House of Assembly Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3) 51 3 Parliament of South Australia House of Assembly published Grievance Debate Kitchen Garden Program KITCHEN GARDEN PROGRAM The Hon. L. STEVENS House of Assembly Little Para The Hon. L. STEVENS (Little Para) (15:56): A week or so ago I had the great pleasure of attending the launch of the Kitchen Garden Program at a demonstration school, Elizabeth Downs Primary School. It was a great event, and I want to spend a few minutes telling the house about these programs. The programs originated in Victoria under the auspice of Stephanie Alexander, who is a well-known chef, restaurateur and food writer. A whole range of these programs have been established in Victorian schools. In fact, since 2007, 27 Victorian primary schools have participated in the program. In September 2008, there were 22 new Victorian schools and, this year, funded by the Rudd government, the number has been expanded to 37 schools across Australia. There are six demonstration schools, one in each state and one in the Northern Territory and the ACT. In South Australia that demonstration school is Elizabeth Downs Primary School. I had the pleasure of being invited to attend. Senator Annette Hurley represented the member for Wakefield, Nick Champion, who was interstate at the time. The purpose of the Kitchen Garden Program is to introduce children to a wide range of foods, to teach them the necessary practical skills so that they will be able cook with confidence, to increase their self-esteem, to teach them the principles and benefits of growing food organically, to teach them how to take responsibility for their own physical wellbeing, and, hopefully, to develop in young children a passion to learn more about good food that they can enjoy every day of their lives. Quite a large group of supporters—parents, students and community members—were at the launch, which was addressed by the principal of the school and Stephanie Alexander. When the program gets up and running very shortly, children across years 3 to 6 will spend a minimum of 40 minutes per week in an extensive vegetable garden, which they have helped to design, build and maintain according to organic gardening principles. They will also have an hour and a half per week in a kitchen classroom preparing and sharing a variety of meals using the produce from their garden. We were able to see where the new garden will be situated. It is quite an extensive area, and it is in the process of being flattened and made ready for a terrific design. It will not be just a set of rectangular plots; it will have little paths and circular portions, so it will be something really beautiful as well. The school is lucky to have a very old-style open space large block which is no longer needed for classroom space as such, and, at the moment, the school is running a whole lot of community groups in that space. One corner of that space opening out onto this new garden will be converted into the kitchen classroom. It is a wonderful opportunity. It will be fantastic for Elizabeth Downs Primary School and that community, and it will be a great thing for them to be the demonstration school working with the affiliate schools and also other schools in South Australia to spread a very significant program, and one which, in this time of the need for good food, exercise and a better diet, is essential. I look forward to being part of it and helping them for the rest of my time as member for Little Para but later on as well.