May 2025
Gold Star for 24 Carrot Gardens
‘You are welcome in the kitchen and garden no matter who you are in the school.’
— Student, Clarendon Vale Primary
At 24 Carrot Gardens, we have always believed that kitchen gardens are transformative for learning and wellbeing — this is at the heart of what we do. A new report by the University of Tasmania (UTAS) affirms what we’ve felt and observed since the program’s inception, showing that 24 Carrot Gardens grows practical skills and food literacy, with a wide range of social and educational benefits. In addition to learning about healthy eating and sustainability, students’ attendance is improved, they are building confidence, and forming stronger connections with their families and communities.
Lunch being served at Clarendon Vale Primary school, made by students.
These findings stem from a four year evaluation (2021-24), conducted at Clarendon Vale Primary, where the 24 Carrot Gardens program was expanded to reach all students from kinder to year six, with additional opportunities for alternative learning. Having the kitchen garden embedded in the daily life of the school has created a vibrant context for educators to weave curriculum into hands-on experiences, bringing subjects like science, literacy, numeracy and art to life. It is especially encouraging to see how applied learning in the kitchen and garden can support students who find traditional classrooms challenging — helping them find new and enjoyable ways to learn, growing their sense of agency and developing skills to self-regulate.
It is heartening to see how the program at Clarendon Vale Primary has strengthened connections between families, community members and the school by creating an inclusive and inviting space for gathering, learning and celebration. Through food-focused events, a community produce cart, volunteering opportunities and take-home recipes, families are becoming more engaged in their children’s education and wellbeing.
The report launch at Clarendon Vale Primary School
Macie, a year 6 student and environmental leader at Clarendon Vale Primary told us, ‘In the kitchen I like to make different recipes, ‘cause sometimes I remember the recipes and take them home and I get to teach my family how to cook them.’
While this report celebrates the success of 24 Carrot Gardens at Clarendon Vale Primary, it is also reflective of the positive impact of the program statewide, which reaches a total of 24 Schools and around 2,000 student participants each year. The findings offer valuable insights for how kitchen garden programs nourish communities where complex socio-economic challenges exist, highlighting how programs like this are helping deliver on the ‘big picture’ health and wellbeing goals of the Tasmanian Government.
Dr. Abbey MacDonald, Evaluation Lead Researcher at UTAS, calls on policymakers to recognise the potential of kitchen garden programs as ‘replicable, scalable and evidence-backed interventions that support student wellbeing and equity’. In other words—they work, and they can work everywhere. ‘The case for kitchen garden programs has never been stronger. It is time to see them as a foundational part of what genuinely inclusive education experiences can and should look like’.
Lunch is served!
As 24 Carrot Gardens looks to the future, the recommendations of this report will guide our work. We’ll continue to advocate for sustained investment in the Lead Teacher and Kitchen/Garden Specialist roles that are vital in delivering this program, and look to grow our professional development and resource sharing networks across the state. We invite continued collaboration across Government, philanthropy and education — to grow this impact and shape a thriving, connected Tasmania for generations to come.
READ AND DOWNLOAD THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY HERE
READ AND DOWNLOAD THE FULL REPORT HERE
Photography: Yasmin Mund