The Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden program teaches children to grow and prepare healthy and nutritious foods, which according to proponents brings numerous benefits.

Schools establish a vegetable garden within their grounds and grow food crops around organic principles.

Students harvest their food and move to the kitchen where the skills of preparing fresh from the garden meals are taught and a meal then shared.

The program is the brainchild of prolific food writer, restaurateur and passionate food advocate, Stephanie Alexander.

Ms Alexander began the program after becoming interested in the way children learn about food.

She came to the belief that the earlier children learn about food through positive experiences and example the better the food choices that will be made throughout a child’s life.

Forbes North began their garden a year ago and have now enjoyed two harvests. Principal Phil Thurston said the benefits of the scheme are already evident.

“Who would have dreamt that just 12 months after we started we’d be hosting a national launch,” he said.

Mr Thurston said he could not thank Ms Alexander enough for bringing the program to the school.

He said the skills and the pleasure students gain from the program are “marvellous”.

He said the support for the program from parents, carers and supporters of the program had been outstanding.

Ms Alexander told of how the program could open the childrens’ minds to new tastes and experiences.

She said children may be reluctant to try new types of food but the experience of growing it themselves helps this process.

“Children go home and talk to parents about what they’ve done in the garden and what they had to eat.”

Ms Alexander said this could have a trickle effect through many homes.

She said the day was a huge event for the program and the end result made all the meetings and work in getting the program off the ground worthwhile.

She said healthy eating habits were not the only benefits and students also gained skills such as working in small groups, an appreciation of the environment and where food comes from, measuring, estimating and more.

The Rudd Government says the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program is part of its efforts to address childhood obesity and the program has now gone nation-wide.

The Federal Government has committed $12.8 million over four years to roll the program out through 190 primary schools across Australia.