Kirsha planting seeds of success

KIRSHA Kaechele started the 24 Carrot Garden project in 2014 after a little girl from a disadvantaged community asked her what a carrot was.

She explained that it was a vegetable as she hid a tear.

Now the American artist and curator, who is married to Mona founder David Walsh, is on a mission to have a privately funded kitchen garden set up in every Tasmanian school so children can learn how to grow, harvest and cook healthy produce.

“24CG aims to ensure that disadvantaged communities are no more likely to suffer from malnutrition or childhood obesity,” Ms Kaechele told the

“A lot of these neighbourhoods are food deserts, where there’s no healthy food options within walking distance.

“Some of these kids have never seen a fresh carrot, tried broccoli or tasted a pear.”

Everything about 24CG is artful — kids colour their own cloth napkins with natural dyes from plants and flowers they grow, they eat off ceramic dishes they create and they share their harvest at a table they set together.

Each community garden is designed by an architect selected by Mona and costs about $35,000 to operate per year, which covers the salaries of dedicated cooking and gardening teachers.

Thanks to the generosity of private donors, the program has already been rolled out across 15 local primary schools, and fundraising is under way for four more schools.

“24CG is such an important investment in Tasmania’s future, not only because of the health benefits and savings, but because of all of the food entrepreneurs that are going to emerge out of this program,” Ms Kaechele said.

“It means that kids from disadvantaged neighbourhoods can rise up, be star chefs, own their own restaurants and participate in the artisanal food industry.”

Ms Kaechele described Tasmania’s current flourishing foodie scene as “an elite privilege” and labelled its exclusivity “completely unacceptable”.

“Levelling the playing field is very important to myself, David and our team,” she said.

“David grew up in public housing with pretty extreme disadvantage. He thinks it's a matter of luck and opportunity where you end up in life. And if we don’t spread the opportunity, then we perpetuate an injustice gap.

“Everyone who’s benefiting from this new surge in the Tasmanian boutique tourism phenomena needs to try and spread the love.”

Mona has been hosting expensive fundraising dinners to “wring out the rich”, with all the proceeds going back into the 24CG program. For more information visit: www.24carrot.mona.net.au