Our People: Maria Wilson

The Garden to Table team recently had the pleasure of interviewing Maria Wilson - a former Kitchen Specialist at Dominion Road - one of our model schools. Although Maria recently handed over the reins to a new Specialist, for many years, she was right at home at the Auckland-based school, where she played an instrumental role in running their successful Garden to Table programme.

It’s inspiring to see Maria light up as she chats to us about her experience with Garden to Table. Her passion for the programme is undeniable - it’s no wonder that the Dominion Road Garden to Table programme thrived under her heartfelt guidance.

Through the Garden to Table programme, kids develop skills for life, as they learn how to use kitchen tools, weigh and measure ingredients, and cook meals from scratch.

As a Kitchen Specialist, it was Maria’s job to oversee and facilitate this at Dominion Road School - something that she has always felt honoured to do.

Making sure everything comes together in the timeframe at hand, managing volunteers, sourcing the equipment, and arranging the menu and recipes is no easy feat - but Maria did it with passion and grace.

Then, there’s the coordination with the Garden Specialist to consider.

“It’s important for Kitchen and Garden Specialists to work together”, says Maria. “What we’re doing in the kitchen is directly impacted by what’s happening in the garden. Keeping open dialogue about whats coming out of the garden and what we can do with it in the kitchen is key”.

For Maria, ensuring the menu is harvest-led was vital.

“I think about what foods work with each other, what tastes good, what’s in the garden. Because our menu is harvest-led, I often look back on planning from this time last year. Then, I’ll plan my menu accordingly”.

Whatever bounty is in season, Maria crafted a delicious recipe that honours the produce. Although she enjoys risottos, soups, and curries, she’s been surprised by the number of menus that she’s created using “humble greens”, like silver beet, spinach, and kale.

Seeing learning come to life in the kitchen, as meals are prepared, cooked, and eventually enjoyed, is one of the things that Maria loved most about Garden to Table.

“Garden to Table provides real-life learning for tamariki. For example, when making pizza, you have to read and interpret the recipe; measure ingredients by weight and volume; figure out the amount of dough and how much pizza would be made. Numeracy and literacy happen organically, and tamariki soak it up”.

This learning radiates far beyond the school gates - and Maria knows this better than anyone.

“There’s a ripple effect that spreads through whānau and community - everyone can get involved with the incredible life skills of Garden to Table. I also always encourage my tamariki to share their learning at home - to have korero with their whānau about what they’re doing at Garden to Table”.

The impact of this inspired Maria daily. “The child that comes to us in year three [when Dominion Road students start the programme] may be reluctant to try things. They leave at the end of year 6 confident. They’ll try new things, identify kai, share learning at home, cook at home, and they come back and tell me about that”.

As these lessons are carried throughout the education system, and into adulthood, tamariki are equipped for life, explains Maria.

Before we wrapped up our interview with Maria, we asked her what her hopes are for the future of Garden to Table.

Her answer was simple - to see the programme in every primary school in Aotearoa.

“You only need to see the GTT programme in action to see how valuable it is for our tamariki. We will change generations”.

Garden to Table Trust trains specialists like Maria and we need your help to provide this support. Please consider a donation to help more tamariki learn essential life skills in the Garden to Table programme.

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