PLANS to create a nutritional organic vegetable garden at King’s College, which will help to provide at least two healthy meals a day, are underway in Ocean View.
This unique school provides education, training and skills development to over 350 children.
In addition to the garden project, Jeffreys Bay Wind Farm is also funding a rooftop solar PV installation in order to reduce the monthly operational electricity cost. The solar system is to be installed on each of the three school building wings to meet the electricity needs of the irrigation system and borehole.
“This is a fully sustainable project that includes organic vegetable production that is used to provide nutritional meals for the learners, as well as helping to feed staff and their families,” said Hlengiwe Radebe, Economic Development Director for Jeffreys Bay Wind Farm. “A portion will also be given to elderly widows and orphans in the surrounding community.
“Furthermore, a small portion of the vegetables will be sold commercially to provide funding to buy seeds and seedlings to grow new vegetable crops.”
This large-scale vegetable garden is designed to feed the 350 school children, teachers and their families – using the internationally recognised world best practice way of farming organic sustainable vegetable technology, with a wide range of nutritional vegetables farmed that incorporate organic conservation practices.
The methodology is highly cost-effective and climate smart, utili-sing the most water-efficient micro- drip irrigation and organic composting, resulting in increased soil fertility.
“This may sound complicated, but the agricultural technology and practical methodology are relatively simple to teach to learners and community members. That means that this vegetable garden project will provide valuable skills, training and expertise to the children to grow healthy vegetables,” said Radebe.
The school cares for children from Ocean View (44%), Pellsrus (33%) and Tokyo Sexwale (17%), as well as Krusifontein, Kwanomzamo, Hankey, Weston and surrounding areas.
