With lots of hard work and frequent watering over the Christmas holidays the vegetable garden is flourishing...I would say one of our most productive growing seasons yet!  As well as watering, staking tomato plants and maintaining the garden I have also been busy baking/cooking, testing and formatting some scrumptious new recipes for the year ahead.

We have had a fantastic amount of stone fruit such as cherries, apricots, peaches and Japanese plums on the trees. These fruits have been poached and snap frozen, ready to make into crumbles, muffins and fruit slushies. We have an abundance of fresh herbs, as well as colourful marigolds and nasturtiums.  Silver beet, zucchinis, cherry tomatoes and eggplants are also doing well and we have lots of pumpkin and watermelon seedlings popping up.  Composted soil from previous years has resulted in seedlings of all different varieties popping up in all areas of the garden. We have a few lemons, limes and figs on our young trees so hopefully we can look forward to more productive crops from them in the future. Unfortunately no koalas were spotted in or around the garden over the break.     

The Kitchen Garden Program will once again run as a whole school opportuntity this year. Each year level will participate in a block of both kitchen and garden lessons. We will need lots of helpers throughout the year – Covid 19 restrictions permitting. If you have completed the RAN-EC training and have a current Working with Children check we would love your help. Please ring or message me of your availability. If you would like to obtain your DHS Working with Children check or RAN-EC training please see the lovely staff in the Administration Office.

Term 1   Year 5/6 classes

Term 2   Reception classes - Weeks 1-3

               Year 6/7 classes - Weeks 4-9

Term 3   Year 1/2 classes - Weeks 3-5

               Year 3/4 classes - Weeks 6-10

Term 4    Year 4/5 classes - Weeks 2-7

Do you have excess fruit or vegetables from your own home garden? The Kitchen Garden Program is always happy to accept donations of produce which we incorporate into our weekly lessons. Donations can be dropped into the Administration Office or the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen, Monday – Thursday.

If you have any questions regarding the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program please don’t hesitate to ring or message me or you can often find me in either the school garden or the SAKGP kitchen.

Michele Smith

Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program Coordinator

Volunteer Mobile 0408 637 850