DEH CHO
Community gardens are now established in every community in the region, says the Department of Industry Tourism and Investment's manager of trade and investment.

Fort Liard established its first community garden this year. Gardens have now been set up in every community in the region this year. - photo courtesy of Shannon Crawley

"They're all set up and things have been planted in the ground," said Renalyn Pascua-Matte. "They're doing great."

ITI's Small Scale Food program provided seeds and supplies to all six Deh Cho communities this year, she said. Some gardens are being started for the first time this year, while others are much older.

Community members in Trout Lake have been gardening for more than 20 years, said co-ordinator Carielyn Jumbo.

This year, about 11 residents have taken plots at the garden's second location near Trout Lake. The first garden, which is run by another co-ordinator, is near Trout River and a third is near the recreation centre.

Jumbo said the second garden is growing squash, carrots, broccoli, peas, dill, basil and cauliflower, as well as potatoes, pumpkins and sunflowers.

She said tomatoes usually grow particularly well.

"I would say the tomatoes," she said. "The tomatoes were really good last year."

Pascua-Matte said kale is another hearty plant becoming popular in the territory.

"It can stand the cold weather," she said.

Jumbo, who is currently working on the third module of the Northern Farm Training Institute program in Hay River, said the group has also begun its own composting program. Jumbo provides containers to households and businesses in town which are then returned to her to provide compost for the gardens.

"I built a system where I distribute these compost bins for people to participate in saving their compost," she said. "Once it gets filled they call me or they drop it off."

Jumbo said the group hopes to purchase a greenhouse next year, which would allow plants to start earlier in the year and continue well into the fall.

"I'd say you could probably have still veggies in there until late September," she said.

Jumbo said now that vegetables have been well established, the group is hoping to expand the garden to include local medicinal plants.

She said women in the community gather traditional plants in nearby areas and the group plans to see if any could be transplanted.

"We're also thinking maybe to bring in the medicinal plants. We have gooseberries growing in the garden already," said Jumbo. "I would say something like yarrow or maybe even rose hips, or we could probably even try something like Labrador tea, just as an experiment to see if it works."

Pascua-Matte said experimentation is a large part of learning a community garden's capacity.

"Anything grows here," she said. "There are some communities that prefer to plant certain foods, but some communities like to experiment on something."

All community garden co-ordinators are now taking part in the Northern Farm Training Institute programs.

Pascua-Matte said by working with community governments and bands, co-ordinators are being hired and trained to run the gardens, an initiative that is creating jobs in communities.

"We kind of initiated and worked with the communities or the bands to hire their own community garden co-ordinators," she said. "The co-ordinator would be the lead in each of the communities and would be working closely with us as a liaison."

Pascua-Matte said for the first time this year, the Small Scale Food program introduced the Take a Kid Gardening program to the Deh Cho region. As a result, students have been learning both the indoor and outdoor components to growing vegetables.

Another first this year is in Fort Liard, where co-ordinator Shannon Crawley has been working with residents to establish the community's first garden.

More than 20 plots have been planted with everything from carrots, peppers and peas to potatoes and herbs.

Crawley said gardeners are working to determine what grows best and which varieties are most popular with community members.

"Whatever you want to plant in there, you can try," she said.

Crawley said a future goal is to provide residents with a deadline to sign up for a garden plot. Any unused plots will be planted with potatoes and other vegetables, which can then be donated to the community.

"We have the intention to plant any leftover unplanted beds with food that would be available for community members in need," she said.

Pascua-Matte said one of the program's main goals is to allow residents to determine how the gardens will benefit their communities.

"They have to take ownership with their own community gardens," she said.