Students at Ladysmith Public School are well and truly tasting the fruits of their labour.
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A year's effort in cultivating their own garden patch turned into a lucrative entrepreneurial venture at the weekend, when the students sold up to $500 worth of produce at the Markets By The Lake.
"Nine children did the market, with seven rostered on across the day to sell the produce, look after the stall, do all the marketing," said teacher Alison de Franceschi.
"It turned out to be a rich learning environment, [we raised] beyond expectations. We thought if we get 100 bucks, that'd be good."
The profits from Sunday's market will be used to further develop the garden plot.
"We'll be looking to improve the garden and get more plants. The students have identified that they would want some blueberries and a lemon tree," Ms de Franceschi said.
"This is an opportunity for the garden to pay for itself."
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The garden has also benefited from a recent injection of state funding, to the tune of $3,500 via the NSW Environment, Energy and Science's Eco Schools package.
"[That money] went towards rejuvenating the garden, putting in new garden beds, setting up a composting system and building a big shed for our trolley tables," Ms Franceschi said.
"The water system was also damaged so we've fixed that too."
The school's garden plot has been in existence for the past seven years, but only in the past year has it really begun operation.
"I'm a keen gardener so I wanted to get this going," Ms Franceschi said.
"Plants are an investment, it could take months before you see something.
"It's about creating awareness of how we can make a difference. You don't have to buy everything if you can source it elsewhere."
Aside from the lesson in patience and delayed gratification, the garden has been used as a means to teach all sorts of STEAM-based projects to the 24 students at the school.
"We're teaching water saving, and the kids love the whole concept of growing something, eating it and sharing it," Ms de Franceschi said.
"They're co-operating and working together as a team and they just get stuck into it, spreading composting, digging up worms and examining them, everything."
Currently in growing in abundance across the plot are zucchinis, tomatoes, onions, capsicums, silverbeet, carrots, kale, lettuce, rhubarbs and a variety of herbs.
Not the usual 'kid-friendly' collection, Ms de Franceschi said the garden's delights have promoted a range of new experiences for the student's developing tastebuds.
"With the lettuce we've done san choy bow for school lunches, we've made kale-slaw, we do quiches, stewed rhubarb, a minestrone soup," Ms de Franceshi said.
"A lot of them are farm kids, so they're up for a challenge."