Seed to table kitchen garden

Hamilton Child Care Centre was a winner of the IEUA NSW/ACT Branch Environment Grant, sponsored by Teachers Mutual Bank, in 2022. Director Kylie Kirrage and teacher Alexander Sutherland write about what the grant means to their centre.

Hamilton Child Care Centre (HCCC) is a not-for-profit, community-led early childhood education and care service. Situated in the heart of Newcastle NSW on Awabakal land. Our service caters for children from birth to five years.

Uniquely, we have a family grouped model of 36 children enjoying many wonderful spaces within our federation house and beautiful garden surrounds.

When we discovered this grant, we thought it would be a great way to transform our garden space into a more welcoming and teachable area, an opportunity to reduce our water usage as well as supply more produce to our onsite kitchen. Better still, it could help embed the Awabakal way of being and knowing, ‘stop, look and listen’.

When we won the grant, we decided to revitalise the existing vegetable/fruit garden. The mission was to create a more useable, intentional learning and teaching space while also improving the quality of fresh food for our onsite kitchen. We wanted a child-friendly work and mindfulness space in our existing garden and to reduce water usage by adding a drip irrigation system.

The revitalisation of the existing garden has created a dynamic and sustainable learning environment, engaging children in nature, care for and connection to Country, food production, environmental stewardship, and healthy living. The garden fosters a sense of connection to the natural world and empowers children to make informed decisions that positively impact their wellbeing for the planet.

Caring for Country

Caring for, and a connecting to Country happens on a daily basis as our garden requires consistent care and maintenance. Our daily hands-on work teaches children valuable lessons about responsibility and nurturing. We water our seedlings and plants, we pull out weeds, we protect against pests, and we observe changes in everything growing in our garden. The garden instils a sense of ownership, empathy, and patience. Our children learn about the interdependence of plants and animals, the importance of biodiversity, and the role each organism plays in maintaining ecological harmony. We know our children clearly understand the importance of the relationship humans have with the natural environment beyond the physical form, especially when the garden can be used as a rest and relaxation space.

The children’s knowledge and experiences and the service’s goals in relation to our sustainability strategy are being envisaged through hands-on learning as we actively participate in planting, nurturing, and harvesting our food. All of this happens in a relaxed and welcoming space and our children gain practical knowledge about plant life cycles, nutrition, and the importance of sustainable food production.

Our upgraded garden promotes healthy eating for our children as they witness the growth and transformation of vegetables from seed to table, encouraging them to try fresh produce and develop a preference for nutritious foods. The children quite literally take pride in eating the ‘fruits (and vegetables) of their labour’.

The garden also serves as a platform to deepen children’s understanding of sustainable practices and environmental awareness as they learn about waste reduction and recycling practices. Composting, recycling, and reducing waste by observing how organic waste can be transformed into compost to enrich the soil. We work together to instil responsible waste management habits in our children.

Cultivating our own food provides nutritious ingredients for delicious and healthy meals, ensuring the children have access to fresh, locally sourced, and nutritious food. This helps reduce the service’s reliance on external food supplies and supports a more sustainable and self-efficient approach.

The children are able to relax in the garden, tend to their seedlings, ensure our kitchen is always supplied with an abundance of fresh herbs, salad greens and vegetables and talk with friends and educators about their work.

There’s nothing better than taste testing on the way from garden to plate, a healthy and delicious treat. Thanks to the IEU Environment Grant, our vision of creating a more welcoming and user friendly space in the garden has become a reality.