Growing healthy habits from the ground up at Collinsville State School
Students at Collinsville State School are digging into healthy eating with Pick of the Crop — Health and Wellbeing Queensland’s school-based nutrition initiative that helps kids learn where their food comes from and how to eat more vegetables and fruit.
Now in its fifth year, Pick of the Crop (POTC) at Collinsville is delivered in partnership with the Bowen Gumlu Growers Association, the region’s agricultural champions.
As one of the original POTC schools, Collinsville State School has been part of the program since it began in 2021.
POTC has now reached more than 240 schools and 52,913 students across Queensland.
As part of the program, students visit local farms, meet growers – like farmer Jessica Volker, from Lower Don Organics at Bowen – and explore how fresh produce such as mangoes, melons, corn, and passionfruit are grown — right in their own backyard.
Connecting with growers is a key part of the POTC initiative, and Jessica Volker said she was thrilled to share more of her farm with the Collinsville students.
‘Pick of the Crop is a wonderful initiative, opening children’s eyes to what is produced in their local region and giving insight to how these fruits and vegetables can be grown at school or in their own backyard,’ said Jessica Volker.
‘My hope is that instilling a love of growing plants early may also lead to interest in farming careers in the future.’
The students’ visit to Lower Don Organics was also designed to help them learn about protected cropping, as their own school garden will benefit from shade to help protect it from the strong sun and pests, encouraging sustainability of their garden.
‘These hands-on farm experiences bring food education to life,’ said Helena de Bortoli, from Bowen Gumlu Growers Association.
‘Pick of the Crop is promoting a positive food culture in primary schools by connecting with local growers, increasing students’ access to fruits and vegetables, and maintaining school vegetable gardens.
‘They not only help kids understand where food comes from but also encourage lifelong healthy eating habits.’
But there’s still work to do.
According to the latest Report of the Chief Health Officer Queensland1:
- 96.9% of children aren’t eating enough vegetables
- 30.7% fall short of daily fruit intake recommendations
- Poor diet contributes to disease burden, costing the health system $1.18 billion annually.
That’s where Pick of the Crop makes a difference — by embedding food and nutrition knowledge early through curriculum-linked learning, school gardens, farm visits, and connections with local growers.
‘Pick of the Crop is all about helping Queensland schools get kids eating more vegies and fruit in ways that make sense locally,’ said Joanna Munro, Director – Prevention Systems at Health and Wellbeing Queensland.
‘We know that healthy eating helps kids grow, learn, stay well and do their best — whether that’s in the classroom, on the sports field, or just building good habits for life.’
To learn more about Pick of the Crop, visit Pick of the Crop – Health and Wellbeing Queensland.
Media contact:
media@hw.qld.gov.au
0439 599 210
Sources:
Queensland Health. (2025). The health of Queenslanders. Report of the Chief Health Officer Queensland. Queensland Government. Retrieved from: https://www.choreport.health.qld.gov.au/our-lifestyle/diet
