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Tinui School

Media release

For immediate release

7 February 2014
Rural Women gardening grants give little green fingers a boost

Ten rural schools will be busy creating vegetable gardens after winning $2000 gardening grants from Rural Women New Zealand and Farmlands.

The successful rural schools were chosen from 58 applicants, and they had plenty of ideas on how to spend their cheques.

Projects range from building a tunnel house to constructing a hen pen, buying equipment such as rakes, spades, seeds and plants, and building a permaculture edible food forest!

Rural Women NZ national president, Wendy McGowan, says “This is the fourth time Rural Women New Zealand and Farmlands have worked together to distribute the proceeds from the popular Farmlands Ladies Nights.”

“There’s a real focus in schools on children learning the value of eating fresh food and understanding where it comes from, and we’re very pleased to be able to support this, especially as we celebrate the UN International Year of Family Farming.”

Farmlands’ Events and Sponsorship Manager, Helen Shrewsbury says “Farmlands is proud to continue its support of Rural Women New Zealand and the rural school garden grants. As a rural co-operative, it just makes sense for us to support the schools that make up the hubs of the rural communities we service.”

The schools will also receive a copy of ‘A Good Harvest – recipes from the gardens of Rural Women New Zealand’ so the children can learn how to put all their end produce to good use.

Ends
The successful schools are:
a South Island:
i. Swannanoa School (Rangiora)

Started its garden in 2013 on the school grounds consisting of 11 vegetable boxes (1 for each classroom) and fruit trees. Plan to use the money to purchase more spades, wheelbarrows, bokashi buckets, soil and seeds for more to be planted. Also need to buy material to complete compost bin.
ii. Waitahuna School (Lawrence)

Keep a blog that links to ‘Our Garden.’ The school has focused on attracting native birds to their garden. The grant will be used to continue the education and programmes around the garden and to be able to germinate seeds.
iii. Waihao Downs School (Waimate)

With a vision to promote healthy living, the school has begun to put greater energy into its veggie garden. The school will use the funds to purchase more equipment, seeds, plants and to support the children learning about things such as worm farms and what healthy food is.
iv. Hororata Primary School (Hororata)

The Hororata School has tried to set up a garden for the children, but has faced funding issues to create a great space for growth in the extreme Canterbury weather. They will build a tunnel house over existing plants and purchase a wider range of fruits and vegetables.

b North Island:
i. Mangamuka Primary School (Mangamuka)

Supported their current tiny garden plot by selling seedlings. Often the vegetables are sent home to families. Need to complete the raised vegetables and flower gardens and construct a hen pen.
ii. Te Ranga Primary School (Te Puke)

Have 1 garden for each of the 5 classes. Will install irrigation and buy children’s sizes in rakes, trowels and shovels.
iii. Kimbolton School (Kimbolton)

An Enviroschools programme to propagate native trees/plants and grow seeds to sell at a stall to become self-funding. Need garden tools.
iv. Ahititi (Urenui)

Funding has decreased and need to repair a glass house that was destroyed in a storm.
v. Tahuna School (Morrinsville)

Unused space behind the school pool that will be turned into an edible food forest (permaculture)
vi. Papanui Junction School (Taihape)

Use money for landscaping the garden and upgrading the garden boxes.
For further information contact

Wendy McGowan

National President

Rural Women New Zealand

(07) 332 3586 or 027 222 7015

or
Kiera Jacobson

Marketing & Development

Rural Women New Zealand

(04) 473 5524

Tags: Youth