Orchard Training Homeschool Garden Club - Vanilla

September brings winds of change but there's lots to plant and sow before the colder months set in bring chilly gusts that blow.

September is also the month for McMillian Coffee mornings, where cakes are often needed, and cakes frequently require vanilla. This sparked the conversation that initiated this year-long project. We selected 12 foods that we cook with or eat a lot but can't grow here and throughout the 12 months of 2025, we are exploring them.

1.     Tea

2.     Coffee

3.     Chocolate

4.     Pineapple

5.     Mango

6.     Avocado

7.     Vanilla

8.     Banana

9.     Oranges

10.  Black pepper

11.  Cinnamon

12.  Turmeric

We will examine these topics from various curriculum perspectives: environmentally, by analyzing air miles; geographically, by determining their origin; and historically, by investigating what was used before this food arrived in the UK. Additionally, from a Design and Technology perspective, we'll contemplate the consequences if we choose not to buy that food or if it becomes unavailable: how can we replace it in recipes? We will then experiment with some popular recipes using a substitute that we could grow in the Orchard Training Homeschool Garden.

World production of vanilla has been falling in recent years, vanilla beans are produced in some of the poorest countires becuse of the number of man-hours required. This month, we will be considering the ethics of food pricing.