Mary MacKillop Memorial School students recently established the ‘MacKillop Market,’ selling fresh produce from their school garden.

Mary MacKillop runs the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program for Years 4 and 5 students, where children bring food to the plate by planting, harvesting, cooking and tasting.

Principal Nicole Coote said the idea for the MacKillop Market developed from students currently being unable to cook as a result of a large building project happening at the school.

The produce in the kitchen garden was plentiful, so the students decided to sell it and the MacKillop Market was born.

The market sells fresh produce such as eggs, tomatoes, pickled zucchini, carrot, cucumber, eggplant, leeks, silverbeet and pumpkin along with fresh herbs.

Ms Coote said the students brainstormed how to make the market happen and created groups allocated to different roles including marketing, planting, harvesting and accounting.

They learned about pricing produce so it was competitive with others on the market, but also not too cheap while planning ahead with planting to ensure they grow a sufficient harvest.

“There’s a whole load of learning in this in so many different curriculum areas,” Ms Coote said.

“What they realised was the money they raised, they could put back into buying seedlings instead of seeds, which is clever.”

The project was guided by Year 4 and 5 teachers Alison Smith and Sam Baxter and Support Officer Jen Eckermann. Ms Smith and Ms Eckermann also coordinate the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen and Garden program.

The students set up a table out the front of the school to sell their produce and Ms Coote said students were excited about the project.

“They have been loving it,” she said.

Ms Coote said the first trading day was fantastic and well-received and the students said the market would be open depending on ‘supply and demand’ of produce.