Pizza heaven with health choices

A partnership between Lismore Library and NSW Health has seen homeschooled youngsters grow and tend a garden of ingredients to create delicious pizzas.

PIZZA GARDEN: Horticulturalist Tony Roden and the Lismore Garden Centre shows youngsters how to tend their pizza garden in the Quad.

Learning to grow their own pizza ingredients has been a slice of heaven for some Northern Rivers youngsters.

In the past few months, the Quad has been home to some large planter boxes full of vegetables, herbs and some impressive sunflowers.

This riot of edible colour was the Youth Pizza Garden, which came about due to a partnership between NSW Health and the Lismore Library.

‘The garden is part of a NSW Health initiative to support youth in making healthy lifestyle choices.’ Lismore Library Michael Lewis said.

‘The library garden has been created and tended by a group of homeschool youth,” Mr Lewis said.

“(They did this) with the help and skills of local carpenter Gunter Gross, horticulturalist Tony Roden and the Lismore Garden Centre.”

PIZZA PLANTER: In the past few months, the Quad has been home to some large pizza garden: a planter boxes full of vegetables, herbs and some impressive sunflowers were part of the Youth Pizza Garden, which came about due to a partnership between NSW Health and the Lismore Library.

Mr Lewis said each session saw the group growing not only vegetables, but a range of gardening skills and learning the importance of growing your own food.

‘We are very grateful that so many locals were keen to become involved, and make this project such a success’, Mr Lewis said.

Mr Lewis said as a grand finale, the group were able to enjoy the fruits of their labour in the form of some delicious pizzas thanks to Simon Cass from Shoebox Cafe who shared his knowledge of cooking.

He also supported the group in making a range of tasty pizza toppings, Mr Lewis said.

“After the pizzas were prepped, Rod Scott from Earth Oven Pizza opened his doors to the gardeners, and helped them cook their pizza in a wood fire pizza oven.

“The event was enjoyed by all.”

Mr Lewis said the gardens are still growing happily in the quad and the public are welcome to wander past and enjoy the aromatic delights of this special little patch.