Our big day out in Canberra

We’re still buzzing with excitement after the fantastic events we hosted in Canberra during Kitchen Garden Month! One of the standout moments was unveiling a special portrait of our Founder, Stephanie Alexander, at the National Portrait Gallery. This event was extra special with children from Majura Primary School in the audience, all having the opportunity to ask Stephanie about her experience being painted by artist Tsering Hannaford and why she created the Foundation 20 years ago. This sparked an engaging conversation about her lifelong passion for changing Australia’s food culture and encouraging children to discover the joy of growing and preparing fresh food. 

 
“The best thing I can do is to advocate, constantly, that this program should be in every school in Australia as part of the educational experience,” said Stephanie in her interview with Canberra based paper Riotact. “In the same way as we want children to learn to read, I think we need them to get that understanding about the growing world and sustainability.”

The gallery also shared insights into the significance of Stephanie’s portrait being selected for display. Not just anyone is chosen for this honor; this portrait commends her enduring contribution to reshaping how Australians think about food — particularly through her work with schools. Stephanie’s vision has inspired a whole generation to reconnect with fresh produce and wholesome meals, fostering a healthier, more sustainable food culture in Australia.

Meanwhile, at Parliament House, our team prepared a celebration of the nine remarkable winners of our inaugural National Kitchen Garden Awards, each of whom demonstrated exceptional commitment to using the Kitchen Garden Program to its full potential.  

 
One of the highlights of the showcase was a live demonstration by students from Namadgi School, who were also the proud winners of the Showcasing STEM award category. The students confidently demonstrated their soil testing skills, impressing politicians and guests alike. They also prepared a delicious broad bean dip using beans they grew and harvested themselves, providing a true garden-to-plate experience. Their knowledge, enthusiasm, and hands-on approach perfectly captured the spirit of our program, demonstrating how pleasurable food education can seamlessly integrate with the Australian curriculum.

In addition to Namadgi School, we were honored to be joined by educators from two of our other winning schools, Sunbury Primary School in Victoria and Ashgrove State School in Queensland. Their commitment to the Kitchen Garden Program is truly inspiring and it was wonderful to be able to congratulate them in person. 

We are deeply grateful to Dr. Mike Freelander and Parliamentary Friends of Preventative & Public Health for their generosity in hosting the event. Special thanks also go to our award sponsors and prize pack donors for their contributions, which helped make the Kitchen Garden Awards a reality.

It was a busy yet incredibly rewarding day for our team and definitely a highlight of this year’s Kitchen Garden Month. The fun isn’t over yet though! Make sure you stay tuned to our Facebook and Instagram for all the latest updates throughout September.