Totara Grove School is very lucky to have the expertise, knowledge and sharing of the wonderful Sara Hamilton assisting the whole school community with learning about gardening and getting nutritious food onto tables in homes.

Sara is passionate about sharing her knowledge with staff, students and whanau at Totara Grove and spends a lot of time ensuring the school gardens are not only beautiful but productive as well. Sara works with teachers and gives ideas on how to incorporate sustainable living ideas and practical projects in class, teaches the students valuable life lessons and shares the fruits and vegetables of her labours with whanau.

Throughout the first two terms of 2016, Sara was working alongside students in the school vege garden growing cauliflower, broccoli, kale and silverbeet among other things which were shared throughout the school.  Students learnt a lot about the process of growing food through this however Sara saw that the learning wasn’t necessarily going home and, because there is no kitchen at the school to use to prepare food grown, there was a link missing between the food coming from the garden and getting onto whanau tables to eat.

In term three (2016), 56 fruit trees were planted after Sara successfully applied for $1480 of funding from Fonterra Grassroots Fund. This funding went towards the fruit trees, garden mix to plant them and watering cans for the school to help look after them. Strawberry seedlings were also planted and sent home for whanau to grow for themselves. This was the start of the new movement towards sharing and eating the food, getting the link from garden to table and encouraging whanau at home to grow food, from seedlings grown and prepared by the students at school. This term, Totara Grove are working on seed collection and seed saving. Watermelon and tomato seeds are being planted at school and looked after so that at the end of the year, every student can take their growing seedlings home. This is so the whanau have plants ready to plant in their gardens straight away rather than needing resources to get the seeds planted.

There is also peas, beans, cucumbers, giant pumpkins and non hybrid corn growing at the moment to teach the students about seedlings. The corn is going to be used as a seed bank for students to take home next year (although the departing year 6s will get to take some this year so they don’t miss out!). Room 14 have bucket gardens growing in their class and Room 10 have had an awesome session with Sara in class looking at a pumpkin which is going rotten on the inside, learning that this is the pumpkin germinating it’s own seeds which can be used to grow new pumpkins!

The gardens at Totara Grove don’t only grow fruit and vegetables though, they are beautiful with an abundance of edible flowers growing all through the school as they seed and spread – with cape gooseberries, pansies and daylilies to name a few.

By letting plants go to seed, Sara believes students will learn that gardens can be maintained without extra money needed for new seeds, you can re-use or give away the seeds to keep gardens growing. Sara endeavours to keep gardening simple and accessible for the school community, and talks to the students about her ‘permaculture for dummies’ approach, how organic systems work, soil ecology and food for bees. Sara has had great feedback from students and community with kids wanting to come and help her in her own garden so they can learn how to have a garden at their house too.

Another important message that is promoted throughout the work that Sara does is manaakitanga, instilling the value in students that they can work together and help each other to look after their plants, their gardens, themselves and each other.

In October 2016, Totara Grove was awarded the Enviroschools Bronze Award which is a great achievement and well deserved - awesome recognition of a lot of hard work and dedication.

For more information and photos from Sara, visit the Facebook page Grow for Life and Love