IKAAHUK/SACHS HARBOUR
For Sachs Harbour residents, having a community greenhouse means many people are tasting garden-fresh vegetables for the first time in their lives.

Melissa Davis, co-ordinator of the Sachs Harbour greenhouse, holds baby Greyson Davis Lennie as she uses snow to add moisture to the soil in a garden plot on June 15. - photo courtesy of Terence Lennie

"Nobody's really had fresh vegetables right from their own garden," said Richard Carpenter, who has a garden plot in the greenhouse. "It's a big difference on taste."

The greenhouse, which is found next to Inualthuyak School, is now in its third year and has begun to hit its stride, said Melissa Davis, community greenhouse co-ordinator.

The first and second years were dedicated to figuring out what would grow

in Sachs Harbour.

"We've figured out the things that grow best," Davis said. "Things that other communities grow outdoors grow well in the Sachs Harbour greenhouse."

While tomatoes and peppers haven't grown well, gardeners are having success with collard greens and kale, as well as Swiss chard and cabbages.

Kale is especially popular, Carpenter said.

"Kale really seems to grow fast, a lot of people are starting to use it," he said. "They just throw it in the oven or find different ways of cooking it."

This year's specialty crop is potatoes, Davis said.

"Last year one of the ladies in town had a really good plot loaded with potatoes, that's why this year we're giving it a go as a community."

Lettuce is another popular crop, especially within Davis' own family.

"We have salads pretty much all summer long," she said.

Davis is also transplanting wild blueberries this year to see how well they grow in the greenhouse, she added.

"We're doing some of our own experiments," she said.

Each of the greenhouse's eight plots is about eight feet long by three feet wide, plus the communal potato plot.

The next step is to install solar panels to help power the greenhouse's heater and water pump. Even in summer, a heater is necessary to maintain growing conditions, Davis said.

"We have a heater in the greenhouse that has to run all summer long. Last year we had a really cold summer and even with the heater, our yields weren't exceptional," she said.

"This year already we've had phenomenal weather, the plants are already doing amazingly in the greenhouse."

Carpenter also has high hopes for this year's growing season.

"Right now we're getting a lot of sun, hopefully things work out this year," he said.

Another first this year is keeping track of yields, Davis said.

"I think we're going to do really well this year with potatoes and kale and things like that," she said.

In addition to growing food, the greenhouse is also bringing residents together.

"Everybody watches everybody's plants," Carpenter said. "If somebody is out of town, somebody else will take over their plot and make sure its watered, stuff like that."

It's also providing gardeners and their families with a sense of food security - even if it is on a very small scale.

"Sometimes we don't get planes for two and a half weeks at a time," said Davis.

"It's nice to know that we're on the right track of being able to provide for our families and community."

Carpenter said the greenhouse is growing more than vegetables, it's also growing a new generation of Sachs Harbour gardeners.

"That's what it takes really is more volunteers," he said.

"So far we're getting more and more every year."

Funding for the greenhouse is provided by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment and through local fundraising.

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