more children and young people from around Australia experience hands-on, pleasurable food education.