Five school gardens, a strategic approach, pure dedication, and a late-night dash to Homebush produced a stunning result for one Illawarra school at the Sydney Royal Easter Show.
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Oak Flats High School's agriculture team placed second at the show's school produce competition.
This week's joy was hatched late in 2023 when preparations began. Much work with mulch, manure, and hard work followed before Ms Stubbles' epic dash to Homebush for a midnight drop off of the entry last Thursday.
There were several different heirloom pumpkin and squash varieties, Glass Gem corn and chokos from the school's cropping area; native finger limes, Warrigal greens and cinnamon myrtle from the school's new Indigenous Garden; kale and cress from the first Food Ladder Greenhouse crop; flowering herbs and vegetables came from the Bee Garden and cherry tomatoes and herbs from the school's Kitchen Garden.
It was so much more than a matter of simply growing produce, the spokesperson said.
Signs were cut, an accompanying explanatory PowerPoint presentation and the wisdom of Year 9 student Isaac Duffy's junior judging expertise helped select the right vegetables for the school entry.
"It was this fabulous team effort that enabled us to achieve second place ahead of some agricultural schools in the competition," a school spokesperson said.
"It exemplifies the passion and dedication of our students and staff. We couldn't be prouder of all their hard work and achievements."
