One of my most vivid memories of preschool is picking beans in the little vegie garden and munching on them, dirty hands and all.
But for something that is such a big part of our lives, food can be noticeably absent from the classroom.
That's why well-known chef Stephanie Alexander started the Kitchen Garden Foundation to encourage schools to start their own veggie gardens and cooking classes.
There are already nearly 100 primary schools nationwide signed up with their gardens well under way.
As part of the program, schools build and maintain a kitchen garden following organic gardening principles and build a kitchen classroom to cook up what they grow.
The kitchen part of the program encourages kids to experiment with food, learn what they're eating and share the results of their hard work.
Kids in years 3 to 6 have to spend at least 45 minutes in the garden and an hour-and-a-half in the kitchen each week.
There's no doubt maintaining a garden like that means hard work for the kids, the teachers and volunteer parents, but the benefits for the kids would surely outweigh the hassles.
For starters, they'd gain a better understanding of food, learn good dietary habits and participate in a healthy outdoor activity.
It's not just learning about the links between the garden, the kitchen and the table, but picking up those skills early in life should set kids up for a life of healthy eating.
Schools can apply to the foundation for grants up to $60,000 to get them on their way.
The current round of grants closes on October 20, and will help up to 190 government primary schools.
For more information, visit kitchengardenfoundation.org.au.
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