For infants and children from the Inverell KCL Family Day Care, it all started with some seeds in soil and grew into a bouquet of red, white and blue ribbons.

The preschoolers carefully tending their summer garden, resulted in two champion ribbons, 13 first places, and six second place ribbons and two third places for their produce, preserves, collectors corner items, baking, and a collaborative piece of art made with residents of McLean Care’s Arawatta Lodge.

The largest item was a giant yellow cow pumpkin, 160cm long, 152cm around and an estimated weight of 40 kilograms.

Their hard work resulted in a cache of awards won in the junior and student sections of the Inverell Show.

KCL early childhood educator Stacey Hamilton said the ribbons were a result of more important messages of sustainability for the small generation.

“It’s to show them that food doesn’t come from the supermarket; we actually grow food in the backyard, which they find’s quite amazing,” she said.

KCL educator Louise Adams explained how the activity grew legs, and travelled home with their children.

“A lot of these kids didn’t have gardens at home until we started doing it here, and now, even little Harry, they’ve started a veggie patch,” she said

The children took home $71 in show prize money to be invested back into their project, two gold mugs, and a three-piece garden toolset.