Garden to Table in the Deep South
Garden to Table has Regional Coordinators spread right throughout the motu. Their role is to enable our schools to run rich and impactful programmes by training and supporting staff and connecting schools with the wider community, other organisations and our nationwide networks.
In May this year Skye MacFarlane, our Regional Coordinator for Ōtakau me Murihiku - Otago and Southland, headed on a road trip down to our most southern schools. Murihiku - Southland is one of our newest areas and currently has eight schools as far south as Rakiura - Stewart Island! Since her visit last year we have had five new schools sign up and have seen some awesome progress in our already established programmes.
After an early start Skye headed straight to a new school to Garden to Table, Lee Stream School. Lee Stream is a small rural school with just 10 students, a teaching principal plus a classroom teacher. They are a passionate rural school with a deep understanding of the challenges of growing vegetables, as many of their students come from farming households.
Their Tumuaki (principal) told us that her husband will be donating a paddock to the students so they can grow swedes to raise funds for the school and the programme. She also mentioned that the tamariki are incredibly interested in running their own ‘paddock to plate’ with produce they have grown and potentially stock that the school has helped to raise.
From here Skye traveled to another new member school, Clutha Valley School. This is a bigger school in the region with around 120 students. They have established māra (gardens) and great planning and incorporation of the Garden to Table programme. Their gardens had been hit hard with the first big frost of the season so the zucchini they were planning to use were ruined. But it was great to see that they still had potatoes for their Matariki hangi!
The next day, first up was Heddon Bush. They joined Garden to Table last year and run a wonderful programme. They have 73 students lead a super organised and passionate Programme Champion. They have made Friday Garden to Table day to help with truancy and attendance. We certainly hear this positive impact on attendance echoed across the motu from Tumuaki (Principals), kaiako (teachers) and school whānau - no one wants to miss school on Garden to Table days!
At Heddon Bush, our programme is so popular that one student who was going on holiday on a Thursday would not leave with her whānau because she would miss the Friday Garden to Table session. Her Mum even tried to bribe her with the food that they were going to be making at school, but she was adamant she was staying! She ended up being dropped to the holiday destination after school on the Friday – such a heart-warming story about how much the students love the programme.
They have varied gardens that are split around the school; onions and garlic in one area and greens, herbs, potatoes and compost in another. They are planning to fill planter boxes with veggies like carrots so children can help themselves and eat whenever they want. Their staff acknowledged their appreciation for the variety of cultural activities and resources offered by Garden to Table; they are a multi-cultural school and so they really enjoy learning about all cultures and focus on this each week.
This experience of how our programme brings people together is also mirrored throughout our schools nationwide. Kai brings people together and celebrates cultural difference. Numerous schools report that they choose Garden to Table for cultural reasons, and we know that volunteers for schools who are new to Aotearoa New Zealand experience a warm welcoming reception and enjoy learning English talking with our tamariki while growing, cooking and sharing kai together.
Skye then headed to Takitimu School in Nightcaps who joined our Garden to Table hapori (community) in 2022 and is thriving. Led by their enthusiastic and energetic Programme Champion, the school has embraced the programme with passion. Skye had the opportunity to see their incredible lunch programme in action, where they prepare hot meals not only for their own students but also for a nearby school, totalling 79 lunches.
This inspiring initiative showcases their commitment to growing, as they incorporate produce from their garden whenever possible. To further support their Garden to Table programme, they even 'invoice' the school for any garden produce used, creating a sustainable model that reinforces the value of homegrown food and the skills they are learning through Garden to Table. It’s fantastic to see the remarkable progress they’re making!
Last stop on the tour was Mossburn School with 50 ākonga (students). The dedicated Programme Champion showed Skye around their māra (gardens), discussing their plans to move compost bins to get more garden space. They were thrilled with their seedlings kindly gifted by our friends at Zealandia Horticulture. It was really impressive to see how they have developed their gardens and how they are slowly but sustainably building their programme year on year.
Garden to Table in Murihiku - Southland is steadily growing, with new schools joining and existing ones making incredible progress. But the vast area and the wide distribution of our schools make organising in-person hui challenging. As a result, Skye is trialling online teams’ meetings with schools that have similar situations or rolls so they can troubleshoot together.
Another challenge they face is the shorter growing season compared to the north, which requires extensive planning and backup activities for days or months when outdoor work isn't feasible. But being rural people, the staff and students are very adaptable and take it all in their stride. Skye said “I really loved meeting our new schools in person, and it was so lovely to be able to take in our signs, some seedlings and our resources. I am excited to support them all in their programme.”
The dedication of the kaiako (teachers), students, and volunteers is truly inspiring, as they navigate the challenges of rural life and a shorter growing season with creativity and resilience. From small rural schools like Lee Stream to larger ones like Clutha Valley , each is embracing the opportunity to teach tamariki the importance of growing, cooking, and sharing kai.
We are incredibly grateful to our Principal Partner Rabobank for helping us extend our reach and impact in this region. Their support has allowed us to provide more resources, guidance, and training, enabling these schools to thrive. Together, we’re empowering rural communities and fostering a love for fresh, seasonal kai. Ngā mihi nui, Rabobank, for helping us grow!