Press release: Garden to Table now serves the capital
Wednesday, June 11, 2014 | Catherine Bell
Wellington school kids now have access to a successful fresh food programme that has proved highly effective in New Zealand at educating children about healthy eating.
The Garden to Table Trust has announced it is to launch in four schools in Wellington during 2014 with the financial support of The Tindall Foundation and The Warehouse.
Here are some suggestions on how you can support Garden to Table this weekend by Feasting for the Future.
Waihekeans can grab a coffee or a meal at Wai Kitchen or head to Cable Bay where they'll be serving a special dish of rare seared beef from which all proceeds will go to GTT.
Start the day with breakfast or brunch at one of the many cafés involved in Feast for the Future including Café on Kohi, Richmond Road Café, Rosehip, St Heliers Bay Café & Bistro, Takapuna Beach Café, Teed St Larder, Toru, Pescado or Urban Café.
For something a little special The French Café, Merediths, O’Connell St Bistro or Clooney will take care of you.
A sweet treat and a good brew can be found at Little & Friday (Newmarket & Takapuna), Cool Food Café, Kokako Café, or any of The Store cafés (Takapuna, St Heliers or Britomart)
Get the best view in town and a great cocktail at The Sugar Club.
If you’re after a little spice head to Tasca for tapas or Ima for some Middle Eastern fare.
Go glam at The Langham Auckland – Eight and The Winery are supporting Feast for the Future.
For a night out in Britomart head into Ortolana and follow up your meal with a home-made jelly-tip ice cream and a glass of bubbles as Milse.
The Grill by Sean Connolly and Marvel Grill North Wharf
Go Vegan or vegetarian with a meal at Hectors at The Heritage - they’re putting on a special four course Feast for the Future menu.
For a bit of fun and a slider or two hit up Depot, or go Italian at SPQR.
Hit your local - Ponsonby Road Bistro or The Engine Room are always a hit.
As part of the celebrations for Wynyard Quarter's 2nd Birthday we are holding an open day at the Garden To Table site on 3 August from 11 am to 2 pm.
This is a great chance for Garden to Table at Wynyard Quarter to tell people about the programme and we need your help to provide some produce, preserves or home baking for us to sell on the day. Funds raised from these sales will go towards Garden to Table at Wynyard Quarter.
Long term solution in food education needed, not just food in schools
The government's plan to feed hungry children in school is laudable but it is a short-term solution that represents an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff.
Wellington school kids now have access to a successful fresh food programme that has proved highly effective in New Zealand at educating children about healthy eating.
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The Garden to Table Trust has announced it is to launch in four schools in Wellington during 2014 with the financial support of The Tindall Foundation and The Warehouse.
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The trust is a charitable organisation which operates a curriculum integrated programme where children aged between seven and 10 learn about fresh, seasonal food.
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Youngsters are taught how to grow, harvest, prepare and share fresh, seasonal food using purpose-built gardens and kitchen facilities in their schools.
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The first school in Wellington to begin the programme is Porirua's Cannons Creek where pupils sat down to their first gardening and cooking lesson in May. A further three schools are to be announced later this year.
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The Garden to Table trust was established in 2008 by food writer Catherine Bell. It is modelled on Australia's successful and well documented Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Programme.
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Ms Bell is delighted the programme is now available in Wellington.
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"It is only with the very generous support of The Warehouse and The Tindall Foundation that we can expand in to our capital city," Ms Bell says.
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"They have promised cash support to the Garden to Table Trust during the next three years and The Warehouse team members are backing the scheme with volunteers, equipment and community support."
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The Warehouse Executive GM Community and Environment, Paul Walsh says: "The Warehouse has a long standing commitment to supporting families and young people across New Zealand via numerous community initiatives."
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"Garden to Table is a wonderful example of the benefits of combining education with healthy living and we are delighted to assist with the extension of the programme to the Wellington region," says Mr Walsh.
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In addition to Wellington, Garden to Table operates in 19 schools in New Zealand reaching out to more than 2,000 youngsters every week with messages many will take home.
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The aim is to educate children while encouraging them to make healthy choices and create positive eating habits by facilitating edible gardens and kitchen classrooms in primary schools.
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"The positive spinoffs are endless," Ms Bell says. "Not only do children receive a fresh perspective on food education, it enhances their skills in science, maths and English."
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Garden to Table operates on an innovative, inclusive staffing model. Students work in small groups under the supervision of specialist staff, community volunteers and the teacher. It provides an opportunity to learn in an interactive way from adults and builds strong relationships with adult role models.
Here are some suggestions on how you can support Garden to Table this weekend by Feasting for the Future.
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Waihekeans can grab a coffee or a meal at Wai Kitchen or head to Cable Bay where they'll be serving a special dish of rare seared beef from which all proceeds will go to GTT.
\n
Start the day with breakfast or brunch at one of the many cafés involved in Feast for the Future including Café on Kohi, Richmond Road Café, Rosehip, St Heliers Bay Café & Bistro, Takapuna Beach Café, Teed St Larder, Toru, Pescado or Urban Café.
\n
For something a little special The French Café, Merediths, O’Connell St Bistro or Clooney will take care of you.
\n
A sweet treat and a good brew can be found at Little & Friday (Newmarket & Takapuna), Cool Food Café, Kokako Café, or any of The Store cafés (Takapuna, St Heliers or Britomart)
\n
Get the best view in town and a great cocktail at The Sugar Club.
\n
If you’re after a little spice head to Tasca for tapas or Ima for some Middle Eastern fare.
\n
Go glam at The Langham Auckland – Eight and The Winery are supporting Feast for the Future.
\n
For a night out in Britomart head into Ortolana and follow up your meal with a home-made jelly-tip ice cream and a glass of bubbles as Milse.
\n
The Grill by Sean Connolly and Marvel Grill North Wharf
\n
Go Vegan or vegetarian with a meal at Hectors at The Heritage - they’re putting on a special four course Feast for the Future menu.
\n
For a bit of fun and a slider or two hit up Depot, or go Italian at SPQR.
\n
Hit your local - Ponsonby Road Bistro or The Engine Room are always a hit.
As part of the celebrations for Wynyard Quarter's 2nd Birthday we are holding an open day at the Garden To Table site on 3 August from 11 am to 2 pm.
\n
This is a great chance for Garden to Table at Wynyard Quarter to tell people about the programme and we need your help to provide some produce, preserves or home baking for us to sell on the day. Funds raised from these sales will go towards Garden to Table at Wynyard Quarter.
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How you can help:
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You can help by donating some produce, baking or preserves for us to sell at the Open Day. Ideally this would be home baking and preserves making use of current seasonal produce. Preserves could include jams, marmalades, honey, pickles or chutneys.
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Donations of produce from the garden also most welcome. If we can get enough citrus fruit we will set up some juicers so children can squeeze their own fresh fruit juice.
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To express your interest or to find out more information about our requirements please email Joanne Harland at joanne@gardentotable.org.nz.
Garden to Table is delighted to announce a charitable partnership with the Langham Auckland.
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Garden to Table Trust Chairperson Catherine Bell says the Trust is thrilled to be working with The Langham.
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\"Our respective environmental philosophies are closely aligned, creating a great synergy between our two organisations. The support the Langham will provide over the next two years as a partner will greatly assist in the future growth of Garden to Table and we look forward very much to having the Langham family involved in our schools and fundraising activities.\"
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Jeffrey Van Vorsselen, Managing Director of The Langham Auckland says that The Langham staff are looking forward to their involvement in the programme, especially helping in local schools.
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\"We believe that Garden to Table has such a positive influence for families and the community. The programme changes the way children think about food, and teaches basic life skills. It's important that children know where their food comes from and Garden to Table encourages them to grow their own food, then prepare it to share with their peers and families\", says Mr Van Vorsselen.
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\"Hopefully we can help Garden to Table in their work to roll the programme out to schools across the country.\"
Long term solution in food education needed, not just food in schools
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The government's plan to feed hungry children in school is laudable but it is a short-term solution that represents an ambulance at the bottom of the cliff.
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Garden to Table Trust believes the 'food in schools' programme does not break the cycle of dependency that already exists among many struggling families. To paraphrase a Chinese proverb, if you give a child a meal you feed him for a day; teach him how to put food on the table and you feed him for a lifetime.
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Supplying the food via schools does not arm adults of the future with skills that will help them as they grow and have families themselves.
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The Garden to Table Programme is a proven solution - children as young as seven years old can learn life skills they will have forever. It is positive for their health and long term will help address New Zealand's growing obesity problem.
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A sibling programme in Australia is highly successful teaching thousands of children from more than 350 schools, but this has been government-funded for some years.
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Garden to Table teaches young children how to grow, harvest, prepare and share food using purpose-built gardens and kitchen facilities. The Garden to Table programme is cheap to run costing less than one full time equivalent staff member per school after an initial investment in the garden and the kitchen classroom.
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Initiatives that provide long term value both for those who receive the benefits and also for the nation need to be fostered. The Garden to Table Trust's activities are one example of a long term solution that government needs to urgently investigate.
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Contact for comment: Catherine Bell, Chairperson, Garden to Table Trust, Tel: 021 471 973
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