Rural heaven in heart of Bondi

A pretty cottage with polished wooden floors, five sparkling new kitchens, ten lush vegetable garden beds, and citrus trees heavy with fruit. Chickens peck near the door, next to the sunflowers and French purple garlic.

Is this Provence or Tuscany? Neither. This idyllic scene is right in the centre of Bondi where Bondi Public School students are learning to create meals from scratch – straight from the vegetable garden to the table.

Food education has taken a three dimensional approach as students plant vegetables and harvest the produce. They later cook and eat meals they make from their garden crop.

The project is part of the implementation of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program designed to teach school children to enjoy healthy foods by taking them down to the roots. Bondi Public School is the only demonstration school in NSW for this program.

The children’s kitchen garden is now also part of the Eco Kids Festival at Luna Park on Sunday, September 13.

“I think what it’s doing for children is reigniting their sense of excitement in what they are eating and tasting and the long term health benefits are immeasurable,” school principal Michael Jones said.

Devised for primary school students, Bondi Public School runs the program for all students according to Mr Jones.

Planting and cooking are done alternatively, with school staff gardening with their classes once a week and cooking the food they harvest on another week.

The school hires a gardener to manage the vegetable gardens and a chef to manage the kitchens. Both liaise with school staff for planting and harvesting and to work out menus.

Bondi Public School is one of 37 schools across Australia receiving assistance from the Federal Government to implement this program. The school received a one-off grant of $100,000 over two years for set up and to pay the program staff.

Mr Jones said that to maintain the program, the school will create and sell a cookbook with recipes donated from famous chefs in Australia.

Volunteers have also pitched in to help. Plumbers, electricians, carpenters and friends of friends have helped build the kitchens and created the vegetable beds for the school.

“Lots of volunteers are already working in the program. We’ve had people renovate the cottage for us and work on weekends,” Mr Jones said.

“The whole community is so supportive and excited about the program and the children are fascinated by the cooking.”

Smeg and Ikea also came to the party, providing the school with appliances and cabinets for the new kitchens.

The Kitchen Garden Program is created by the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation to assist schools across Australia in providing food education to children.

-BY MARY JOSEPH