Growing Your Kitchen Garden Program PD

Read about our Growing Your Kitchen Garden Program professional development at Melbourne’s Findon Primary School, and get a taste of what happens at this day of training.

What type of kitchen or garden tool are you?

Participants at our recent Melbourne Growing Your Kitchen Garden Program professional development day were asked to consider just that question to kick off the day.

Educators at the training, who all have some experience in a kitchen garden program, gave a variety of insightful answers:

“I’d be compost – because I’m fun, nutritious for the garden and essential.”

“A wheelbarrow, as I help carry the load.”

Once the ice had been broken, the educators, from early years centres and schools, were asked to share some of the successes and challenges of running their kitchen garden program.

The participants shared their stories willingly, to help educators from other schools and centres learn from their experience.

These were some of the successes:

• Connecting classroom teachers with the learning opportunities in the kitchen and garden, showing just how much can be learned in these spaces. 
• Helping students with autism make great progress thanks to the sensory benefits of cooking.
• Improving waste management at schools by auditing the waste, getting everyone on board and composting food waste.

In the welcoming space of Findon Primary School’s bright kitchen, the participants also heard from the school’s inspiring Kitchen and Garden Specialist, Kath Jones.

Kath shared her knowledge on everything from setting up the garden space, applying for grants, engaging classroom teachers and linking kitchen garden learning to the curriculum to attracting volunteers to support the classes.

She also took participants on an extensive tour of Findon’s kitchen garden, to show them the infrastructure the school has developed.

The participants then got their hands dirty in the garden and kitchen.

In the garden they learned how to conduct a soil pH test, make seed spheres, construct garden support structures and discuss planting techniques.

In the kitchen they helped to prepare a Middle Eastern-inspired shared lunch, which included a Moroccan carrot salad, pita bread, shakshouka, rice pilau, spiced salad made with roasted cauliflower, felafels made with dried split broad beans, and baba ghanoush.

The food was displayed on sharing platters in the middle of three large dining tables, beautifully decorated with fresh flowers from the school’s garden.

After the busy morning in the garden and a fast-paced kitchen session, participants then sat down together to enjoy food and conversation. The falafels and smoky baba ghanoush were picked as the highlights of the delicious spread.

After lunch, participants revisit the challenges faced by kitchen garden schools and centres (mentioned in the earlier sessions) that hadn’t been covered in the day.

The Foundation’s training team drew on their experiences to propose solutions for the challenges, and reminded participants that the Foundation provides ongoing phone and email support. Educators were also able to share their experiences of solutions that had worked for them.

A recurring theme throughout the day was the benefits of keeping the community updated on what happens in the garden and kitchen. Participants found that sharing news of garden activities, harvests, recipes and dishes from the kitchen can help promote the rewards and opportunities of volunteering, and increase community support.

The educators who participated in the training day left with full minds and full stomachs, feeling inspired to grow their kitchen garden programs.

Here’s some feedback from the day:

“By far the most informative and enjoyable professional development day I have participated in.” 

“All activities were relevant to my classroom needs and aspirations. I look forward to trying them out soon. The cooking section was exceptional and delicious.”

“Loved the hands-on activities, which really helped the learning process.”

Scroll through the gallery of images above to see all the action from the training day.

Are you ready to take the next step in your kitchen garden program? Then book into one of our Growing Your Kitchen Garden Program professional development days. If you are just starting out on your kitchen garden journey, then book into one of our introductory Delivering Kitchen Garden Classes sessions.

• Kitchen Garden Program Schools and Kitchen Garden Classroom members receive significant discounts on the Foundation’s professional development days. Not a member? Learn how you can join the Kitchen Garden Classroom.
• Any questions? Give our friendly Support Team a call on 13000 SAKGF (13000 72543).