EON has been delivering the Thriving Communities Program to the Mid-West communities of Meekatharra, Mount Magnet and Yalgoo since 2019.
These schools and communities continue to welcome EON’s visits and classes with great enthusiasm, energy and a keen desire for learning.
“All the garden beds are producing healthy produce which we have harvested for our cooking lessons or have sent home with the students. The garden and cooking lessons are going great!”- Project Manager, Mid-West (WA)
At Mount Magnet the main school garden continues to provide a peaceful oasis for the whole school community and is a much-loved space.
During the year several new garden spaces have been added to the kindergarten teaching areas and we are growing produce that the children love to eat, such as corn and sweet potatoes.
There has been a focus on planting more fruit trees for garden sustainability, with new fruit trees recently established. This also assists in making the allocated spaces better growing areas throughout the seasons, with the shade of trees offering protection for the garden and bringing down the temperature during the harsh, hotter months. Construction has also begun on a new greenhouse.
EON has held regular healthy eating and cooking classes throughout each term this year using the fresh produce in healthy recipes.
Themes covered include: ‘eat a wide variety of food from the five food groups, ‘eating like the rainbow’ which involves eating fruits and vegetables of different colours every day and ‘healthy home-cooked meals are better for you than takeaways’.
Healthy meals and snacks prepared with the students include chicken and vegetable stir fries, veggie tacos and savoury muffins using silverbeet, spinach, snowpeas, chives and parsley from the garden.
At Mount Magnet EON has been building on relationships with WA Rural Health and the Murchison Football League to support healthy lifestyles together.
