Planting the seed for healthy eating

Goodstart Early Learning Eaton is hoping to inspire a new generation of green thumbs with its Garden to Plate initiative, made possible through a $5000 community grant from the Dardanup Shire Council.

The centre also collaborated with Eaton Community College to have its certificate II construction students design and build the planter boxes, which they installed on August 17.

Centre assistant director Lynley Reale said the project had been in the pipeline for a long time and she was excited to see it come to fruition.

“We were trying to think of an easy way for the children to be able to explore the concept of gardening because a lot of families are busy,” Miss Reale said.

“The children, and even some of our educators, aren’t exposed to being able to go to the garden and pick fruit or veggies and use them with their cooking.”

Miss Reale said the grant had allowed the centre to “put the wheels in motion” and would soon plant seasonal vegetables and fruit trees in the garden beds for the children to maintain.

“We can’t wait for it to be fully established and get some green thumbs happening,” she said.

“We have got more components coming, we are looking at hopefully getting a rain water tank as well so the children can use that for the watering and we will have some art students coming to do our community mural.

“We are excited it is finally all coming together.”