Woolworths Discovery Garden unearthed

• Community program launched to help Aussies grow their own fresh vegetables, herbs and flowers 
• With every $30 spent* in stores at Woolworths, customers can collect a seedling kit with 24 varieties to collect
• Spend $15 on fresh fruit and vegetables* within a $30 shop in-store during the campaign and receive a bonus seedling kit 
• Launch comes as new research reveals parents place learning about fresh food as important as core curriculum subjects such as English, Science and Maths within school

Wednesday, 11 September 2019: To help Australian families grow their own fresh vegetables, herbs and flowers, Woolworths is launching its new community program, Woolworths Discovery Garden in store and online from today.

Woolworths customers will be able to collect a seedling kit, with every $30 they spend in store or online, while stocks last. 

There are 24 different varieties of herb, vegetable and flower seeds to collect and grow, from thyme, basil and coriander through to kale, spinach and carrots; and violas and pansies. There is also a free interactive growth chart and learning book available in-store and online to support the growing journey. 

Woolworths Discovery Garden is an extension of Woolworths’ ongoing Fresh Food Kids program. To date the program has seen:

• More than 200,000 Australian students take part in Fresh Food Kids Discovery Tours in-store, where they learn where their food comes from
• More than 18 million pieces of fruit given out via Free Fruit for Kids in store a year to encourage healthy eating habits 
• More than 500 Woolworths Junior Landcare Grants given to schools to date - helping grow the next generation of environmental champions 

In a further bid to get Australians incorporating more fresh fruits and vegies into their diet, Woolworths is also giving away a bonus seedling kit when customers spend $15 on fresh fruit and veg* in a $30 shop in-store. 

The launch of Woolworths Discovery Garden comes as new research, conducted by Woolworths, revealed that more Aussies want to grow their own herbs and vegies, while also recognising the importance of kids having a better understanding about fresh food. Key findings included:

• Aussies have an appetite for growing their own: More than 40% of Australians don’t currently grow their own herbs and vegies and of these,  7 in 10 would like to. 
• The last of the green thumbs: Growing your own is at risk of being a forgotten pastime with 10% fewer Aussies growing their own herbs & vegies compared to the previous generation. 
• Kids lack of understanding when it comes to fresh food: More than a quarter of parents admit that they don’t think their kids have a good understanding of where their food comes from.
• Learning about fresh food is as important as core curriculum subjects: 90% of parents place importance on their kids having a good understanding of where herbs & vegies come from, with close to 7 in 10 parents believing it to be as important as learning English, Science and Maths.
• The many benefits to growing your own: Aussies cite healthier eating habits (70%) and educating kids on where fresh food comes from (66%) as the leading benefits of growing your own herbs & vegies.
• It promotes positive mental health too: 84% of families believing that growing your own fresh herbs & vegies is rewarding or good for mental health.

Woolworths Fresh Food Kids Programs Manager, Sarah De La Mare said; “As the fresh food people, Woolworths Discovery Garden is a natural next step for us to engage families and empower Aussies of all ages to understand how their food grows.

“Learning about fresh food, where it comes from, how it grows, how long it takes to grow, whether it’s easy or challenging are all questions that will encourage meaningful discussions at home, at school and even at work. 

“Along with all of the positive mental, physical and economical benefits of gardening, we also want to unearth the joys of growing your own fresh herbs, vegies and flowers - from planting the seedling, celebrating the first sprout through to harvesting and eating what you have grown.

“After planning this program for the past year, we cannot wait for our customers gardens to flourish across Australia.” 

Landcare Australia CEO, Dr Shane Norrish added; “It is important that young people are aware of the natural environment and have an understanding of where their food comes from.

“A program like the Woolworths Discovery Garden enables children of all ages to learn about biodiversity and how to grow their own food. 

“By actively getting their hands dirty to grow fruit, vegetables and herbs, Woolworths are empowering the next generation of Australians to create their own living garden at home or at school. Landcare plays an active role in helping young people connect with their local environment, and this great initiative from Woolworths will help create Landcarers of the future.”

Australian schools across the country received a sneak peek of the Woolworths Discovery Garden School Kits last week, which were accompanied by functional educational material, including curriculum based teacher resources and a learning book to help make it easier for students and teachers to take part. 

To reflect the changing modern home setting, Woolworths has also integrated Google Home into the program to provide helpful tips and instructions to make it easier for customers to bring their Woolworths Discovery Garden to life.

There is also a dedicated Woolworths Discovery Garden website to help along the way, including seedling growth guides and  recipe ideas to transform your harvest into a delicious meal. Visit woolworths.com.au/discoverygarden

The Woolworths Discovery Garden collector tray* is available for purchase at $4. 

FACT SHEET 

What is in each Woolworths Discovery Garden Seedling Kit?

• Seed Mat - a small number of seeds of the same plant type e.g. herb or vegetable, are embedded in paper
• Soil pellet – a brown dehydrated growing medium pressed into a compact round shape
• Pot – a small seedling pot for putting the soil and seeds into
• Seed Label – a coloured cardboard label that will identify what’s growing in each pot 

What are the Woolworths Discovery Garden seedling kits made of?

• Each seedling kit comes in a cardboard wrapper with useful information and instructions.
• The seed identifying label is made from cardboard
• The pot is made of plant fibres
• The soil pellet is made of coconut husk.

What can you collect?

There are 24 different vegetable, herb and flower seeds to collect and grow in your own Woolworths Discovery Garden. These include:

• Vegetables: beetroot, bok choi, cabbage, carrots, kale, lettuce, onion, radish, tomato, spinach
• Herbs: basil, chamomile, chives, coriander, cress, dill, oregano, parsley, rocket, thyme
• Flowers: dianthus, pansy, snapdragon, viola

*Disclaimers:  For full Terms and Conditions visit woolworths.com.au/discoverygarden

• Woolworths Discovery Garden Seedling Kits - For every $30 spent at Woolworths supermarkets, Woolworths Metro and Woolworths Online excluding money spent on Excluded Purchases (such as tobacco and gift cards).  
• Woolworths Discovery Garden Bonus Seedling Kits - For every $15 spent on eligible fresh Fruit & Veg products from the Fruit & Veg department in a qualifying $30 shop in store, customers will receive a bonus seedling kit, while stocks last. Limit applies of 5 Bonus Seedling Kits per eligible transaction. 
• Woolworths Discovery Garden Collector Tray - Limit of 3 per person per transaction.