Class 3: Horticulture

General

Please read the Information for all Classes.

Zero Waste
A new development for 2025 is the shared running of the Zero Waste Station by all school class communities. One volunteer from each class is needed to fill the Zero Waste station roster HERE. The task generally involves guiding fair goers arriving at the station table on where to put their waste, and, looking after the controlled filling of the compost bins.  
Your Stall Roster now includes a space for the volunteer to indicate that their name has been entered for a shift on behalf of their class.

Cake Stall or Salad Bar Donation It is tradition for all school families to donate baking to the Cake Stall or a salad to the Salad  Bar. Both these stalls regularly sell out so donations provided from the wider school allow the stalls to remain open maximising the fundraising. Please Click here for more information. Ka pai!

Horticulture Stall

This used to be called the Plant Stall but has evolved to be more involved with many aspects of Horticulture. As well as all types of plants and vegetables a table of tussie mussies is an excellent profitable addition if the class community is interested in preparing these (guidance can be provided). Also flowers are commonly sourced and sold as basic low cost bunches. Higher cost bouquets to a professional standard are not wanted as these rarely sell until late in the fair when prices are reduced. 

Task Lists - Click the link to see detailed planning task lists:

• Horticulture Stall Roster

•  Stall setup example photos

• Zero Waste (one volunteer)

Stall/Task Coordinators: Edit the roster to suit your needs, While the fair day roster is fixed the tasks prior to fair day are open to edit as needed. When ready ask parents to put their names on the lists.

Parents: When requested, volunteer your help by putting your names next to task on the lists.

WHAT TO DO

Gathering Plants - Start Early!  

Start planning in term 2 - how you will assemble sufficient quality plants in time for the fair in early November.  Your main sources of plants are:

Donations - Many businesses will donate generously for the fair, most however need at least 2 months lead in time as they will grow to order for the donation. See the roster for businesses and more details.
Donations may include vegetable punnets, berries, ornamentals, bulbs, shrubs, small trees, etc.  Generally ornamentals don't sell as well as edibles so asking for vegetables.

Propagation  - Decide if your class wants to also grow seedlings and plants. It might be the stall organiser can hand this over to a parent with gardening knowledge.

Maybe some parents have greenhouse to start growing veggies, ornamentals early. Producing plants from cuttings or split bulbs are other cheap ways to produce plants for selling. 

Organising sessions to plant seeds together is a good class community builder.  This video  gives some useful info > SOWING SEEDS: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know 

You will need to source potting mix , pots and punnets. Jiffy pots can be brought cheaply from Mitre10 Beckenham (supporter of the fair). Try asking the businesses approached for plant donations for these supplies also, otherwise you can claim your expenses from the CA.   See the roster for further notes on propagation. 

Advertise in the newsletter to anyone in the school who is able to give plants - they can bring them to a marked spot in the shade in the school garden during the week before the fair, or direct to the stall on fair day.      Ask people supplying plants to try to supply them in a tidy weeded condition, and label them if possible.

On the Week/Friday prior to  the fair

Tussie Mussies - Popular and somewhat unique for our Steiner Fair are Tussie Mussies which are a great way to increase the stall takings. These are small tightly bound bouquets of foliage, greens, herbs, and flowers. See the stall photo sheet HERE .

Ask the class 3 community for volunteers to make Tussie Mussies on Thursday or Friday prior to the fair.  A Tussie Mussie making session is a fun activity to strengthen the class community, but, there is no pressure on the class to sell any particular number or at all.  

If a group of parents is on board then Michelle Trudgeon (class 4, 8 and 11 parent)  can be contacted for more information on what is needed and may be available to come along to the session to give a demonstration on how to make the tussie mussies. .

In addition to any donations from the flower growers listed in the roster, the Tussie Mussies just need whatever can be foraged from gardens, school grounds, red zone.

Gathering the plants

On the Friday or earlier that week donations and plants grown by the class can be dropped off to the school garden. The area under the tree beside the chicken coop is recommended as shaded and a hose is close by.  It is also fine to drop plants at the stall between the fort and staff carpark prior to 9.30am on the day (no vehicle access to the carpark after 9.30am)

Parent volunteers are needed after 3pm on Friday to transport the plants to the stall location between the fort and carpark. As they are dropped over they can be sorted into various categories and priced (could be individually priced with popsicle sticks or signs  for a prices by plants type) See suggested prices below.   

 Scruffy weed-infested plants don't sell well. As they are dropped over weed and tidy up the plants. If you are able also label the less well known types of plants, Ideally this  is done by those supplying the plants.

Fair Day - Stall Set Up    - stall photo sheet HERE

The C4 Fair Team  will provide 3 trestle and a double gazebo plus the stall signs ('Plants' ' Tussie Mussies' 'Flowers' as needed).  Also there is a plan for 2024 is to print 'Steiner School Fundraiser' signs for all school stalls.  Consider additional requirements for shading plants such as a second gazebo if a class family can loan this for the day.

A hose will be set up for use from the valve box in the carpark side of the garden. 

Roster

Fill the roster (link above) with parents to work the stall on the day, including set up and cleanup. More than two people on at a time is needed for most of the day and especially in the morning. In 2023 there was a loaned second gazebo for the flowers and tussie mussies which needed an extra person. 

Keeping Plants for Customers

Customers often like to purchase plants and leave them at the stall for collection later on. It will be useful to have a small sign advertising this service and waterproof pens and sticky labels to label plants already sold. Or put a sign up 'SOLD' in a shaded area at the back of the stall so parents starting a new shift don't mix up sold and unsold plants.

Prices

Prepare a clear price list so that stall minders know what to charge.

Examples of prices charged in the past (may be due for increase?):

• Trees - small: $2

• Trees - bigger: $4

• Edibles - Single pots/small plants: $1

• Edibles - Punnets: $2:50

• Edibles - fruit bushes: $3

• Edibles: Strawberry plants: $2

• Edibles - Bigger trees: $10 

• Ornamentals - single pots: $3

• Ornamentals - trees/shrubs (larger): $4

• Ornamentals - trees/shrubs (small): $2

From 1pm onwards, start to drop prices, could be staged reductions down to half price. (may be exceptions - if selling well or for other reason).

Contacts

For further ideas about the plant stall, chat to these parents who have previously been involved in organising the stall.