Ōmokoroa Point School: Food for thought, and medicine

Karli Steenberg, Marama Savage and Maia Groucott, all 12, are in charge of caring for the new garden at Ōmokoroa Point School.

Green thumbs are busy at Ōmokoroa Point School.

The students have their own garden recently built by relieving caretaker Kerry Duggan.

This project is part of their rongoā (medicine) mentor programme. Rob Taylor from Pirirakau visits the school once a week to teach students about New Zealand native plants and plants that can be used as medicine as well as food.

The garden - funded by Te Pū Harakeke Fund - is part of this programme.

Growing in the garden is kūmara, peas, an apple tree, a pomegranate shrub and plenty of vegetables and herbs. Students are also cultivating seeds.

Teacher Deirdre Duggan says they have tried to integrate fruit the children may not know have tried before such as pomegranate.

The produce will be shared with Year 7-8 technology cooking students.