Regional Hui With Garden to Table

When schools sign up to the Garden to Table programme they become part of our hapori (community) of schools, staff, regional coordinators and specialists who work together nationwide to support each other. Schools provide a Kitchen and Garden Specialist to run the programme with the support of our Garden to Table Regional Coordinators who are based right throughout the motu.  

 Our staff work hard to provide practical support for setting up a kitchen and garden as well as awesome curriculum support using our range of incredible resources to take learning back into the classroom. But they also work to foster relationships and connections among our schools.  

Garden to Table is a ‘train the trainer’ model, meaning we give schools the knowledge and skills they need to set up and run a successful programme allowing them to tailor it to their school’s needs and culture. Schools are given the opportunity to send their staff to our online and in-person training sessions which happen throughout the year.  

As well as this, each term staff in schools are invited to a Regional Hui to meet with other local Garden to Table schools. These are a time to share ideas, make connections and learn together to help enrich the programme and support our new schools on their journey. 

Each term and region is a little different but there are always a great range of experiences available. Read about a recent Regional Hui in East and South Tāmaki Makaurau - Auckland. 

In May, East and South Auckland schools were invited to come together at Māngere East Primary School for a hui with a cooking demonstration and kōrero from The Heart Foundation.   

To start the hui, Tumuaki - Principal Stephanie Anich welcomed the guests which included Programme Champions, Kitchen Specialists and Garden Specialists from eight South Auckland Schools. Following that, guests introduced themselves prompted by a basket of wooden fruits and vegetables. There was great sharing and whakawhanaungatanga in this fun activity.  

With introductions done the Kitchen Specialist Tumamā Fale, who is also O Lou Ala i Malo (Samoan Bilingual) teacher at the school took the lead demonstrating a recipe – Fa'alifu Fa’i - Green Bananas and Coconut Cream. Tumamā shared her experience cooking Fa'alifu sparking kōrero (conversation) with others who had also tried it before. Different ways of preparing and cooking the bananas were shared which the group learnt differed between cultures and whānau.  

The cooking time of this recipe (around 20 minutes) fits perfectly into a Garden to Table cooking session making it a great one for schools. Some Specialists shared that cooking Fa'alifu Fa’i was an opportunity to learn about and acknowledge their students’ culture, which is an uplifting and empowering experience for tamariki.  

While the bananas were cooking, Tina Buch and Isabel Carlisle from The Heart Foundation talked to the group about Food Groups. This was great learning to guide recipe plans for Garden to Table sessions and for Kitchen Specialists to introduce these ideas to students in a relatable environment.  

Tumamā finished the Fa'alifu Fa’i by adding coconut cream and onions to the cooked bananas. The Fa'alifu fa’i was served up with some chopped fresh spring onions from the school garden – delicious! 

The vege gardens at Māngere East Primary School - Photo supplied by The Kindness Collective

The hui ended with a walk in the māra kai (garden) to see Garden Specialist Andy Andrew’s beautifully kept māra and compost area. The Kindness Collective with the help of their sponsors Mitre 10 had recently installed a new raised garden that was thriving with veges.

Before departing guests gathered goodies from the sharing table, which included Heart Foundation cookbooks, saved seeds from school gardens, seedlings and garden stakes.  

People left feeling inspired, connected and buzzing with new ideas to implement in their own Garden to Table programmes.  

A special Fa’afetai tele lava - thank you to the staff at Māngere East Primary School for sharing your time and knowledge with us. It is always wonderful to collaborate with other organisations who share our kaupapa. Ngā mihi nui to the Heart Foundation and Kindness Collective for contributing to the support network surrounding our schools.