If you’re in Canberra, the Majura Primary School is participating in the Open Garden Scheme. Part fund-raiser, part hoping to inspire and part pride at how far we’ve come …
It’s a joint gig with the garden of Barbara Wheeler and Stephen Knight. Stephen is the school’s fantastic caretaker, and Barbara has been instrumental in motivating significant changes in the revitalisation program of the school, a process that preceeded our success in becoming the ACT demonstration School for the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program.
Details are here – it’s a measly $8 for entry to the two gardens (both in Watson), with no charge for people aged under 18. The School will have a little cafe running, and if you want to try some of my cooking go for the banana muffins with cream cheese icing or the little spiced apple teacake muffins. Neither is a low fat option, so enjoy. Year 4 students will be guiding tours of the indigenous plants that form the entrance to the school, and the kitchen garden will be open for tours too. Our awesome Garden Specialist, Rik Allen, will be there to answer any burning questions and talk about the long term plans to establish an organic garden on permaculture principles. There are also climatically appropriate heirloom variety seedlings ready to be planted now.
Here’s a peek at our kitchen, looking down from the dining area to the kitchen itself. It’s beautiful – a large, airy high ceilinged space in the kitchen with a few steps up to a cosy dining area with big sliding doors overlooking a reclaimed driveway that became an Environment Courtyard and is now a fully-fledged school kitchen garden. Our Kitchen Teacher, Fran Stevens, has just been appointed this week, and she’s fantastic. She has a son in Year 1 at the school and has been heavily involved in building the garden. I’m really excited to be one of “Fran’s Army” of volunteers – and if you’re interested leave a comment and I’ll hound you down ;)
and here’s our handsome chookshed, which has several little sections running out from it with different kinds of plants so the chickens can be corralled around to do their Important Chicken Business:
Unfortunately, I’m not able to be there as I’m travelling to Melbourne for the first Australian Food Bloggers’ Conference Eat.Drink.Blog, where I’m presenting on “Why we blog” with Reem of I am obsessed with food and Gill of confessions of a food nazi.
I will, however, be around on Thursday, when (drumroll, please!) Stephanie Alexander makes a flying visit to launch the program at our school. And you’re all invited:
If you come, make sure to find the really tall woman chasing a toddler and wiping the tears of joy from her eyes and say hi.
