Graduate story: Nathan

It’s so special to see how the Kitchen Garden Program shapes children’s ideas and habits around food. We were so excited to meet Nathan, a recent graduate of the Kitchen Garden Program at Osborne Primary School in Victoria. 

Osborne Primary offers the Program to Year 3 and 4 students. Nathan’s time in the Program will be coming to an end soon as he starts a new adventure in Year 5. We asked him a few questions before he left his final kitchen and garden classes, to learn about his plans for the future and whether the Program has impacted his approach to food and sustainability.

Meet Nathan

Nathan is a keen bean when it comes to all things gardening, cooking and sustainability. This community attitude has been nurtured by his parents who are active in the local community garden and run Mornington Peninsula Zero Waste, a grassroots initiative that provides sustainable waste solutions for local businesses. 

The Kitchen Garden Program has complimented Nathan’s family values, allowing students to understand the importance of low-impact, regenerative gardening practices and fostering connections to the natural environment so they can become advocates for climate change action.

Read on to learn more about Nathan, what excites him most about the Program, and what life-long skills he’ll be taking with him after graduating.

How many years have you been involved in the Kitchen Garden Program?

Two years, but I’ve been gardening and cooking for much longer. 

Were you excited to be part of the Program when you started? 

Yes, because I wanted to introduce my friends to cooking and wanted to see my friends cook. My family have been part of a community garden since I was one, so I was really interested to garden at school.

Name a kitchen skill or lesson that influenced you most. Why?

Cooking dumplings! It was like nothing I’ve ever experienced. I loved the flavours that we used and it introduced me to Japanese cuisine for the first time, which intrigued me.

Name a garden activity or lesson that impacted you most. Why? 

Composting, because my Dad came to the school to present and teach us about composting. 

We’ve heard you’re really active in your local community, especially around sustainability. Can you tell us a bit about your passions and causes?

I’ve been growing veggies with my family since I was a baby. We’re part of the Mornington community garden. I just love fresh veggies that we’ve grown.  

I help my dad’s business by collecting bottles and cans from businesses around the area through the container deposit scheme. I get to keep waste out of landfills and earn some pocket money, too.  We also participate in the Mornington beach clean-ups once every month.

You’ll be graduating from the Kitchen Garden Program this year! What will you miss the most? 

I’ll miss getting asked about how to use the big knives because I think I was more confident than most.

Do you think students should learn cooking and gardening at school? Why do you think it’s important?

Yes, I think it’s important because they learn skills that they can then use at home. My parents trust me to make things. I made a banana cake for my dad’s birthday in November, by myself from scratch. He was very impressed! Also, some kids have never seen the plants of the fruit or veggies they like so, the Kitchen Garden Program helps them to understand where food comes from.

What a delight it was to interview Nathan and get to know his first-hand experience with the Kitchen Garden Program at his school. We’re so impressed by his passion for grassroots sustainability and want to wish him all the best for the rest of his education journey. 

The Kitchen Garden Program is regarded as a global leader in pleasurable food education, aligned with both internationally and nationally recognised social and environmental initiatives, including the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. To learn more, click here.