Malak edible garden teaches kids where their food comes from

Malak Family Centre has just opened a new, edible garden so children and their families can learn first-hand about healthy eating and sustainable living.

Youth Minister Lauren Moss and Malak Family Centre director Julia Deveny open the edible garden. Picture: Zayda Dollie

An edible garden has been officially opened at the Malak Family Centre.

The garden has been a government-funded project aimed at supporting local communities “to be places where children and families thrive”.

It was established to educate children and families around food origin, healthy eating and the environment.

“We’re currently growing tomatoes and cucumbers and things that we can use in their meals and morning tea,” Malak Family Centre director Julia Deveney said.

An edible garden has been established at the Malak Family Centre. Picture: Zayda Dollie

“We’re very grateful to have been given some money to develop our edible gardens, which the children are loving.

“We’re teaching them about healthy eating, where their foods come from, about sustainability, respecting the environment.

“They love to just go and pick the tomatoes and eat them straight off the bush.

“They come out and water them everyday.”

The edible garden is part of a $2.2m funding program, in which 16 recipients across 10 Territory communities will receive grants to help develop innovative and local programs in the community.

The new edible garden at Malak Family Centre aims to educate children about where their food comes from. Picture: Zayda Dollie

“This fund is about child development, strengthening families,” Youth Minister Lauren Moss said.

“It’s about making sure we are supporting resilience and wellbeing.

“I couldn’t be happier to see places like Malak Family Centre feeling the spirit of these grants and doing something that is beautiful for their community and really important for the education of children.”

Malak Family Centre is a place where children and their families can learn and thrive. Picture: Zayda Dollie

The emphasis on early education is a vital part of the Territory’s long-term strategy to build healthier communities.

“It is so critical that we start education around healthy living as early as possible,” Ms Moss said.

“That 0-5 age group is really critical, we all know that, it’s the first thousand days.

“(That’s) when you’re really developing the trajectory for these little people, and we want to make sure families are feeling confident and strong in raising their children.”