More Kitchen Gardens To Teach Kids Healthy Food Habits

12:15' 07-05-2018

Victorian children will be supported to develop lifelong healthy eating habits, thanks to an Andrews Labor Government program that will set up more kitchen gardens and boost food education in schools across the state.

Photo: childrenutrition

Minister for Health Jill Hennessy today visited Altona Meadows Primary School to launch the Playground to Plate grants program.

The $500,000 program is now open to Victorian Government primary schools in 24 local government areas, offering grants to help 100 schools enhance or establish a kitchen garden based on the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden philosophy.

Kitchen gardens encourage kids to get involved with growing, harvesting, preparing and sharing fresh, seasonal, delicious food and improve the overall health and wellbeing of the school community. Grants can be used to build garden beds or buy gardening tools, or kitchen equipment to cook healthy and tasty meals.

The program is open to 12 metropolitan and 12 rural local government areas that would most benefit from a Kitchen Garden program, with applications open until 8 June.

These include Brimbank, Casey, Darebin, Frankston, Greater Dandenong, Hobson’s Bay, Hume, Maribyrnong, Melton, Moreland, Whittlesea, Wyndham, Ararat, Central Goldfields, East Gippsland, Gannawarra, Hindmarsh, Latrobe, Loddon, Mildura, Moira, Northern Grampians, Pyrenees, and Swan Hill.

The kitchen gardens will help schools in these areas work towards encouraging children to grow, harvest, prepare and share fresh seasonal food.