Garden to Table Trust

The Garden to Table Trust (GTT) is working with five Auckland schools on a programme to teach students the skills of growing, harvesting, preparing and sharing their own fruits and vegetables.

August 2011
GTT assists the schools to establish the infrastructure required for the programme, including designing and building gardens and kitchen classrooms. The schools engage with their community to find the extra support needed to create these facilities.

GTT also provides the salaries for two specialists — one for the garden, one for the kitchen — on a part-time basis for the first two years plus on-going training and support via a project officer.

Garden to Table is the New Zealand affiliate of Australia’s highly successful Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation.

Linked closely with the school curriculum, it encourages students to grow, harvest, prepare and share good food every week of the school year. In the process they learn valuable life skills such as horticulture, care of the natural environment and nutrition.

They also learn to enjoy the many social elements of sharing food with others.

ASB Community Trust supports organisations that add value to the Learning sector, with a focus on innovative projects and lifelong learning. Garden to Table Trust’s work is strongly aligned to that strategy and a $96,280 grant over two years is helping with equipment, operating costs and a programme evaluation.