Yarra Primary School

Visited Yarra Primary School in Richmond today with Jude (garden specialist), Maree (kitchen specialist) and Year 6 students. Once again, I am so amazed at the organization which leads to a smoothly running program. In the garden, groups were assigned to tasks to be completed under the watchful eye of community volunteers: harvesting (cutting and gathering items for today's menu), clearing and planting in the bush garden (indigenous plants that were recently donated), cutting back the perennial garden and "chook patrol" (cleaning out the chicken coop). Yep, city folks, these kids are raising seven chickens that provide both eggs for the kitchen program and fertilizer for the garden program. I found that chook duty is a highly sought after job!! I was able to lend a hand in the bush garden today by wielding my trusty picthfork against invasive roots.
After an hour in the garden, the students headed into the kitchen for part two of today's program. Using foods harvested less than an hour previous, the groups whipped up cream of celery soup, Greek salad (with the olives coming from their own trees!), spinakopata and rhubarb muffins (did you know that the leaves on rhubarb are poisonous?). These Year 6 students are proficient in the kitchen and present an amazing meal complete with edible flowers adorning the plates.
Sitting with 11-12 year olds at lunch, I was peppered with questions about America (and Canada...since we're neighbors)...did I actually cross the international dateline? Do people play cricket? Is our football like Aussie Rules Football? How can anyone stay up until 11:00 to watch John Stewart? Hot topics on the minds of tweens!! I'll find the football answer on Saturday when I head over to the Melbourne Cricket Ground to catch a game of "footy" (ticket courtesy of Frank, the garden volunteer). I'll keep you posted!!!