Information for Schools
Information For Schools
At The Salad Table we are dedicated to providing the resources and ongoing support for all school students to learn the importance of food production and to gain necessary skills to become more self sufficient in the future.
Our Vision
Create the Farmer in Everyone
"I'm Denis Matthews, Founder of The Salad Table and Farmer in the Brisbane Valley. My passion not only lies with growing food, but also educating, especially kids as their future is very unknown when it comes to food production. My products are designed to make gardening quite simple yet very rewarding and are based on the same priciples as my farm."
What is The Salad Table?
It is a complete garden system using a hydroponic process called NFT or Nutrient Film Technique. A thin film of nutrient rich water runs along a slightly sloped channel containing the bare roots of plants and then back into a holding tank. It then returns to complete a fully recirculating system that uses up to 90% less water than traditional soil gardens.
Feeding the plants with a perfectly balanced nutrient supply directly to the root system allows them to grow twice as fast than in soil. It only requires a thin film along the base of the grow channel as the roots will naturally draw up the nutrient rich water via capillary action. Plenty of air (carbon dioxide) becomes available to the exposed roots allowing it to flourish. A healthy fast growing plant is less prone to insects and disease which as we know is half the battle of gardening.
From an educational perspective, students can study not only the upper part of the plant but also its root system. This is all but impossible in a soil garden.
Feeding the plants with a perfectly balanced nutrient supply directly to the root system allows them to grow twice as fast than in soil. It only requires a thin film along the base of the grow channel as the roots will naturally draw up the nutrient rich water via capillary action. Plenty of air (carbon dioxide) becomes available to the exposed roots allowing it to flourish. A healthy fast growing plant is less prone to insects and disease which as we know is half the battle of gardening.
From an educational perspective, students can study not only the upper part of the plant but also its root system. This is all but impossible in a soil garden.
Benefits
Ongoing support when it comes to all things gardening. We will never claim to know everything about growing but we will always endeavour to find the right answers to your questions... We all learn together.
We custom design and build Salad Tables to suit your schools garden area and your students needs. Whether your ground is flat or uneven, whether you wish to grow lettuce, tomatoes or everything in between, we can create the perfect garden for your school. We will provide you with multiple options including length, height, hole numbers, hole spacings etc and can assure you we have the perfect package for you and your school.
Delivery, set up and training to get you going. This may include set up with only your grounds keeper or with the entire school. We like to put aside about an hour to answer any questions and to provide a thorough mentoring session. We will also show you and your students how easy it is grow from seeds, they can then sow the first seedings. This on site set up service will depend on your location and is currently available for most schools located in South East QLD. We can discuss a plan of action for all other locations.
We can provide ongoing consumables such as nutrient and growing medium so that your school is growing fresh produce all year round. We have taken all the guess work out of growing so that your students can concentrate on the important aspects. There is no need to obtain numerous suppliers for fertilisers, nutrients and/or confusing additives. We are a single source of information and resources. With enough advance notice we can also grow the first batch of seedlings to fill your Salad Table/s, on the house.
There are no weeds nor any soil which means more time can be spent on growing and learning about fresh herbs and veggies rather than maintaining the actual garden. The Salad Table channel lids are removable for easy cleaning which can be completed by staff or students in minimal time with minimal fuss. Harvesting and planting of new seedlings can be carried out during a single lesson or period.
We have multiple payment options to suit your school and we understand the difficulties in obtaining funds for such projects. We promise to remain flexible throughout the entire process. We can even provide an entire years worth of nutrient and grow cubes, year in, year out with one single invoice per annum to simplify accounting.
All our products are completely safe to use and are environmentally friendly. We source our parts from reputable Australian suppliers and manufacturers. Every Salad Table is hand crafted in our workshop located on our farm in the Brisbane Valley in SE QLD. Our growing channel even has a 10 year warranty against faulty workmanship and degradation.
Most Salad Tables (weight and size depending) can be moved from one location to another very easily. This can be particularly beneficial in finding the best position for certain varieties, ie more or less direct sun, or to find more protected areas to extend the growing season of other varieties.
Please fill in your details with a preferred time to discuss your schools needs. After a quick chat we will then be able to provide you with a free no obligation quote.
Call Us : 0466 721 765
334 West Road, Coominya, QLD
denis@thesaladtable.com.au
334 West Road, Coominya, QLD
denis@thesaladtable.com.au