STUDENTS from Heathcote primary school welcomed the community into their Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden at the official opening on Friday.
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The school received a national grant of $66,000 from the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation, a foundation funded by the national and state governments.
The grant was used to renovate a classroom into a kitchen facility and purchase produce for the garden.
Heathcote primary school principal Cindi Bruechert said students were excited by the new facilities.
“Students learn to grow their own food,” she said.
“They learn the whole process of planting, tending, harvesting and just generally looking after and caring for the garden.”
Ms Bruechert said as well as receiving a grant, the local community contributed to the project by making donations.
“We really appreciate all the support we received from the local community, from businesses in Heathcote and Bendigo there were so many different groups from the community who supports us,” Ms Bruechert said.
“The opening was the first time some people had seen the completed version of the project and they all seemed really rapt,” she said. Member for Rodney Paul Weller attended the event along with Greater City of Bendigo mayor Lisa Ruffell and councillors Helen Leach and Mark Weragoda.Television chef Peter Russell-Clarke attended the event and offered his cooking expertise to a group of students in a live cooking demonstration.
Year 6 student Ryan Comer was part of the cooking demonstration and said he enjoyed classes in the kitchen garden.
“Normal primary schools don’t get to have a kitchen like this,” he said. “We are lucky.”