Garden to Table

An ongoing project to enable our aakonga to grow, harvest, cook and eat their own produce!

In 2023 we began our Garden to Table journey, with Rooms 2 and 4 meeting fortnightly to participate. In 2024 we have Rooms 3 and 4 taking part, and now have three staff members who have undertaken the training for this ongoing learning. We have several raised garden beds in full working order, plus some amazing smaller beds behind Room 3 which were designed by our tamariki and brought to life by our amazing Caretaker, Rod. We are also fortunate to have our own orchard, planted several years back and now producing fruit each season.

Our tamariki are continually learning new skills and gathering knowledge through the processes of:

• planting seeds or seedlings
• caring for them including weeding and fertilising
• harvesting the produce
• following recipes
• preparing the items for cooking (washing, peeling, chopping)
• cooking their kai
• explaining to their peers what they have been learning and how they went about their tasks for the day

The best part is sitting down to enjoy eating their kai at the end!

We are grateful to have a couple of regular volunteers to help us but we are always on the lookout for more, so if you'd like to help please email Mrs Booth anna@rotoorangi.school.nz

We are also extremely grateful for the support we have received from Greenscapes Landscaping Supplies who supplied us with our raised beds and have topped us up with compost since. We also won an amazing irrigation system from Water Tank Solutions Ltd who came in to install it and teach us how to use it!