Townsville School Uses Garden Technology to Teach Pupils Healthy Eating

Townsville — Students at a Queensland primary school are combining gardening with digital technology to learn about food production, sustainability and healthy eating through a programme aimed at encouraging children to eat more vegetables.

The Willows State School has integrated Health and Wellbeing Queensland’s Pick of the Crop initiative into its technologies curriculum, using practical gardening activities to teach pupils about growing food, conserving resources and understanding how produce reaches their plates.

The initiative comes against the backdrop of concerning dietary habits among Queensland children, with 96.9% failing to meet recommended daily vegetable consumption levels in 2024, according to the Queensland Chief Health Officer's report.

At The Willows, the school garden has become an outdoor learning environment where pupils explore different food-growing systems while developing practical skills through planting, maintaining and harvesting crops.

Digital Learning Specialist and technologies teacher, Tim Menzies, who leads the school's participation, said the programme had transformed how food production was taught by connecting classroom lessons with practical experiences.

“(POTC) has made it real world and authentic and meets the needs of all the learners in my classroom,” Menzies said.

He said exposing pupils to different growing systems helped them understand the various ways food could be produced and the benefits of each method.

“They enjoy seeing the effort they put in and the rewards of watching the journey of the plant reach their plate,” he said.

The school has also incorporated sustainability practices into its learning activities, including water conservation, composting and worm farming, alongside the OzHarvest FEAST programme, which promotes food education and healthy eating.

The garden project began with planning in the second school term of 2025, before planting activities started in the third term.

School Principal, Michelle Donn, said the initiative had attracted enthusiastic participation across different age groups, with pupils volunteering to join the school's Garden Club during lunch breaks.

“Students of all age groups across the school are absolutely enthralled when engaging with all stages of the planting, growing and harvesting and happily volunteering to participate in Garden Club at lunchtimes,” Donn said.

She said the garden had also strengthened community involvement, with parents contributing their time and resources to support the project.

Health and Wellbeing Queensland Chief Executive, Robyn Littlewood, said the programme was helping schools create positive experiences around fresh food while equipping children with practical knowledge and skills.

“Pick of the Crop gives students the chance to get their hands dirty, try new foods and learn more about where fresh produce comes from,” Littlewood said.

She said combining gardening with technology could stimulate curiosity, build confidence and encourage healthier eating habits that extend beyond the classroom.

Launched in 2021, Pick of the Crop has expanded to 300 schools across Queensland, reaching more than 70,000 students.

The initiative is designed to increase fruit and vegetable consumption among primary school children through school gardens, food experiences and practical learning activities.