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Garden thief strikes again
Community garden deals with grim reaper of the harvest

Angele Cano
Northern News Services
Published Tuesday, July 31, 2012

HAY RIVER
At least six plots were stolen from the Hay River Community Garden sometime late at night or early morning of July 21, and this is not the first time.

NNSL photo/graphic

Lenny Hill waters his pumpkin plant at the Hay River community gardens. Hill had onions and beets stolen from his plot over the July 21 weekend. - Angele Cano/NNSL photo

Gardeners returning to the plots on Sunday and Monday arrived to discover all of the produce ripe and ready to be pulled had been taken by someone else. According to long-time gardeners, the food thief has been active for three years now, materializing during harvest time and this year, sneaking away with bunches of onions, potatoes, beets, carrots and cabbages. While discouraged, committee chair Rebecca Bruser is trying to take a proactive approach.

“This happened, and it is very unfortunate but lets move on,” said Bruser. “Perhaps if gardeners felt more welcome, and the gardening community was more united, people might understand better what the community garden was about.”

Gardeners spend considerable amounts of time and money to be part of the collective, paying for plots, seeds and working their gardens.

On the warm evening of July 24, Lenny Hill dragged a green hose between plots, dutifully watering his potatoes and zucchinis and socializing with other gardeners. Hill and his wife had beets and onions stolen from their plots. Although the pair have a backyard garden, they make the trip out to their plots every day. Hill said the news that other plots has been stolen from was disappointing.

“It almost doesn't bother me that they took my things,” said Hill. “I can plant more beets. It's more the fact that someone would just go in and take something that doesn't belong to them. Other gardeners have worked their plots to an almost a professional point and had things stolen.”

Committee members are taking steps to increase the presence and surveillance at the site. They are working on a grant proposal that will pay for a surveillance camera planned to be installed for next year.

“We want to be able too use as much of this land and have as many gardens as possible,” said Bruser. “This has been an opportunity to take precautions so that this does not occur again next year, and I also believe that this is an opportunity for gardeners to come closer together. The more united and welcoming our gardening community is, the more likely it is that those that might otherwise steal will instead join and garden alongside all of us.”

The gardens has six acres of land made available to them through the Government of the Northwest Territories through the department of Industry, Tourism and Investment. There is a $15 cost gardeners pay per year to use their plots and most are on site every day to weed and water. Currently all 40 constructed plots are occupied by gardeners, but the committee has plans to expand out to the six acres. They are hoping to construct their 30-by-60-foot greenhouse this season and work in plots next season depending on demand.

“Gardening can be a key form of increasing food security and ensuring people have healthy, fresh vegetables and fruits to eat,” said Bruser. “We have a number of non-profit groups who grow food there.”

Keeping in good spirits, the gardeners are actively looking for suggestion from the community to see how thefts could be prevented in the future.

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