School Garden and Canteen Manual

school garden
and canteen manual

Acknowledgements
The LEAN School Garden and Canteen Manual has been developed as part of the LEAN Project in partnership
with Oberon Public School and Julie Middleton (Dietitian).
The Local Exercise and Nutrition Project (LEAN) is a project funded by the Australian Governments’ Department
of Health and Ageing under the Rural Primary Health Services Program. The projects is funded from 1st May
2010 to 30th June 2013.
The lead agency is the Western NSW Medicare Local (WML). WML is a primary health organisation established
to coordinate primary health care delivery, address local health care needs and service gaps in our communities
through high quality primary health care.
The LEAN Project will assist rural families to improve their health and wellbeing through good nutrition and
increased physical activity by:
• Promoting healthy eating in communities with restricted access to fresh and healthy food options.
• Increasing the awareness of the benefits of physical activity in communities.
• Building capacities for communities to sustain relevant projects beyond our involvement.
For more information contact: Westerm NSW Medicare Local
Dubbo Ofice Bathurst Office
106 Talbragar Street 265 Durham Street
PO Box 1834 Dubbo NSW 2830 PO Box 175 BATHURST NSW 2795
Phone: 02 6884 0197 Fax: 02 6884 0198 Phone: 02 6333 2800 Fax: 02 6332 6648
Medicare Locals gratefully acknowledge the financial and other support from the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing
Special thanks to:
Principal, teachers, parents and students of Oberon Public School
Julie Middleton Dietitian for the LEAN Project
StartleArt Graphic Design

LEAN School Garden and Canteen Manual
Introduction
Aims and Objectives
Section 1: School Garden
Planning • Linking School and Community 2
• Gathering Support 2
• Funding, Donations and Fundraising 2-3
• Costing and Quotes 3
• Budget 4
Selecting the Garden Site • Factors that affect Garden Site Location 5-6
Determining Soil Type • Soil Types 6
and Requirements • Soil Requirements 6
• Soil Preparation 7
• Soil pH Levels 8
Infrastructure • Garden Bed Design 8
• Pathways 9
• Water Tanks 9
• Tool Storage 10
• Garden Trellis 11
• Compost Area 12-13
Materials • Compost 14
• Mulch 14-15
• Tools and Materials 16
Putting Your Plan into Action • Planting
- What to plant 17
• Planting Guide for the Tablelands 17
- Summer Growing Vegetables 17-25
- Planting Fruit Trees 22
- Autumn Planting 28
• Sowing Seeds/Seedlings 29
• Plant Care 29
Maintenance • Weeding 29
• Fertilising 30
• Pest Control Methods - Organic and Non-Organic 30
• Companion Planting 31
• Crop Rotation 32
• Worm Farms 32
• General Maintenance 33
• Holiday Care of your School Kitchen Garden 33
Harvesting • Regular and Continual Harvesting 33
• Storage of Produce 33
• Selling the Produce from your School Kitchen Garden 33
School Garden Website Links and Publications 34

Section 2: School Canteen
Why have Healthy Food in the School Canteen? 37
Ways to include the five food groups in your everyday eating 38
Adding Healthy Options to the Canteen Menu 39
Examples of Newsletter Snippets 40-41
Managing Canteen Stock 42
Implementing the New Menu 42
Volunteers 43
Food Presentation 43
Aims of having Fresh School Produce in the Canteen 44
Using the School Garden Produce in the Canteen 44
Example of Seasonal Produce Chart and Seasonal Recipes 45
How to keep the Healthy Canteen Viable 45-46
School Canteen Website Links & Resources 47

Introduction
The LEAN School Garden and Canteen Manual has been developed by the LEAN Project as a guide
for schools to set up a school vegetable garden and to then use the produce in the school canteen.
The first section of the LEAN School Garden and Canteen Manual takes you through all the steps of
setting up a school garden project, through to harvesting the produce. Please note the manual does
not aim to give you detailed horticultural advice for all situations. For this you will need to consult
your local horticulturist.
The second section of the LEAN School Garden and Canteen Manual takes you through all the
steps of running a healthy school canteen, from incorporating produce from your school garden, to
running healthy food specialty days.
The LEAN School Garden and Canteen Manual is a collaboration of hands on learning experience,
information from professionals, and a wide range of resources which the LEAN Project has included
for further reference. We have selected what we felt are the key points and designed the manual as
a step by step guide.
Aims
The LEAN Project aims to engage students, teachers, families and community members in identifying
and undertaking projects to improve nutrition through the implementation of a school kitchen garden.
Objectives
• Educate users about the benefits of healthy nutritional habits with the aim of decreasing the onset
of chronic disease later on in life.
• Develop participants’ skills to grow healthy food and to utilise these skills in everyday lifestyles.
• Build a school environment that will enhance nutritional outcomes and participation in physical
activity via a school kitchen garden.
• Provide a cost effective meal service based on healthy food options to the school community.

Children love to grow plants, it is part of learning about the wonder of the world.
What better thing can we teach our children than to live a sustainable life
growing and eating their own food.
In a world rapidly losing touch with the earth and
nature we should all take a step back and
experience the joy of growing our own food.
Section 1
School Garden

Planning
Linking School and Community
The school principal would be your first point of contact. You will benefit from the support of teachers,
other staff members and students of the school.
The school principal may need to inform the Department of Education of your plans for a garden.
Public Liability insurance will need to be discussed and sorted out to cover any unforeseen
circumstances that may arise.
Gathering Support
Find out who is interested in being involved in the school garden and healthy canteen.
Communication methods to promote your garden you may like to use may include the following:
• Word of mouth
• Flyers in letter boxes
• P&C meetings
• Articles in the school newsletter
• School website
You should try and involve members from the following groups:
• School staff - principal, teachers, garden maintenance staff, etc
• Students
• Parents
• Local gardeners
• Community members
• Local agriculture and health services
• Volunteer organisations such as NSW Farmers, Rotary, Lions Clubs
Keep a record of all interested participants, and ask what skills and/or experience they can contribute
to the School Garden Project.
• You could include preference of days for availability to work in the garden.
• Decide who is going to be the ‘garden leader’.
• Form a garden committee.
• Hold regular communication/planning meetings to discuss progress and to get suggestions from
all interested parties.
• Decide on the aims and objectives of your school garden.
Funding
Where will you get the funds to support the school garden?
School Grants
Visit www.sustainableschools.nsw.edu.au. The information on this website is updated regularly from
a range of websites, publications and organisations. It provides advice, contacts and information to
assist schools in applying for environmental projects or activities.
Stephanie Alexander School Garden Foundation
www.kitchengardenfoundation.org.au.
2

The school may like to undertake some of the following ideas for fundraising:
Donations
• Send out flyers.
• Word of mouth - ask garden participants and volunteers to spread the word.
• Put articles in the local newspaper and the school newsletter.
• Ring around local businesses, rural shops, hardware and garden stores.
• Donations may come in the form of materials, labour or expertise.
Fundraising
• School raffle
• School trivia night
• Mini fete
• Mufti day
• Aluminium can collecting eg. Oberon Public School raised over $1000 collecting cans
Healthy Fundraising Australia Website www.healthyfundraising.com.au. This website has some
fantastic ideas that the school may like to undertake.
Costing and Quotes
Decide where you would like to build the garden.
To achieve the optimal site for your school garden you should consider the following factors:
• Sun
• Water availability and storage
• Drainage
• Access
• Tools and storage
• Design of paths
• Shade availability
• Number of plots - per class, or a specific number that everyone shares
• Type of garden beds - ground, flat, no dig or raised garden beds
• Soil type
• Materials and equipment
• Seeds and seedlings
• Security/fencing
Once you have taken into account the above factors you will be able to put a draft plan together. It is
best to obtain quotes and costing of materials from more than one source. Then stablish a baseline
budget.
3

4
Budget
Example Budget
Budget Items 1st Year 2nd Year
Income/Revenue
Grants
Fundraising
Donations
Balance from previous year
Total Income
Costs
Water Bill
Hoses/Fittings/Irrigation System
Tanks
Shed
Tools and Equipment
Compost
Mulch
Public Liability Insurance
Infrastructure for Garden Beds
Seeds/Seedlings
Soil/Potting Mix
Fertiliser
Pest Management Products
Weed Killer
Printing of Flyers, Advertising
Garden Sign
Fencing/Security
Notice Board or White Board
A baseline budget is an essential starting point. Seek all donations and grants available to you.
Organise fundraising events as early as possible. You will know what resources and funds you will
need to source once you know what you already have available.
Other costs associated with the garden may be:
• Advertising, promotion and other administration costs such as postage
• Insurances
• Maintenance costs such as water and ongoing material supply such as mulch, seedlings and
fertiliser.
Once you have taken into account the above factors you will be able to put a draft plan together.
Obtain quotes and costing of materials from more than one source.

Selecting the Garden Site
Factors that affect garden site location
Consider environmental factors:
• Sun - at least six hours of direct sunlight is required for optimal growth. Be aware that sun conditions
will change through the seasons. In a tablelands environment little growth occurs between May
and September so sunlight is critical between October through to April.
• Soil - the ideal soil for vegetables is one with loose, open texture and a crumbly structure that
drains well, holds and absorbs essential nutrients and water.
Clay soils are heavy and can be nutrient rich while at the same time lacking air movement. Gypsum
may be used as a clay breaker which may help to open up the soil. Compost, rotted animal
manure, and sand can be dug in to improve soil structure.
Sandy soils - sandy soils lack the ability to retain moisture. Organic matter such as well rotted
animal manure and compost can be added to improve the soil structure, nutrient content, plus
add to moisture holding capacity.
• Wind Protection - an area that is over-exposed to wind can weaken plants and dry out the soil
surface. Wind protection can come in the form of hedges, fences, trees and buildings. The wind
protection should be far enough from the garden not to cast a shadow but close enough to
reduce the wind impact.
• In the higher parts of the tablelands the shelter of a brick or stone wall on the Southern side of
the garden is very desirable. Not only does this provide shelter from prevailing cold winds but the
wall can act as a heat bank, a place where tomatoes and other frost-tender plants can grow and
produce ripe fruit.
Perfect aspect for a tablelands garden. Behind the photographer (West) is a building; the old brick
building is due South creating a heat sink and wind shelter; a distant building behind the garden and
a building to the north provide shelter from the East and North as well as giving security.
5

Further factors to consider when selecting a garden site:
• Is there access for delivery vehicles?
• What protection do you have from pests?
• Do you need netting, rabbit proof fencing or raised garden beds?
• What security measures are in place? You may have to consider security fences.
• Water availability and storage close by.
• Types of garden beds you intend to use. Will the slope of the land affect the type and cost of
materials you may use for your garden beds? How many garden beds are required?
• Tool access and storage close by?
• An area for making compost close by?
• An area for worm farms close by?
• Your design may be influenced by what you intend to grow. Do you have a site with an adequate
area to grow vines and fruit trees?
• Will the garden site need to be cleared of trees, rocks, plants, weeds, lawn, or rubbish?
• An area of open grass where classes can be seated is very useful.
• A whiteboard or chalkboard on a wall is very useful when talking about planting or planning
vegetable beds with children.
Determining Soil Types and Requirements
Soil Types
Soil types can be determined by performing a simple “thread test”. Mix a small handful of soil with
water and roll it between your hands to form a sausage shape. If the sausage shape is easily formed
to a smooth, slippery, bendable shape without crumbling then it is said to be heavy and clay-like.
Sandy soil will be hard to form into a sausage shape and will easily crumble. Loam soil will form into
a sausage shape and be able to be bent slightly, but will crumble when bent too far.
Clay Soil
Clay Soil is dense, heavy and difficult to cultivate. This soil is often rich in nutrients, however the lack
of air in the clay prevents the nutrients from moving through the soil.
Sandy Soil
Sandy Soil has a high proportion of sand and lacks sufficient organic matter to retain moisture and
nutrients.
Loam Soil
Loam Soil is the ideal soil for growing productive crops. Loam soil will retain moisture and nutrients.
Soil Requirements
The ideal soil for vegetables to grow in is one with a loose, open texture and a crumbly structure
that drains easily but also holds and absorbs water and nutrients. Soil structure can be improved by
adding organic matter and animal manures. Mulch can be added to the top surface of soil to help
retain moisture. This will break down over time and add valuable nutrients to the soil. Gypsum can
be added to heavy clay soils to help break the structure up and therefore allow air to pass through
more easily.
6

Soil Preparation
After you have determined the state of your existing soil it is time to get to work. Purchasing soil is
expensive so try to make do with what you have. Start putting the effort in well before you begin
building the garden, as this will give you a great start. Turn over the entire space of your garden
beds. This can be done manually or with a small tractor if access is not a problem. A depth at least
equal to your topsoil should be worked. Leave the area roughly broken up and loose for as long as
possible. If the soil is heavy clay try adding organic matter, gypsum and some sand. If the soil is sandy
add organic matter.
Almost all soil can be improved by adding organic material so start collecting materials to get the
job done. What will vary is the amount you will need to incorporate. So start making compost early.
This can be done easily on most school sites as there is always a large amount of vegetation that
needs to be disposed of. See page 12-13 on composting for easy ideas and start at least 4 months
before you plan to plant.
Perfect friable loam forms a ball in your hand when squeezed
but collapses with just a slight pressure when touched with thumb
7

Soil pH Levels
The pH is the hydrogen ion concentration of a soil, this is measured on a scale from 1 to 10. A pH of
6 is ten times more acid than a pH of 7. Values below 7 are acid whilst values above are alkaline. Plant
uptake of nutrients is governed by the pH of the soil in which it is growing.
Soil pH can be a vexed issue as various pH values will produce different trace element deficiencies,
for example plants growing in a pH of 7 will be starting to exhibit an iron deficiency, whereas uptake
of other nutrients such as Molybdenum will be at its maximum. The effects of small changes in pH
to plant health are profound.
The simple view is that a pH between about 6 and 7.5 is adequate. A soil test kit can be purchased
from most garden centres or hardware stores. Test a number of sites in the garden as conditions may
vary over the area. Place a small amount of soil on the test plate and add the chemical. The colour
achieved when the litmus is added is then matched to the samples. If your soil is acidic, which is most
likely, add agricultural lime but don’t overdo it! It is much easier to add more after you have retested
than to try to correct alkalinity.
Alkaline soils are more difficult but keep adding lots of compost and organic matter; this is a good
non-chemical way of dealing with this problem. It may take some time to achieve a close to neutral
result. Don’t be overly concerned with pH as only the most acid or alkaline soils inhibit growth to the
point where you cannot crop. Make a start growing and slowly make the changes.
Infrastructure
Garden Bed Design
• What Garden Beds will best suit your needs?
• How many Garden Beds do you require?
• What soil type do you have?
• Is there good drainage?
• Materials used to build beds out of?
• Types of garden beds:
Raised Garden Beds – consider height of the students when choosing your design
No Dig Beds
Flat Beds
A simple method is to use railway sleepers on edges.
Mark out your beds you may choose to make them
2 sleepers long and a half sleeper wide. This is a
convenient size for children as they can sit on the
edge of a sleeper to weed or plant and they can reach
approximately half way across without walking on the
gardens. Use garden lime to make the lines and use a
string line with stout pegs.
Start by shoveling the best topsoil onto the beds
from the paths you have marked. Make sure that a
wheelbarrow will fit between the beds. This will give
you some extra soil to start with. The next step requires
some heavy lifting and this is where you may need some
assistance. The sleepers are simply secured with coach
screws and flat steel plate joining sleepers, and angle
iron for corners.
8

Pathways
When all of your garden beds are constructed the soil can be levelled and the pathways constructed.
You may be able to obtain wood chips. This material keeps mud off shoes and is easy to walk on.
Even better, once the wood chips break down you can simply shovel the organic matter onto the
beds and replace it.
Gravel is suitable, however it is important to keep lawn well away from the edge of beds. This will
minimise weed and grass encroachment.
Edged pathways keep grass away from beds and mud off shoes when returning to class. A
tank can be installed to allow children to water using rainwater. A strong outdoor table is very
useful as a work bench.
Water Tanks
Water tanks can be used to store and collect rainwater runoff thus reducing reliance on main water
systems and helping to sustain your vegetable garden water supply.
Factors to consider when choosing a tank for your vegetable garden:
• Size
• Capacity for collection of water
• Site - will the tank need to have structures built for it, or the ground surface levelled?
• Cost
• Material - will the tank be made out of plastic or steel?
Oberon Public School chose a coloured steel product that would tie in with the beautiful ‘Australian’
theme they are developing (see picture above). An important consideration is whether you need to
pump the water from the tank or use gravity and watering cans. Vegetables grow particularly well
with rain water.
9

Tool Storage
• Do you have a secure place to store your tools?
• Can you use an existing storage area?
• Is the storage area close to the school kitchen garden?
Types of storage areas:
A strong secure garden shed close to the garden is a valuable investment
A small two metre square shed will fit all the materials needed
10

Garden Trellis
What is a garden trellis?
A garden trellis is a structure used to support plants either by tying the plants to the trellis or by
allowing climbing plants to bind themselves to the structure. A trellis can be made of horizontal,
vertical, or diagonal bars usually spaced and arranged to form a decorative structure. The materials
can be wood (either hardwood or treated softwood), metal (e.g. galvanised iron), or plastic. (Sourced
from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).
What can I grow on a garden trellis?
Many plants require support to climb on, and
many that you wouldn’t expect do far better
when grown off the ground. The obvious
ones are tomatoes that do really well when
staked using stout wooden stakes. However
many plants will benefit from having support.
Capsciums, broccoli, dwarf peas and beans
enjoy the support of a stake or string to grow
along, especially in windy weather.
Many other plants grow very well on mesh
or lattice. These include climbing peas,
beans, smaller pumpkins like butternuts,
and cucumbers. These plants become
unmanageable and unproductive if left to
their own devices.
A simple piece of concrete reinforcing makes
an excellent inexpensive trellis.
A fun way of growing climbing peas is to sow the seed at the base of your corn stalks in
February. When the corn is harvested the peas make themselves at home on the spent stems
11

Compost Area
Compost is organic matter that has been decomposed, recycled as a fertiliser and as a soil conditioner.
Kitchen vegetable waste, leaves, grass clippings, and shredded prunings are all ingredients that can
be used in the compost heap. An area will need to be put aside for you to make your compost. You
need to decide on what compost system you will be using and dedicate an appropriate sized area
for your composting system.
There are several options for making and storing compost:
For bulky materials such as leaves and prunings a simple open wire mesh cage can be used. This
will enable large amounts of material to be added. Concrete reinforcing mesh is ideal and relatively
cheap. Having two heaps allows one to finish decomposition whilst the other is being built. The
more varied the material the better the compost – every now and then a sprinkling of high nitrogen
manures or blood and bone between layers improves the quality greatly. If you have time turn the
materials over using a garden fork. This speeds up the process of decomposition. Avoid large woody
twigs which take too long to break down.
Always build your compost heap on the open ground but remove any troublesome grasses such as
couch which can grow up into the heap and cause problems later. Almost every soil can be improved
so start collecting materials to get the job done. What will vary is the amount of organic matter you
will need to incorporate. So start making compost; this can be done easily on most school sites as
there is always a large amount of vegetation that needs to be disposed of.
Large open compost bins with a gate swinging across the front of these twin heaps
12

Food scraps are best not placed into these open composting methods. Vermin such as rats enjoy
making homes in them when you serve them meals each day. Place these materials into sealed
compost bins such as a tumbler. These only produce small amounts of compost.
Compost is a great way to build up the height of a garden rather than bringing in soil. Soil is expensive
and the source is rarely known to purchasers so you really don’t know what you are buying.
A cheap but effective method to create a compost bin is to obtain disused shipping pallets. These
can be wired together in cubes and built on in succession. Fill the first and keep going, each one
will be at a different stage of decomposition, this helps as you always have somewhere to put new
material. When the compost is matured simply undo the wire and remove the pallets. The block of
compost is then ready to go.
A word of warning, avoid using materials that contain vegetable garden waste. Often this waste is
filled with pathogens that are not broken down in this cold method of composting. Therefore you
would simply be transmitting pests or diseases to new garden beds.
Beautiful compost nearly
matured using the pallet
method. If you are making
compost in the Spring try
planting a few potato tubers
in the heap as you build
it. You will be surprised by
how well they crop and they
don’t affect the quality of
the compost at all!
13

Materials
Compost
Materials that can be used for composting include the following:
• Woody plant material
• Hay
• Dry leaves
• Grass clippings
• Shredded newspaper
• Plant and vegetable scraps
• Animal manures such as chook, cow, sheep, and horse
Factors to consider to aid the composting process are as follows:
• A correct temperature range is necessary for composting; maximum sunlight and heat is required.
• Moisture is necessary for the organisms in the compost pile.
• Adequate aeration is needed to provide the organisms in the compost heap with oxygen.
• Size of the materials placed in the compost heap; the smaller, the faster the compost will mature.
• The way the materials are placed in the compost heap will influence its success.
• Composting is an ideal way to recycle garden waste.
• Compost improves soil structure, provides nutrients for the soil and plants, and reduces water use.
• Spread compost before planting and potting, also place it around growing plants every couple of
weeks. Cover with mulch to prevent the compost from drying out.
Mulch
Benefits - mulch conserves water by helping prevent evaporation. It keeps the surface of the soil
open to allow water to easily enter. There is considerable evidence that it stops disease spread by
stopping splashing from the soil by heavy rain or watering. A good mulch will inhibit weed growth.
Almost anything can be used as mulch, however some materials are best left to compost first as they
are sources of weed seeds. Lawn clippings and weeds removed from other gardens should be left
to break down over time. Other materials such as paper shreds can look untidy so they too should
be added to the compost.
A good even layer of your well made compost is a great mulch. If you do not have any available try
sourcing rain-spoiled Lucerne Hay from local farmers; second cut is best as it will be virtually weed
free and farmers will often be happy to let you have some.
Spoiled Lucerne Hay is a great addition to the garden
14

A great mulch to use is old carpet underlay as long as it is the type made solely of organic materials.
This can be cut to size and placed around plants. This is a great help in drought conditions as it
conserves every drop of moisture.
Note the excellent weed suppression of old carpet underlay. It is particularly useful for individual
plants like tomatoes, cucumbers, squash and fruit trees.
15

Tools and Materials
You need to estimate how many people will be working in the garden at the same time. Will you be
taking groups of children or whole classes?
Tools you may consider include:
• Spade/shovel
• Rake
• Garden hoe
• Hand tools
• Secateurs
• Wheelbarrow
• Watering cans
• Hose and fittings
• Drip water systems
• Buckets
• Garden stakes and string or ties
• Gloves
• Mulch
• Seeds and seedlings
• Fertiliser/pest sprays
A well organised tool shed is a very worthwhile investment. If funds are short perhaps a disused
storeroom could be used.
16

Putting Your Plan into Action
By now you should have your budget, fundraising and/or donations sorted as well as resources
ordered and organised.
• Hold final garden committee meetings - plan future working bees. Allocate tasks between your
working bee volunteers prior to the date of the first working bee.
• Advertise and send out flyers.
• Organise a date for the first working bee to coincide with delivery of materials. Confirm that all
materials and resources will be ready for delivery prior to the day. Have adequate sun protection
and water available for volunteers.
• Do you have storage for materials and supplies?
• Have security measures been put in place?
Planting
What to plant?
The climate, soil type and size of your garden will determine what you can plant.
What do you intend to use the produce for:
• Will it be used in the school canteen?
• Will the school hold market stalls?
• Will students take the produce home?
By taking in the above factors you may be able to get a gauge on what you will need and therefore
what to plant.
Will the costs of planting seeds or seedlings fit best in your budget?
Planting Guide for the Tablelands
Summer Growing Vegetables
Sow seeds in warm conditions by placing under glass in September or sow direct into the soil in early
November. A warm window sill is a great place if you do not have a glass house. Planting out time
into the soil will vary but always have spare plants to replace those knocked by a late frost. In high
areas of the tablelands frost or even snow can occur in any month. Be prepared to cover your early
plantings if you suspect cold weather is on its way. Plastic tubs, hessian or any barrier works however
it must not come into contact with the plants.
It is always better to delay your planting rather than have plants suffer a setback. Even and steady
growth produces the best vegetables.
Pests are rarely a problem if the plants are grown in good conditions. Some common pests are dealt
with in specific vegetable sections.
We have kept to the more popular easy to grow plants but as you experience success with these
common varieties you may like to experiment with more exotic varieties and types. These are tried
and true selections that children love to grow and eat.
17

Beans French Beans are just about the best vegetable children can
Dwarf- grow. They are fast, productive and carefree. Children
Brown love to eat them straight from the garden.
Beauty Plant them in rows, direct where they are to grow in well
Hawkesbury prepared soil, and don’t add fertiliser at planting. Simply
Wonder push them into the soil as deep as the first joint on your
Climbing forefinger about a hand space apart. Water them well once,
Blue Lake unless it is very dry. They should be up in 7 days.
Purple King Dwarf beans may need a string suspended from two
strong garden stakes at the end of each row. Tie plants off
to the string to keep them from falling over in windy weather.
Climbing beans need a strong trellis to grow on. A piece of
steel mesh between two stakes is great.
Keep plants moist and pick the beans regularly, even if
they are small. This encourages the plant to keep
producing. A side dressing of Blood and Bone as they
flower will help to produce a bumper crop.
Beetroot Red Globe Beetroot does best in soil that was prepared for a gross
Early feeder the year before. It is very simple to grow. Just sow
Wonder where they are meant to grow in rows and cover thinly.
Make sure the plants keep growing quickly otherwise the
roots will be tough.
Children enjoy picking their own beetroot for hamburgers.
The young leaves of plants are a tasty addition to salads.
Brambles Blackberry If you have room these easy care fruits are a great favourite
Loganberry for children. The main care requirement is to keep them in
Boysenberry order. They are a great addition to a fence where they can
Raspberry simply be cut back to keep under control.
Raspberry plants should be cut back after fruiting.
Blueberry Although not a bramble, these delicious berries are a
speciality for the cool wet Highlands that are similar in
climate to their North American environment. Ask your
nursery for late fruiting varieties that have a high chilling
requirement. Feed with well rotted manures and enjoy
watching the children sneaking a nibble.
Strawberry Rather than plant these in your vegie garden where they can
become invasive, spread them around the general garden as
a groundcover. They spread quickly and children love to
discover the ripe berries.
Young Blueberry plants starting
to shed leaves in Autumn
18

Capsicum Yellow These heat loving plants are not easy to grow in the
Hungarian Tablelands however Yellow Hungarian will crop well in most
Summers. Sow the seeds in September inside under glass.
Transplant into rich well prepared soil in late November.
Keep the plants growing well by fertilising and water well.
Start harvesting as soon as capsicums are as thick as your thumb.
These have long yellow banana shaped fruits.
Children enjoy adding them to salads.
Give plants fertiliser as they flower to keep them producing.
Capsicums can be grown if you
choose a warm spot and the
right variety
Carrot Western Red Sow directly into the soil and as thin as possible. It is very
Early Horn important not to use too much organic fertiliser in your soil
Chantaney preparation. Overly rich soil will produce forky roots. Cover with
Topweight no more than 2mm of soil. A tip for great germination is to place
carpet underlay over the row and then walk on the seed carefully.
Water through the underlay. Remove the underlay after about 6
days. You should see the beginnings of germination. This helps
in keeping the carrot seed from washing out of the ground, as it is
very fine and ensures good soil adhesion to the seed.
Thin the rows diligently to allow for growth. Baby carrots can be
pulled after about six weeks but leave each alternate carrot
Children love doing this and eating them while they work.
Do two sowings the second in February. These carrots can stay
in the ground and can be harvested right through to September.
Thirty centimetre Western
Red carrots – still lovely
and tender
19

Celery South Sow these water loving plants into individual minipots under
Australian glass. When plants are strong and about the length of your finger
transplant without disturbing the roots into your rich well
prepared bed and add a good dressing of Blood and Bone.
Mulch with two centimetres of well broken down manure. Celery
must not dry out while it is growing or it will quickly run to seed.
So water it every day in dry weather. You can start pulling outer
stems of celery as soon as they are big enough, but don’t overdo
it. The plants will keep on growing while the weather is warm.
When the plants are well established put an opened up milk
carton over the plant. This whitens the stem a little and makes
the celery a little less tough.
Corn Twice Children love to grow corn and it is a very reliable crop. Plant
as your corn directly where it will be growing, but wait until at least
Sweet mid November. Prepare the area thoroughly and add generous
Golden amount of organic fertiliser. A ten centimetre layer of manure
Sweet bolstered with a cup of Blood and Bone for each plant once it is
growing well should be enough. Keep well watered.
It is important to plant your corn seed in blocks rather than rows.
This aids pollination so that you will have nice even full cobs.
Each plant should produce up to four cobs.
They are ready to eat when the silks brown off at the end of each cob.
In early February plant your climbing pea seeds at the base of
each plant. You will have a trellis ready for your Autumn crop of
peas. Don’t allow your plants to dry out, cobs will become tough
and hard. Harvest while they are still milky when crushed. A fun
plant to grow for children is Popcorn, try Snowpop. Just leave on
the plant until fully dry and then strip from the cob.
Corn ready to eat – note the brown silks
20

Cucumber Lebanese Cucumbers need lots of warmth to grow well so Tablelands
plantings can be tricky. Sow your seed inside in individual pots.
They don’t like their roots disturbed so be careful when planting
out. They need a rich well prepared soil and a side dressing of
Blood and Bone or an organic fertiliser like Dynamic Lifter.
You need to grow the plant quickly to improve the flavour.
They grow best off the ground so use a trellis of steel mesh.
These plants stay disease free for longer and the fruit is long,
straight and clean.
A problem in our local climate is powdery mildew. This is a white
fungus that usually grows when the weather cools down in March
but can occur at any time.
A great organic treatment for this is full cream milk watered down
to one part in ten and sprayed onto both sides of the leaves.
Plants will crop well if harvested regularly. Don’t allow cucumbers
to stay on the plants after maturity as they will stop producing.
Cucumbers grown in cold weather are rarely good to eat,
becoming very bitter.
Fruit Apricots If you have the space try planting a fruit tree but only if you have
Stone Peaches the time and patience to work at the job.
Plums Space may also be a problem if your area is small. Most nurseries
Nectarines will have a good range of trees and be able to advise you on
culture. Most of these stone fruits are generally self fertile so you
can get away with just one tree. Dwarf varieties are also now available.
Prepare the area well and add lots of organic matter before you plant.
A spray program using copper fungicide is important in Winter to
avoid Leaf Curl, Brown Rot and Shot Hole disease. These are not
toxic unless directly ingested so just make sure the concentrate
is locked away.
Dwarf plants are a great option
for childrens gardens
21

Fruit Apples These are a little more involved than stone fruits and do require
Pome Pears more care and are subject to insect attack which is a problem in
Persimmons school situations as the pesticides cannot be used. Some
Quinces require cross fertilisation by having a second variety flowering at
the same time. They need care with pruning and training to
keep in control.
Many are available on dwarfing stock but be sure you specify
this to your nursery. They will also ensure you have the right
pollinators.
Espalier training is a good idea if space is a problem. This is done
by training branches on wires or stakes.
Planting Fruit Trees
• Has an area been put aside to plant fruit trees?
• Allow enough space to accommodate the fully grown tree.
• Will the fruit tree shade over existing gardens?
• Check if the species of fruit tree you have planted needs a partner for cross pollination.
• Fruit trees require a good supply of nutrients to sustain fruit production; soil should be built up
with plenty of organic material.
• Ensure there is adequate drainage.
• The hole into which the trees are planted should be at least 3 times the size of the root ball; a stake
may need to be placed to support the tree if it is in an exposed windy position.
• Mulch around the area the tree has been planted in.
• Fruit trees should be fertilised in Autumn and Spring.
Dwarf apples being trained
against a wall
22

Herbs Oregano These additions to the garden are best kept to separate areas
Parsley as with the exception of basil they are perennial and some can
Thyme become invasive. (Even basil has a perennial variety now). They
Rosemary are wonderful sensory experience plants for children who love
Mint to crush them to get the great aromas on their hands. This is a
Basil great beginning for their cooking adventures as they grow and
try the combination of flavours is great fun.
Lettuce Cos Children love to make their own salads and fresh lettuce is a
Mignonette great start. Pick and come again varieties are great for kids to
Oakleaf grow and they are much simpler than the heading types. Plant
your seeds under glass in September and plant out into rich soil
in November. Make a second sowing in December as these plants
will keep producing right through Autumn.
Never let your lettuce get dry as it quickly becomes bitter. Start
taking outer leaves off as soon as they are ready but don’t over do
it as this will weaken plants. Watch out for snails. They will quickly
wipe out your plants. Use the new non-harmful snail baits which
are based on iron rather than the deadly poisons.
Marrows Use dwarf Sow all of these plants in individual pots under glass inside
Zucchini bush starting in September. Plant outside when danger of frost has passed.
Squash varieties Children love to grow these rapid growing plants. When grown
Pumpkins well they are difficult to keep up with and produce such heavy
crops it is hard to think of ways to use them. At times zucchini in
particular grows so rapidly they become over mature before you
realise. So be observant it is better to pick them young and small
as this increases the total yield.
They are great to use in measuring lessons with children as they
can grow many centimetres in just a few days.
Make sure the ground is prepared with lots of organic material
and stand back.
The main problem with these plants is powdery mildew, see the
section on cucumbers for a good organic cure.
Fresh from the earth!
23

Onions Creamgold Onions need to be sown as early as possible. Make sure they
Straight have made the majority of their growth by the longest day. (This
Leaf does not apply to spring onions which can just about be grown
(Spring Onion) all year.)
Onions can be sown inside under glass in August and plant out
in October in rows.
Do not use a lot of organic fertiliser. A bed used for a gross
feeding crop the previous year is good.
Harvest when the tops bend down and yellow. This can be hastened
by physically bending them over to start the maturing process.
Onionscanbeharvestedandkeptinacool,airyplaceformanymonths.
Peas Climbing Sow seed directly into soil and support with a trellis as you would
Snow Peas for beans. Peas are a great favourite for children. Make successive
Telephone sowings and you will have peas from Christmas to June.
Dwarf Pea plants enjoy a neutral to acid soil so add a cup full of lime
Green Feast (per metre of row) at sowing time. Plant as for beans and water
William regularly. Climbing peas can be planted at the base of your corn
Massey plants in February. This gives you a ready trellis as the corn dies
in cooler weather.
Watch for birds that like them as much as children do and keep
picking regularly.
Potatoes Sebago Probably the easiest of all vegetables to grow. You can get a
great result growing these plants with little effort. Prepare your
soil well with mulch and a small amount of manure. Dig a trench
the depth of a spade and double the width.
Keep the soil and extra manure aside, this is used to cover the
potatoes as they grow. It is essential to cover the potatoes as
they will turn green if exposed to light near the surface.
Green potatoes contain a poison and should never be eaten.
You can purchase seed potatoes from the nursery or produce
store, but potatoes that have gone green in the kitchen can
be used. Make sure they are good healthy ones, the size of a
large egg are excellent. Place them in the trench about 40 cm
apart and cover with about 5 cm of soil. Do this in mid November
and you should avoid most frosts. Keep moist but not wet and
keep covering with more soil as the plants grow.
Harvest the potatoes once the vines die in Autumn, but potatoes
can be left in the soil for about two months.
Potatoes store well in the ground through to September but if
you need the garden for other crops dig them and place in
hessian bags in a cool, dark, dry place.
If space is limited in your garden , try putting some of the seed
potatoes in your cold compost. They grow really well and you can
harvest them when you are preparing next year’s beds.
24

A great crop of potatoes
grown from kitchen throwaways
Silverbeet Fordhook Prepare a very rich garden soil with plenty of manure. Plant your
Giant seeds directly in the ground in October and again in February.
The later sowing will last well into the Winter. Watch for snails.
Pull young leaves from the outside of plants to add to salads but
don’t take too many even from mature plants.
Can’t get children to eat silverbeet? Try adding to lasagne they
won’t even notice!
Tomatoes First Prize In some seasons tomatoes fail to ripen in the Tablelands. Pick a
Grosse- warm micro-climate facing North and against a brick wall if
Lisse possible. Build up the soil with plenty of manure.
Cherry Plant seeds in pots inside under glass in September. Usually you
Tom-Thumb can get plants into the garden in November but be prepared
Green-Zebra to cover the plants with a bucket or large pot if a frost is likely.
Black-Russian Plant them about 30 cm apart. Stake plants and tie up as soon as
they start to grow in the garden.
Tomatoes can be planted quite deeply pushing the soil right up
around the stem.
Try the smaller varieties children love them.
If your tomatoes are still green when the first frosts arrive try
picking the best of them and putting them in a light warm spot
inside with some ripe bananas. Many will ripen well.
25

Tomatoes ripening in late April against a north facing brick wall
Planting tomatoes!
26

Enjoy the harvest!
Children love to make a scarecrow
27

Autumn Planting
Generally there are only a few vegetables that do well in our cooler months. Apart from beetroot,
carrot, peas, potato and silverbeet, which can be grown in the warmer months and then harvested
into Autumn and Winter, the brassicas are the main choice. These generally like the same conditions
and are all members of the same family. They include; Borecole (kale), broccoli, brussels sprouts,
cauliflower and cabbage. These can be grown in the warmer months but most people enjoy eating
them in the cooler times (apart from cabbage which is great as coleslaw in Summer salads).
Plant brassicas inside in early January, the main reason to do this is to avoid the Summer time attack
of the white cabbage butterfly. These pests are very hard to control on little seedlings and they can
become a real problem in warmer months. The best control to use in children’s gardens is Bacillus
Thuringiensis, trade name Dipel. This is a bacteria that is totally safe for humans but deadly for
caterpillars. Use this spray weekly while you see the white butterflies around the garden. The little
caterpillars eat the bacteria on the leaves and soon disappear before they do any damage.
Prepare the ground with plenty of manure and a little lime if the soil is on the acid side.
Plant your seedlings by late February while there is plenty of warmth in the ground to make that early
growth before frosts appear in April. Brussels sprouts need to go in a bit earlier as they take a month
longer to mature. Watch for snails as the weather cools down.
Broccoli nearly ready to pick. Once the central sprout is picked the plants keep producing
smaller side shoots right through Winter
28

Sowing Seeds/Seedlings
Advantages Disadvantages
Seeds Cheaper to produce stock Takes more time to sow seeds
if you have saved seeds than seedlings
from the previous year
Cheaper to buy at the Seeds have to germinate
Garden Store and have a longer growing period
Able to produce more Seedlings need to be thinned out
produce than buying a to prevent over crowding
single punnet of seedlings
Can be sown directly into May be more susceptible to
the soil they will mature in extreme weather conditions
Easily removed by insects
Separating seedlings from weeds
in the garden bed can be quite tricky
Seedlings Faster time for harvesting More expensive
of produce
Less time involved in Less produce in punnet
planting seedlings
Less susceptible to extreme Seedlings may suffer after being transplanted
weather conditions and insects from the punnet to the garden bed
than a germinating seed
Plant Care
Water
Soil type, time of year, type of plants, aspect and age of plants will affect the watering rate for plants.
Early morning or late evening is recommended as it helps to avoid high evaporation rates. A good
soaking encourages deep rooting and soil stays moist for a long time.
Mulch
The benefits of mulching are invaluable for your vegetable garden. Mulch can protect the soil from
the harsh sun, add organic matter to the soil, prevent moisture loss, and aid weed control.
Materials that can be used as mulch include the following: straw, hay, bark chip, sugar cane mulch,
saw dust, weed mat, pebbles.
Staking
Stakes will help support plants to mature and grow. Tomatoes, beans, peas and other climbing plants
will benefit from the support of a garden stake especially if they are exposed to a high wind area.
Maintenance
Weeding
Weeds have an untidy appearance in the garden bed plus compete with useful plants for nutrients,
space, light and moisture.
Many gardeners use glyphosate but if you are working in a DEC school these herbicides are
prohibited in child accessible areas. However the simplest, safest method for a garden for children
is hand weeding and as long as children are taught which plants to remove they love doing the job.
Hand weeding or hoeing can control the onset of weeds. Do this preferably before flowering to prevent
the formation of seeds. Small children find hoeing difficult so just use hand tools and weed at least
once a week. Volunteer rosters can be set up over Christmas holidays when many people are away.

29

Fertilising
Organic or Non-Organic fertilisers may be used, once again the choice is up to you.
Advantages Disadvantages
Organic Fertiliser Improve texture and Manures contain smaller amounts
includes animal manures, structure of soils of nutrients
animal and plant
by- products Cost may be minimal Must be added in larger quantities
depending on where you to benefit the soil
have sourced the organic
fertiliser from Can smell more
Non-Organic Fertiliser Can be added in Can be expensive
can come in the form smaller quantities
of powder, granule
and water soluble Can contain
more nutrients
Pest Control Methods - Organic and Non-Organic
Organic
Organic pest control methods help to keep the environmental balance of your garden.
They protect beneficial organisms and are non-residual. Basic Organic care principles can be used
such as crop rotation, mulching, manual weeding, companion planting, and regular maintenance
checks of your plants. By implementing these methods you will be able to keep pest and disease
problems to a minimum.
• Examine plants when watering or weeding for signs of problems. For example if fruit is falling from
trees dispose of it straight away so that it does not become a haven for fruit fly.
• Create habitats for frogs and lizards, these creatures play a major role in keeping insects away.
• Encourage earthworms in the garden soil by adding home-made compost; earthworms keep the
soil aerated and healthy.
• If you have chooks let them in your vegetable garden to browse on insects; this will assist in
keeping insect numbers to a minimum. (Keep in mind that chickens do like to dig and scratch and
can cause havoc in your vegetable garden; supervision may be required at times.)
• Provide pest barriers such as a lightweight shade cloth and netting. These barriers will let in
sufficient sunlight and can easily be removed for the purpose of weeding and harvesting.
• A sprinkling of sawdust around seedlings will deter slugs and snails.
• Rhubarb leaves can be boiled in water and then diluted with four parts of water and used as a
spray to deter aphids and caterpillars.
• Pyrethrum based organic sprays are available from your local garden supply stores; these sprays
are effective against many leaf chewing insects.
• White oil is also available from garden supply stores and is useful for controlling scale insects on
shrubs and trees. Do not apply to trees that are about to fruit.
Non-Organic Pest Control
Non-Organic Pest Control sprays and dusts can often leave residual
matter in the soil and reduce the biodiversity in the school vegetable
garden. Most chemical based sprays and dusts can be used with
perfect safety if directions are followed and simple precautions are
taken. However, it may be an idea to pursue organic pest control
methods if students are undertaking pest control in the school
vegetable garden.
30

Companion Planting
Companion Planting is an effective way to create a healthier garden as certain plants react well when
grown together and can be useful to control insects.
Herbs such as Thyme can exude aromas which can either discourage insects from that part of the
garden or will attract other insects away from edible crops.
Please refer to the Companion Planting Chart below.
Source www.permaculture.org.au/resources_files/Poster_GDN_Com_Plant.pdf
31

Crop Rotation
As you establish your garden try to keep track of what and where you are planting. An easy way to
do this is to simply take a photo of your beds and write the date on the photo. The main reason to
do this is to ensure you move your crops so that the same plant type or family is not grown in the
same ground in successive years.
There are two reasons to do this as standard practice. First of all, particular pests and diseases build
up in the garden through the year as plants grow. If plants are grown in the same ground repeatedly,
these diseases will begin to affect plant growth and productivity. Secondly, different plant types have
different nutritional requirements from the soil. It is therefore sensible to plant your vegetables in
succession from the different plant groups.
Planting groups
Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4
Legumes Gross feeders Brassicas and Root Crops
and leaf crops Fruiting plants
Beans Cucumbers Broccoli Beetroot
Peas Pumpkins Brussels Sprouts Carrot
Squash Cabbage Parsnip
Lettuce Kale Onions
Silverbeet Capsicum Potatoes
Spinach Tomatoes
Corn
Celery
Always avoid planting tomatoes and potatoes in succession, even though they are in different plant
groups as they are closely related.
The message is to mix up your beds each year and avoid lots of difficulties in the following year.
Above all vegetable and fruit growing should simply be fun and enjoyable. Don’t take it too seriously
and have fun with children exploring their world. If you have a failure just have another go and don’t
get discouraged. Take time to enjoy your garden every day, take a walk and/or simply sit in the
peace and quiet. It is remarkable how much stress can be relieved by just pulling a carrot and sitting
amongst the plants while you have a munch.
Worm Farms
Worm farming is a great way of recycling food scraps.
Worm farms use special earthworms that thrive on food scraps, and garden material.
Benefits of worm farms:
• Worm farms are small and easy to maintain.
• Worm farms are an excellent way to discard and recycle food scraps and garden material.
• Worm castings are the finished material. It is left over waste and is a dark brown colour, and makes
great liquid plant food to use on your garden plants.
• Worm castings can be watered down to a weak black tea colour and used as liquid plant food.
32

General Maintenance
Water thoroughly as seedlings need to be watered more frequently especially in hot weather. As a
general rule a long soaking every couple of days is better than shallow watering everyday.
Mulch - Mulch thickly approx 10 - 15cm. This helps to keep the weeds to a minimum and retain soil
moisture as well as adding nutrients to the soil.
Fertilise - growing vegetables and fruiting plants need frequent boosts of fertiliser to maximize crop
production.
Weeding - Weeds compete for space, water, and nutrients. Protect young seedlings by mulching.
Check for insects and disease - if spotted early most problems can be easily overcome.
Harvest early - Harvest before vegetables go to seed. Frequent harvesting will lead to increased
growth and yields (peas, squash, cucumbers).
Holiday Care of your school kitchen garden
• Will you start your school kitchen garden at the beginning of each term? Or will you keep the
garden going over the holiday break?
• Will the school gardener maintain the garden over the holiday period?
• Organise a roster system within your garden committee to cover the holiday period.
• Weed and then mulch well before the holiday break. This will help retain moisture and weed
infestation.
• Set up watering systems to be on automatic timers.
Harvesting
Tips for Harvesting Vegetables:
• Harvest your vegetables the day you plan to eat them.
• Harvest before the vegetables go to seed.
• Harvest in the morning, sprinkle them lightly with water and store them in a cool place.
• Harvest when produce is ripe.
Continual Harvesting
• For continuous satisfactory harvesting plant small successive sowings.
• Always have an empty bed or section prepared for the next sowing.
• If you plant too much at the one time beds are quickly filled and by harvesting time you have too
many to eat.
• It is also possible to get a head start on seed germination by germinating vegetable seeds indoors
or under glass towards the end of Winter. Warmth, light and adequate shelter are required. Punnets
or trays can be kept until the weather becomes warmer.
Storage of Produce
Vegetables will keep quite well out of the refrigerator provided they are kept in a cool place.
Refrigerated storage is ideal for fresh vegetables - it results in little alteration to taste, colour, and
vitamin content.
Refer to CSIRO website listed under website links in school canteen section.
Selling the Produce from your school kitchen garden
• You may have decided to sell excess produce from your school kitchen garden.
• Set up a school store and sell the produce at the school, ask for students and volunteers to help.
• Contact your local farmers markets you may be able to sell your produce through them.
• Selling the produce can provide the garden committee with enough money to buy resources for
the next planting. It helps to sustain funding and rely less on other funding sources.

33

Information provided in the School Garden Section of this manual came from the
following sources: (see School Garden Website Links and Publications section of this manual for more details)
Agriculture and consumer protection FAO
www.fao.org/docrep/009/a0218e/a0218e00.htm
A Gardening Angels How to Manual
Wikipedia, the free encyclodpedia
Stan Kowalski Principal Oberon Public School
Organic schools website
www.organicschools.com.au/Lessons
Garden Guides Harvesting Vegetables
www.gardenguides.com/418-harvesting-vegetables.html
Publications
Yates Garden Guide - Centennial Edition 1895-1995
Readers Digest Back to Basics
School Garden Website Links and Publications
Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation
Details at: www.kitchengardenfoundation.org.au
Australian Sustainable Schools Initiative
Details at: www.environment.gov.au/education/aussi/
Gardens for Learning: The Australian School Gardens Network
Details at: www.australianschoolgardensnetwork.ning.com/
Healthy Active Website
Details at: www.healthyactive.gov.au/
Healthy Fundraising Australia
Details at: www.healthyfundraising.com.au/
The Sow Easy Garden Manual
Yates Garden Guide Website
Details at: www.yates.com.au/
Setting up and running a School Garden - A manual for teachers, parents, and communities.
Details at: www.fao.org/docrep/009/a0218e/a0218e00.htm
A Garden Angels How to Manual - developed by: Common Ground Garden Program University of California
Cooperative Extension Los Angeles County. The Garden Angels can be reached by email-jmrees@ucdavis.edu
Australian City Farms & Community Garden Network
Details at: www.communitygarden.org.au
http://www.gardenate.com/ This website is an excellent resource which enables you to select your climate
zone; it then works out what you can plant and grow at different times of the year.
Kitchen Gardens Curriculum Support
Details at: www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/env_ed/programs/gardens/
School Garden and Tools Equipment Resource List
Details at: www.greenharvest.com.au
Organic Schools Website
Details at: www.organicschools.com.au/
Garden Guides Harvesting Vegetables
Details at: www.gardenguides.com/
Publications
Outdoor Classrooms: A handbook for school gardens, Carolyn Nuttall and Janet Millington, Pt Productions.
Details at: www.outdoorclassrooms.com.au.
Dig in Creating an Edible School Garden. Queensland Health,2003
Readers Digest Back to Basics Book
Yates Garden Guide - Centennial Edition 1895-1995
34

Section 2
School Canteen
Healthy eating is for everyone in order to live life to the fullest and to reduce the
risk of serious health issues in later life.
You can promote good nutrition and healthy choices through your school
canteen.

37
Why have Healthy Food in the School Canteen?
Healthy eating is for everyone in order to live life to the fullest and to reduce the risk of serious health
problems such as diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease later in life.
Eating healthily does not involve “going on a diet”, it is about making food choices that you enjoy
and that provide you with the nutrients you need for a healthy body.
A healthy diet should include a variety of nutritious foods from all the 5 food groups. These include:
• Fruit
• Vegetables
• Lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, legumes
• Bread, cereals, rice, pasta, noodles
• Milk, yoghurt, cheese
Each food group contains at least one nutrient which makes a particularly valuable contribution to
the overall diet. For example:
Fruit
Contains a rich source of carbohydrate for energy, fibre for healthy bowels (especially the skins),
vitamins and minerals and antioxidants which help protect the body from developing cancer.
Vegetables
Vegetables and legumes contain a rich source of carbohydrate, fibre, vitamins and minerals and
antioxidants. Legumes such as chickpeas, baked beans and kidney beans are also an excellent
source of protein and iron.
Meat
Lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, legumes contain a rich source of protein for growth and repair
of muscles; iron and zinc .
Bread and cereals
Bread, cereals rice, pasta and noodles contain a rich source of carbohydrate, protein, fibre, vitamins
and minerals .
Dairy
Milk, yoghurt, cheese are a rich source of protein, calcium for strong bones and teeth.
Most contain carbohydrate for energy, protein, calcium and vitamins.

Ways to include the five food groups in your
everyday eating
Here are some suggestions to help you include foods from the major food groups into snacks and
meals throughout the day:
• Fruit Can be fresh, canned, frozen or dried. Fresh fruit is encouraged over drinking fruit juice
or fruit drinks which contain less fibre and more energy and sugar. Fresh and dried fruit is easy
to carry as a snack or it can be included as a part of most meals. For example, try fruit on your
breakfast cereal, pack an apple for morning tea, or combine fruit in a smoothie or add to yoghurt
for afternoon tea.
• Vegetables Can be eaten fresh, canned or frozen. Raw vegetables make a great and easily packed
snack. Salad vegetables can be used as a sandwich filling or as an addition to any meal. Leftover
roast pumpkin or sweet potato makes a tasty addition to sandwich, wrap and roll fillings. Vegetable
soup can make a healthy lunch. Stir-fries, vegetable patties and vegetable curries make healthy
and nutritious evening meals.
• Lean meat, fish, poultry, eggs, nuts, legumes These can all provide protein. Aim to include lean
meat, fish or poultry in one meal a day. Legumes can be added to soups, casseroles, curries or
eaten on their own as baked beans on toast.
• Bread, cereals, rice, pasta and noodles There is a huge variety of these products to add variety
to your eating. Wholegrain or wholemeal breakfast cereals and breads are encouraged. Try a
range of breads like sourdough, pita breads and wraps to keep things interesting in the lunch
box. Rice, pasta, cous cous and noodles can be eaten hot with a stir fry or sauce or cold with
vegetables added.
• Milk, yoghurt and cheese Low fat dairy foods are encouraged for children over 2 years of age.
Fruit smoothies, yoghurt and cheese make great healthy mid meal snacks.
Refer to The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating and the Recommended Dietary Guidelines for Children
and Adolescents link in the School Canteen Website Links and Resource Section in this manual.

38
Sourced from Australian Government National Health and Medical Research Council Department of Health and Ageing

39
Adding Healthy Options to the Canteen Menu
• Establish a canteen committee to design the new healthy canteen menu.
• The committee can consist of:
• School principal
• Canteen manager
• P&C committee
• Canteen volunteers
• Student representatives
• Members of school staff
The canteen committee can often be responsible for overseeing the operation of the canteen and
developing and reviewing the canteen’s policies and strategies. Refer to the Fresh Tastes@School
Healthy Canteen Strategy, and the Nutrition in Schools Policy links in the School Canteen Website
Links and Resource Section of this manual.
• Put out flyers for suggestions from students, teachers and the rest of the school community to get
involved with the planning of the canteen menu.
• Run information sessions for parents, carers and other interested school community members.
• Put information in the school newsletter or on the school website with the proposed canteen
strategy - you may also like to add nutritional information and recipes.
• Planning the menu in advance will also help you to work out what future costs will be involved.
• Involve the school garden committee. They may have a structured plan of what they intend to
grow, or they may plan the garden around recipes and ideas on the new healthy options menu.

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Diet soft drinks for Healthy Kids
Switching to diet soft drinks solves the problem of consuming large quantities of excess
sugar, however it brings up several other serious issues that you may be unaware of.
• Most soft drinks, including diet soft drink, contain phosphoric acid which is added to
stop the bubbles from going flat and to add that ‘tangy’ flavour. Phosphoric acid leaches
calcium from your bones. This causes the bones to weaken and become brittle and more
prone to breaks.
• Diet soft drinks may not cause dental decay like the full varieties, but may increase your
risk of dental erosion. Soft drinks have a pH between 2.4 and 3.1 which makes them
highly acidic. Not only does the acid in diet drinks leach calcium from your bones, it can
irreversibly damage dental structures by dissolving your teeth.
• Diet soft drink contains no nutritional value and drinking it in place of other options means
you may be missing out on important vitamins and minerals, like those found in milk.
Take Home Message
Think of diet soft drink as a lower kilojoule alternative to regular soft drink. It may contain
less sugar but has all the other drawbacks of the full sugar variety. Only drink them as often
as you would drink regular soft drink, not every day.
Source: www.healthy-kids.com.au
Examples of Newsletter Snippets

41
What makes a healthy snack?
Here are some ideas for healthy snacks that you can make at home or add to lunchboxes:
• Fruit muffins or slices, baked using monounsaturated or polyunsaturated oils and
margarines instead of butter
• Fresh, frozen, canned (in natural or unsweetened juice) or dried fruit
• Raisin or fruit toast
• Toasted English muffins, preferably wholemeal or wholegrain
• Reduced fat custard with fruit
• Rice crackers or corn cakes
• Plain popcorn (unbuttered and without sugar coating)
• Muesli and fruit bars – look for the healthier choices or those with the Heart Foundation
Tick
• Scones or pikelets (plain, fruit or savoury)
• Plain breakfast cereals, such as wheat breakfast biscuits, topped with sliced banana with
a drizzle of honey
• Snack-sized tub of reduced fat yoghurt (plain or fruit flavoured)
• Cubes, slices, shapes or wedges of reduced fat cheese with wholegrain crackers or
crispbread
• Potatoes, topped with reduced fat cheese and baked in the microwave or oven
• Corn on the cob
• A boiled egg
Source: www.healthy-kids.com.au

Managing Canteen Stock
• Have one person responsible for ordering stock.
• If possible try to order frequently so more perishable stock does not have to be stored for long
periods of time.
• Develop a supplier product list - this is a list developed by the school canteen manager containing
information on each supplier and the products that the canteen orders from the supplier. A
manager can then take a quick look at the stock on hand and decide what needs to be ordered.
• Aim to have as little stock left over at the end of a day and term as possible (depending on the
shelf life).
• Always use old stock before new stock.
• Reduce the price of slow moving stock; it is better to sell it cheaper than have to throw it out.
• When the stock arrives in the canteen check the invoices match the order form and adjust any
price changes accordingly to the prices on the canteen menu.
Implementing the New Menu
Decide whether the canteen menu will start afresh at the beginning of a new school term, or will the
transition period of the healthy items on the menu be gradually added, and override the old school
canteen menu? Either way, ensure that the whole school community is informed so that they are
given the opportunity to contribute and provide feedback.
• Plan ahead for specialty days, these may be cultural food days, food tasting days, sport days or
colour specific food days. The options are endless.
• Identify theme days that promote healthy food e.g. Nutrition Week - Nude Food Day, Heart
Foundation, Diabetes Day.
• If qualified, teachers and canteen employees may be able to hold cooking demonstrations.
• Enlist a spokesperson or local hero to come and talk to the school about healthy food and how
they eat healthy food in their lives e.g. sports hero, local chef etc.
• Advertise specialty food days and the new menu, put notices around the school and in the
newsletter, get students involved with the design for posters or catchy names for specialty days.
42

Volunteers
• The School’s Canteen Manager co-ordinates and
manages school canteen volunteers.
• Majority of school canteen volunteers are either
parents or relatives of students at the school. This
is an advantage to implementing healthier options
on the canteen menu as it can help with the flow-
on effect at home. Volunteers are able to increase
their knowledge and skills in the areas of cooking,
food preparation, food hygiene and nutrition.
• Allow volunteers time to adjust to the new menu.
• Provide a suggestion box to gain feedback and/or
suggestions from volunteers.
• Display schedules on the wall which outline time-
based tasks such as when to place chicken in
chicken caesar wraps.
• Create instructions for food preparation and the
way in which a particular item is constructed e.g.
layering of items on salad sandwich, storing and
packaging.
• Place food hygiene posters around the canteen.
• Provide recipe information on the wall for easy
reference - encourage volunteers to take copies
to use at home.
• Provide access to professional development and
training opportunities, such as attending expos or
training in food hygiene and preparation.
Refer to the Looking After our Kids DVD and Handbook. This is a very useful resource for school
canteens explaining how to understand and comply with the Food Safety Standards. See Link in
the School Canteen Website Links and Resources section of this manual.
Food Presentation
An essential way to appeal to children is through visual appearance and presentation of food.
Consider the following:
• A variety of foods.
• The presentation and positioning of the food.
• What type of packaging the food is displayed in.
• Colour, flavour and texture contrasts of food.
• Meal deals, for example, chicken, cheese and lettuce wrap with an apple slinky and flavoured milk.

43

Aims of having Fresh School Produce in the Canteen
• To promote good nutrition and health through healthy food options and choices, (making healthy
food choices a habit at both school and home) to help reduce levels of obesity and chronic disease
later on in life.
• Increase fruit and vegetable options on the school canteen menu.
• Raise children’s interest in a more varied diet.
• Give opportunities for children to cook and consume the vegetables and fruit they have grown in
the school garden.
Using the School Garden Produce in the Canteen
• Ask the school garden committee if they have an annual plan for the vegetable garden. You can
find out what they intend to grow and the approximate quantities.
• The school garden committee may also take into account the healthy menu and try and co-ordinate
the garden produce accordingly.
• Once you know what you can expect to sell you can co-ordinate the seasonal canteen menu.
• Have healthy produce available on each day the canteen operates.
• Freeze and/or blanch excess produce for future use.
• Get students and garden committee members involved with the delivery of the produce from the
school garden. Provide clean water, soap and bench space for the cleaning of hands and then the
vegetables.
• For food handling, storage and safety tips refer to CSIRO factsheet on food storage at www.csiro.
au/en/Outcomes/Food-and-Agriculture/Storage-Life-Of-Foods.aspx
For an extensive range of recipes refer to links in the School Canteen Website Links and Resources
section in this manual.
44

45
Example of Seasonal Produce Chart
and Seasonal Recipes Source: Rachael McCarthy Catering and Food Consulting
Autumn - Winter Produce
Fruit Vegetables
Pears Beans
Apples Broccoli
Oranges Cabbage
Lemons Carrots
Limes Cauliflower
Kiwi Fruit Capsicum
Persimmons Mushrooms
Quinces Okra
Sweet Potato
Radish
Rhubarb
Pumpkin
Turnips
Leeks
How to keep the Healthy Canteen Viable
Operating a financially successful canteen involves managing the canteen’s resources efficiently to
meet both the goals of a healthy canteen and the finance policy of the school canteen.
Issues to consider:
• Budget, income and expenditure
• Accountability of money and stock in the canteen
• Cost price and profit of canteen items
• Advertising
• Employees
• Running costs eg electricity, gas, and water
• Equipment
• Maintenance
• Keeping canteen costs to a minimum
• Provide instructions for all canteen workers to ensure that all foods and drinks are prepared and
sold in standard serving sizes
• Have standard sized utensils for serving food
• Avoid unnecessary packaging and wrapping
• Sell less popular or almost expired items at discounted rates - it’s better to get some money than
none at all
• Start small and expand later
• Keep records and journals
• Set time lines for the implementation of successful new food items - (for example, if after 2 months
an item hasn’t taken off, substitute it for another food item)
Examples of Recipes to make inAutumn-Winter Season Include:• Apple and Cinnamon Muffins• Roasted Vegetable Filo RollsRefer to Healthy Kids Association Website Recipe Section• Easy Vegetable, Chicken, and Pasta Soup• Apple Carrot and Pork BurgersRefer to Fresh for Kids Website Recipe Section• Carrot and Parsnip Muffins• Warm Roasted Vegetable SaladRefer to Go for 2&5 Website Recipe Section

46
Evaluate
• Evaluation provides information for future planning.
• Failures and successes are both useful learning tools.
• The evaluation is a shared responsibility. Everyone involved should contribute - canteen committee,
garden committee, and the wider school community.
• Evaluation can be done by surveys, feedback, discussions and monitoring progress and profits.
Items that you may like to evaluate include:
• How well certain products are being received by the canteen’s customers.
• Is the price of the product value for money?
• Does the school community know about all the products?
• Amount of Green, Amber and Red items on school canteen menu.
Promotion
• Marketing is getting the right product in the
right place at the right time and the right price
using the right promotion to attract customers
who will buy.
• What is the canteen’s image? What does the
canteen look like? How is the food presented?
How is the food promoted?
• Promote the canteen menu, specialty days, and
nutritional snippets as a positive part of the
school newsletter.
• Put the canteen menu and other promotional
material on the school’s website.
• Involve students in the design of promotional
posters.
• Have competitions for the name of menu items
on specialty days.
• Put recipes in the school newsletter to
encourage cooking of the products in a home
environment. You could also make a menu
folder/recipe book and get contributions
from the school community - this could be a
fundraising activity.
Information provided in the Canteen Section of this manual came from the following sources:
(see School Canteen Website Links and Resources section of this manual for more details)
Fresh Tastes Tool Kit
Fresh Tastes@School Canteen Menu Planning Guide
Agriculture and Consumer Protection PDF FAO Website
http;//www.fao.org/docrep/009/a0218e/a0218e00.htm
Julie Middleton - Dietitian for the LEAN Project
Healthy Kids Association Website
Fresh for Tastes Website
Go for 2 & 5 Website
Rachael McCarthy Catering and Food Consulting
Go for your Life Healthy Canteen Kit - Canteen Manual

47
School Canteen Website Links and Resources
Recommended Dietary Guidelines for Children and Adolescents in Australia and the Australian Guide to
Healthy Eating
www.consultations.nhmrc.gov.au/public_consultations/public-consultation-australia
Information on the Fresh Tastes Strategy including resources can be found at: www.health.nsw.gov.au/
publichealth/healthpromotion/obesity/canteens.asp
Fresh Tastes Tool Kit - NSW Public Schools
www.health.nsw.gov.au/pubs/2004/fresh_tastes.html
Fresh Tastes Canteen Menu Planning Guide - NSW Public Schools
www.schools.nsw.edu.au/media/downloads/.../cmpguide.pdf
Nutrition in Schools Policy
www.det.nsw.edu.au/policies/student_serv/student_health/nutrition/PD20110420.shtml
The Looking after our Kids Resource (handbook and film) is now available from the Food Standards
Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) website at: www.foodstandards.gov.au/scienceandeducation/learningcentre/
foodsafetyproducts/.
NSW Ministry of Health www.health.nsw.gov.au/
NSW Department of Education and Training www.schools.nsw.edu.au
Food Standards Australia and New Zealand
For information about food labels www.foodstandards.gov.au/
Department of Health and Ageing
www.health.gov.au/
Go for your Life Healthy Canteen Kit - Canteen Manual
www.education.vic.gov.au/management/schooloperations/healthycanteen/default.htm
Healthy Kids Association www.healthy-kids.com.au/
Healthy Fundraising Australia www.healthyfundraising.com.au
Tooty Fruity Vegie Project North Coast Area Health Service www.ncahs.nsw.gov.au/tooty-fruity/
Agriculture and Consumer Protection PDF FAO Website
Setting up and running a School Garden manual
www.fao.org/docrep/009/a0218e/a0218e00.htm
Canteen Cuisine
- a cookbook containing easy, nutritious and delicious food ideas and recipes for school canteens.
Fresh For Kids www.freshforkids.com.au/
Go for 2&5 www.gofor2and5.com.au
Nutrition Australia www.nutritionaustralia.org/
Munch & Move Program www.healthykids.nsw.gov.au/teachers-childcare/munch-and-move.aspx
Healthy Kids Website www.healthykids.nsw.gov.au
Heart Foundation Website for recipe ideas
www.heartfoundation.org.au/Recipes/Pages/welcome.aspx?mt=All

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