Little Growers get into the garden at Portarlington Preschool

Portarlington Preschool have been getting hands on in the veggie garden, setting up their garden beds ready for winter, as part of the Little Growers program.

Little Growers sessions at the Preschool included a ‘building good soil’ workshop and two Story Times in the Garden with local librarian Nikki and Laura from the Healthy Communities team at BCH.

Children explored what makes good soil (including what worm poo looks like!) and stories about growing in the garden. Over the sessions the children planted their own seeds and seedlings for a winter garden.

BCH’s Healthy Communities Team is supporting the preschool to set up the garden beds and use them ongoing within their preschool program. The preschool children helped to get the garden soil ready for planting, learning about the ‘lasagne method’, by mixing in layers of organic materials like manure, straw, seagrass, compost and worm castings. No surprises that the sheep and worm poo were a big hit!

BCH is working closely with the Preschool as part of the Healthy Communities Live Well Bellarine strategy, engaging children and families with growing and eating local sustainable food. By creating a thriving vegetable garden, children can be part of growing their own food and maybe even try some new veggies! The children are encouraged to get hands on and explore the garden by tasting, smelling and touching all the different herbs and veggies.

Annie, kindergarten leader, said Portarlington Preschool is thrilled to be part of Little Growers, with many of the children very excited to grow some veggies and some already thinking about what they can cook together with the veggies they have grown.

A big thanks to the parent helpers and BCH volunteers who supported Portarlington Preschool and Little Growers to set up and plant out the garden! Little Growers is a partnership project between BCH and Geelong Regional Libraries.

Little Growers get into the garden at Portarlington Preschool