Students set to see seeds of crops grown

BUNINYONG Primary School grade 3 and 4 pupils will soon harvest their final crop for 2023 following a yearlong program aimed at getting them into food gardening.

This Monday they’ll harvest months’ worth of potatoes planted as part of the school’s Ready Set Grow initiative, which has built on a food growing program established during COVID.

Beginning during the first school term, the initiative has been supported with $5000 from Community Bank Buninyong as well as volunteer assistance from Friends of Buninyong Botanic Gardens members.

Buninyong Primary School teacher Jordon Smith helped develop the school’s Ready Set Grow program and said it’s about engaging with students in need of additional support.

“As with every school, we have some kids that battle with the place whether it’s attendance, confidence, interacting, so it’s that social teamwork and engagement,” he said.

“The Friends of Buninyong Botanic Gardens love to come in and volunteer and we have a shared space with them at our cottage which was an old police station we use as an intervention space.

“They mainly do the gardening there and because they’re in so frequently, we figured they could help with our weekly session where we could get kids out of the classroom and give them extra engagement, team building and social skills.”

With food planted across the school, a dedicated green space was installed in term two at a neglected patch at the site’s east, which brought an additional nine garden beds to the institution’s total of 15.

As well as potatoes, students have planted corn, tomatoes, mint and herbs, strawberries, cucumbers, broccoli, radishes, and sunflowers.

About a dozen pupils have been involved in the program each term, with almost 40 having participated out of the school’s 180 grade 3 and 4 intake.

Students have spent about an hour each Monday cultivating the gardens, and many have taken produce home to enjoy with their families.

Grade 3 student Conner took part in the program during term two and said he found the practical side of garden to be especially rewarding.

“I really liked all the things we can get involved with like the digging and getting our hands dirty,” he said. “That’s been the best part for me.

“My dad’s got a garden and I sometimes help with that but it’s mostly here. I’ve learned about all sorts of fruit we’ve planted and how to use the tools properly.

“I wish I could’ve done it for more terms.”

The program is set to be expanded with more development and extra garden beds for the eastern site as well as a greenhouse to be constructed next year.

Students at the institution’s Scotsburn campus are also undertaking the initiative with a focus on using the refurbished school kitchen.