WHATI/LAC LA MARTRE
As a gardener trainee in Whati's community garden, Donovan Simpson says he's learned how growing and preserving food can help families across the territory.

Donovan Simpson displays potatoes grown in Whati's community garden this season. - photo courtesy of Jim Stauffer

"It's a good way to save money," he said.

While Whati's garden has been in place for a few years, Simpson started working there in June. He said he was interested in learning more about growing plants after his mother started her own garden outside her home.

"Growing up, as a kid, I just found gardening boring," he said. "These last few years I became much more interested just through travelling and because my mom started a garden."

Since getting the job, Simpson has been helping with everything from weeding and watering to harvesting vegetables.

The experience has sparked a passion for growing his own food, Simpson said.

"That kind of brought my attention to what we can grow up here in the North," he said.

The garden has yielded a variety of vegetables, including potatoes, cabbage, onions and peas.

In order to expand his knowledge, Simpson also participated in workshops at the Northern Farm Training Institute in Hay River throughout the summer. There, he learned not only the best way to grow food but how to preserve it as well.

Simpson said that skill is one of the most important aspects to growing food in the North and can be done in much the same way as traditional foods.

"I think it's similar to how we keep wild meat. With caribou meat we make dry meat and dry fish," he said. "With those we can store it and they can last for months. For vegetables you can do that, too. If you have your own garden and you have a whole lot of vegetables you can find ways to dry them and store them."

He also learned about canning methods and how to create the right environment for storing root vegetables, such as potatoes.

"It's pretty interesting how we can store food for the winter," he said.

"Just to keep food from rotting and keeping the food as fresh as possible."

Now that the growing season is coming to a close, Simpson said he is busy making plans for next year. He's been helping to clear brush to expand the garden plots.

Even if he isn't able to secure full time employment in the garden next year, Donovan said he still plans to volunteer and hopefully attract others to do the same.

"It's always good to get more people into gardening," he said.

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