Garden to Plate (R-6)

Growing, Harvesting and Cooking

As part of the B–12 Agriculture program, all primary students at Central Yorke School participate in the Garden to Plate program. Students gain practical, hands on experiences in growing, preparing and enjoying fresh produce while developing an understanding of sustainability, healthy living and food production.

Throughout the year, students plan garden plots, prepare beds, sow seeds, maintain crops and harvest produce from the school garden. The harvested vegetables, herbs and flowers are then used in the Agriculture kitchen and Home Economics centre, where students prepare and cook a variety of meals and recipes.

Learning Through Practical Experiences

Garden to Plate combines agriculture, science, sustainability and creativity. Students have explored crop production, insect management and food preparation while also completing design based projects linked to STEAM learning. Activities have included building and decorating garden projects, weaving with dried flowers grown on site and creating handmade Mother’s Day gifts using propagated chrysanthemums from the school garden.

Students across all year levels participate in age appropriate activities connected to real world learning. Younger students have prepared fresh cold rolls using garden produce, investigated insects and pests and explored mushroom growing. Older primary students have investigated food and nutrition through activities such as comparing milk varieties and making butter, while Year 4/5 students combined lentil crop inspections with healthy food preparation.

Connecting With Community

The program also provides opportunities for students to connect with the wider community. Produce and flowers grown through Garden to Plate have been successfully entered into local competitions, including the Maitland Show, with students achieving strong results across several categories.

Garden to Plate continues to provide engaging and meaningful learning experiences that connect students with agriculture, sustainability and healthy food choices.