Students head to market

BERWICK Secondary College Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) students have prepared a range of environmental products for sale at the Gembrook Sustainable Market on Sunday, 27 August.
Student Michael Barrett said the plant seedlings had been grown from seeds in papier mache pots.
“We made the pots after instructions from the artist Margaret Cromb,” he said.
Students also produced liquid worm castings from the school’s worm farm.
“This is a concentrate and needs to be diluted one to 20 parts for use in the garden,” Michael said.
“We will not sell goods in plastic bags and by using papier mache pots the seedlings can be planted with no disturbance to root systems.”
Students said they would market the fertiliser in wine bottles and would call it ‘garden wine’.
Environmental teacher Lisa Benn said the students would work in shifts during their day at the market.
Ms Benn said the market was celebrating its first anniversary on the day and this would be its first student educational stall.
Chris Vongphone said money earned at the market would be used to supplement the school environmental sections’ programs.
“We have to pay for things such as brochures,” he said.
Penny Moores said the fliers explained the program and goods available for sale.
“We tell people also about what they should put into recycle bins.”
Jamie Parker said the students had also produced cloth carry bags that would be on sale at the market.