Vegetables.co.nz

VEGETABLES SECTOR SUPPORTS

SPECIALIST FOOD TEACHERS

Julie North and Sara Collie : Vegetables.co.nz

Specialist teachers from across New Zealand gathered in Auckland this September for the New Zealand Association of Intermediate and Middle Schooling (NZAIMS) conference.

As a partner of NZAIMS, vegetables.co.nz took the opportunity to provide an additional day of learning specifically for food specialist teachers, to focus on vegetables, nutrition and culture. Providing professional development opportunities for teachers is part of our Food Skills for Life programme, which aligns to the curriculum for years 7 and 8 (Intermediate school).

Teachers really value an opportunity to meet growers and understand more about vegetable growing from field to plate

The day was held at Northcross Intermediate School in Albany – a school that excels in providing food skills and opportunities for students. Hayley Barrowcliffe and Toni Godfrey, specialist food teachers at Northcross, shared their exceptional garden with numerous vegetables and endless herbs and spices and talked through their bioscience programme. During this session the teachers dried and combined spices, ready to use in the kitchen. A hands-on session followed, focussing on food, culture and health of the Pacific population in New Zealand. As vegetables.co.nz works in partnership with the Heart Foundation to provide the Food Skills for Life programme, their Pacific Heartbeat team was very willing to lead the session. Pacific Heartbeat nutrition training facilitator, Freda Hausi, gave an update on some key health statistics of the Pacific people, then Kokoi Aviu Visit to Forestburg Eggplant

Kees Van Der Eijk

provided an insight into the role of food within Pacific culture.

Using a recipe for a traditional Vanuatu dish from the Food Skills for Life programme, curried pork lap lap, participants rolled up their sleeves and got involved. A delicious mixture of vegetables – kūmara, pumpkin, silverbeet or spinach and pork, wrapped and cooked in a banana leaf (or baking paper). This recipe provides great flexibility for the classroom, as the vegetables can be substituted for others that may be more available depending on seasonality. The group then headed to a nearby vegetable growing business, Forestburg Eggplant in Dairy Flat. Coowner, Kees Van Der Eijk, gave a great tour of the indoor growing facility which supplies many of the country’s eggplants year-round. The site visit was a highlight in the day, with one attendee saying Forestburg Eggplant was a “fabulous choice of grower” to visit.

Teachers really value an opportunity to meet growers and understand more about vegetable growing from field to plate. The experience deepens understanding and provides valuable information to share with their students, so we greatly appreciate all the growers who open their gates and willingly answer so many questions!

Food Skills for Life in action