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INUVIK - A new television series on APTN called Vitality Gardening explores indigenous methods of growing food around the world.

Journalist Coleen Rajotte works in her backyard garden. Rajotte visited Inuvik for a segment on Northern gardens as part of her new show on APTN Vitality Gardening. The program examines indigenous approaches to small scale agriculture and food gathering. - photo courtesy of Coleen Rajotte

"There's a whole way of planting that goes back thousands of years to our indigenous ancestors and we really want to point out to people that it was our ancestors who were the original organic gardeners," said host Coleen Rajotte, a Cree Metis journalist based in Winnipeg, Man.

The program debuted on Saturday. The second episode, scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 8, will explore gardening methods for Northern climates with a short growing season.

Rajotte uses a garden near Thompson Man. to illustrate the use of cold frames and other techniques for extending a short growing season.

"The show points out that if you want to garden you can garden anywhere in Canada," Rajotte said. "You may need a small greenhouse but it can be done and it's not difficult."

More Northern gardening is featured on the show on Saturday, Dec. 6. Rajotte visited Inuvik recently to cover the happenings at the community greenhouse, where she met with a youth group and the organizers of the local food bank. Lucy Kuptana led the visiting reporter through the community's huge growing space.

The show regularly includes information about gathering herbs, roots and other foods in the wild, as well.

"We even have a medicine segment on a natural Viagra prepared from the cranberry bush," Rajotte said.

Other indigenous growing methods are explored on the West Coast and as far south as Mexico, where the Mayans built a whole civilization around agricultural practices.

Each week Rajotte presents hands-on information for people wishing to start their own gardens.

Vitality Gardening airs on APTN every Saturday at 4:30 p.m.