Primary school welcomes Kitchen Cabinet's rich harvest

 Cooking legend Stephanie Alexander is pushing ahead with her plans to get  kitchen gardens flourishing in primary schools across the country

By TEGAN FARRELL

Vegetable gardens will be a feature of 10 per cent of Australian primary schools within a year if the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation has its way.

The foundation's education manager, Karyn  Giglietta,  spoke of the plan at the Adelaide Kitchen Cabinet gathering, which brought about 50 people to Kilkenny Primary School on May 1.

Ms Giglietta  said the foundation wanted to keep expanding the program among Australian schools with a primary curriculum.

School can “start with what you have”,  she said, explaining  the program had worked in a wide variety of circumstances at different sites.

“I think we’re an organisation that really supports schools that decide to take this program on,” said Ms Giglietta, highlighting the many resources the program offers schools.

The Kitchen Garden Program is being implemented in 561 schools across Australia and aims to provide children with practical and fun food education.

It provides training and curriculum resources, with students taught how to plant, grow, harvest, and cook their own food.

Primary school teacher Lindsey Delgado supports the program’s philosophy of providing children with food education to help them develop healthy lifelong habits.

“Students need to begin to develop good and healthy habits in anything from an early age. The earlier the students incorporate healthy habits, the more likely they are to carry these habits throughout the remainder of their schooling,” said Ms Delgado.

As the parent of a son attending primary school, Belinda Bosisto said she was impressed with the program.

“Understanding the philosophy of healthy eating can set a child up for life. If my son were involved in an initiative like this one I would volunteer to help and would be full of praise for those who have arranged and funded it,” said Ms Bosisto.

The Kitchen Garden Foundation encourages all primary schools interested in the program to contact them at their support line on 13000 SAKGF.

The event was part of the Tasting Australia food festival, which took place in Adelaide between April 27 and May 4.