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.<\/p>\n
This Monday they\u2019ll harvest months\u2019 worth of potatoes planted as part of the school\u2019s Ready Set Grow initiative, which has built on a food growing program established during COVID.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Buninyong Primary School teacher Jordon Smith helped develop the school\u2019s Ready Set Grow program and said it\u2019s about engaging with students in need of additional support.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs with every school, we have some kids that battle with the place whether it\u2019s attendance, confidence, interacting, so it\u2019s that social teamwork and engagement,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey mainly do the gardening there and because they\u2019re 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
With food planted across the school, a dedicated green space was installed in term two at a neglected patch at the site\u2019s east, which brought an additional nine garden beds to the institution\u2019s total of 15.<\/p>\n
As well as potatoes, students have planted corn, tomatoes, mint and herbs, strawberries, cucumbers, broccoli, radishes, and sunflowers.<\/p>\n
About a dozen pupils have been involved in the program each term, with almost 40 having participated out of the school\u2019s 180 grade 3 and 4 intake.<\/p>\n
Students have spent about an hour each Monday cultivating the gardens, and many have taken produce home to enjoy with their families.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really liked all the things we can get involved with like the digging and getting our hands dirty,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s been the best part for me.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy dad\u2019s got a garden and I sometimes help with that but it\u2019s mostly here. I\u2019ve learned about all sorts of fruit we\u2019ve planted and how to use the tools properly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wish I could\u2019ve done it for more terms.\u201d<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Students at the institution\u2019s Scotsburn campus are also undertaking the initiative with a focus on using the refurbished school kitchen.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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\u2019ll harvest months\u2019 worth of potatoes planted as part of the school\u2019s Ready Set Grow initiative, which has built on a food growing program established during […]<\/p>\n