Whanganui Intermediate School
School Vege Challenge 2023
Harvest Time & Judging
Mid Challenge Update
Getting Going
We participated in the School Vege Challenge last year and it was a great way to get the kids interested in our school garden. We would love to expand our growing area and any help with plants would be much appreciated. Our year 7’s that were involved last year would love to up their game and win in 2023.
The students have started with prepping the beds and getting into planting the seedlings and some seed sowing. We are planning on having our new raised bed built by our boys group and will send photos through of that project. The students loved their time out in the garden. Thanks so much for the gear to get us started.
School Vege Challenge 2022
Harvest Time & Judging
Mid Challenge Update
The school garden at WIS is a new part of the curriculum offering led by Jade George. There is a group of kids meeting every Wednesday to plan, develop plant and take care of the increasing vegetable garden area.
Jade is taking time to teach the kids about watering, the site, the soil and what is needed to grow a garden.
And it is certainly growing. As well as the vegetable seedings growing rapidly in the garden there is a small greenhouse which is full of seedlings of the Yates Seeds we gave and others too from the Heritage Food Crops Research Trust.
The students were excited to show us how beyond the vegetable garden leads to a school orchard with feijoas starting to fruit.
Amongst the vegetables are wildflower seedlings with the first cosmos starting to flower.
There is lots of learning happening at WIS and plans for more garden, an arch and seating too in the vegetable growing area.
I’m looking forward to seeing the garden again in a couple of months.
Getting Going
We are currently in the process of planning and implementing a new school & community garden for educational and therapeutic use. We are starting small but dreaming big! This challenge will be an amazing help for us to get things off the ground with the starter kit resources and to also keep the school community engaged and motivated with the competition.
When asked, “what do you hope to gain from being involved in the garden?” our students replied:
“To learn how things grow and how plants benefit the world.”
“Knowing what time of the year plants grow best and how to look after a garden better.”
“Food and happiness!”
“Vegetables!”
