Undaunted by the chilly midwinter’s morning, groups of year six kids at Tasmania’s Moonah primary school are digging out last season’s sweetcorn plants, sieving compost, planting seedlings and harvesting vegetables for a shared lunch. Meanwhile in the warmth of the kitchen, aprons on, young minds are focused on preparing broccoli balls with zesty lemon dip, pea and leek tart and vegetarian dumplings. Guided by their kitchen and garden specialists, the students are engaged and confident, quietly chatting as they work on allotted tasks.
The group are among the 2,000 students in 24 primary and high schools across Tasmania who are part of 24 Carrot Gardens, a kitchen garden program for low socioeconomic schools founded in 2014 by Mona artist and philanthropist Kirsha Kaechele.
Participating schools are supported to establish food gardens and kitchens, and to attend workshops at Material Institute, the organisation’s hub in Hobart’s outer suburb of Bridgewater, which includes a market garden, nursery, art studio, cafe with training kitchen and a beauty lab.
The garden-to-plate principle is enriched by a belief in the importance of design aesthetics and beauty. Workshop days include an art activity related to the kitchen garden theme, such as making a clay cup, or indigo-dying fabric for napkins.
“What differentiates us from other programs is the integration of art and lifestyle into every aspect of the project. We believe this artfulness is transformative,” says Kaechele.
The children agree.
“I’ve made friends in the garden,” says John Smith from year eight at Montrose Bay high school. “One of my bullies actually became my friend because of this garden, which I find pretty cool.”
At an interdisciplinary workshop for year four students from Brighton primary school, ceramic artist Georgie Vozar supervises 12 children as they concentrate on shaping clay slips into mugs. Noticing one girl’s creativity, Vozar says: “Whoa, look at this unicorn!”
Mugs made, the kids rotate to their next activity – preparing soup from freshly harvested vegetables with head chef, Vladimir Panevin.
Professionals like Vozar and Panevin are key to the success of 24 Carrot Gardens.
“Consultation with professionals is a defining feature of the program, from the design and development of the gardens to an ongoing presence in the schools,” says operations manager Reuben Parker-Greer. “Each school has a kitchen and a garden specialist on staff who run the programs.”
“My personal little mission is safe, engaging and productive, in that order,” says Chris Atkinson, Derwent Park primary’s garden specialist. “The goal is that the children are involved and busy, wanting and experiencing something new: becoming confident at putting bricks in a wheelbarrow and pushing it around, raking leaves and making compost. Doing something physical can help kids who have trouble engaging in the classroom.”
It’s an approach that can lead to higher attendance and an increased sense of belonging and engagement from students, according to a 2025 evaluation report by the University of Tasmania. That report was on a four-year study of an expanded program offered to all students from K-6 at Clarendon Vale primary school, where 80 out of 132 children are on alternative learning plans.
The expanded program is integrated into the entire curriculum.
“It’s exciting to see kitchen and garden skills being embedded in literacy and numeracy,” says Parker-Greer.
As well as improved attendance and engagement, the report found the program had a positive effect on literacy and numeracy, increased development of practical skills and opportunities for one-on-one learning for students who are at risk or have different learning styles. It also found the kitchen and garden staff provided familiarity and continuity, reducing the impact of broader teacher turnover on student wellbeing.
“Really rich applied learning creates self-confidence, enabling engagement and connection,” says Dr Abbey MacDonald, who led the research. “That’s the glue bringing people together to share experiences and knowledge.
Clarendon Vale primary school project officer Serena King says it is “essential to provide an alternative learning environment for children who disengage with books in a classroom setting”.
“At our school we are planting more than just seeds, we are planting a sense of belonging and opportunity,” she says.
Students bring lessons learned in the kitchen garden home to their families.
“I was so excited to be breakfast club leader,” says year six student Madeleine Suckling. “We get to try heaps of new foods. We made a noodle omelette; it was so good. I went home and made it for mum, it was amazing!”
The program, which receives some state government funding as well as philanthropic and grant money, is now expanding throughout Tasmania.
“Food is a binding force for humanity,” says Parker-Greer. “It’s like an ecological umbilical cord. Supporting food literacy from the base of flourishing gardens welcomes the community into a safe space where students connect with nature and each other.”
