Catherine Velisha

2020 Nuffield Australia Scholar, Supported by Hort Innovation.

A staggering 92% of Australian children do not eat enough vegetables, but a Victorian vegetable grower has identified ways to change habits.

Third-generation farmer, Catherine Velisha, used a Nuffield scholarship, to explore education programs that were helping people – old and young – value vegetables and the role they play in health.

Catherine’s research focused on grower-led education programs across the globe, analysing programs from the UK, USA, Ireland and Australia. 

As the Managing Director of Velisha Farms in Werribee South, Catherine has developed VEG Education, a Registrated Training Organisation which runs curriculum-aligned farm gate programs. She was keen to her understand how her programs could be improved and expanded. 

“There is increasing evidence that while the benefits of getting in your five serves of vegetables a day are widely reported and known, people’s daily intakes are not meeting the mark,” Catherine said.

“I’ve come to realise just how vital education is for our industry. Through VEG Education and our programs we focus on teaching young people about the benefits of vegetables, aiming to make them a more appealing choice in their diets.”

Catherine and her team host school visits and create teaching resources and content, such as behind-the-scenes videos of their farming practices and recipes to show how vegetables are grown and showcase their fabulous taste and nutritional value. 

“I believe that this educational approach not only fosters a greater appreciation for fresh produce among children but also helps address misconceptions about costs and accessibility. By equipping future consumers with knowledge about food production, I hope to inspire them to make informed choices that lead to increased vegetable consumption and support for local growers like me,” she said.

As part of her Nuffield Scholarship, Catherine travelled around Australia and to the United States to meet with growers who shared her passion of educating the broader public. 

Her report, reveals a growing trend of collaboration between the agricultural sector, educational institutions and local communities to help people understand food production and promote healthier eating habits.

Catherine found programs like the National Farm to School Network (NFSN) the US and LEAF Education in the UK share common themes that are crucial to their success. These include hands-on learning experiences, integration into school curricula, use of digital platforms to expand reach, and collaboration between farmers, educators and community organisations.

“There’s great potential for grower-led education models to instil a passion and love for vegetables from an early age, hopefully getting young Aussies eating them more often, and even working in the industry.”