I'm involved in running a kitchen garden teaching program, through the Stephanie Alexander scheme.

It's something I believe in strongly, reconnecting kids with their food sources, developing an understanding of how food is produced and developing a meaningful relationship with nature.

Anything that gives kids the skills they require to grow food succesfuly is to me a wonderful thing It gives them a security going forward, that they can provide for themselves and are not reliant on the nutritionally poor, non organic and quite frankly tasteless produce on offer in our 'super' markets. For some of the kids I come across it is the first time they have seen food growing or even food that isn't in a can or wrapped in plastic or enclosed in a tin!

The oppotunity to build community through the scheme is wonderful, the garden is a central part of the school. Parents hang out there while waiting for their children to finish and it is a real talking point. Anything that brings natural healthy food into their conciousness can only be good.

We are getting more and more people volunteering to help in classes, or maintaining the gardens and this is helping to build a stronger and more knowledgable community both as far as food growing is concerned but also on a general level, hopefully stronger through working towards providing essential education to the kids.

One of the most exciting parts for me is the fact that I have a blank canvas of nearly 500 square meters, in which I can (with lots of help from the kids) design a permaculture garden to add to the 15 wicking beds and herb gardens we already have!

If we get the kids involved the parents will soon follow and a healthier community will form.