In June 2018, Action Against Hunger’s Generation Nutrition program invited The Growing Connection to participate in an installation of a new Caja garden in North Spirit Lake First Nation. This initiative was made possible by the generous funding by donors at the 2017 AAH Gala Dinner.
North Spirit Lake is an isolated, “fly-in” community of about 290 persons in Northwest Ontario. TGC would like to acknowledge the valued participation of the Maymayquayshwak and the Elders of North Spirit Lake First Nation in their willingness to share their knowledge and visions has helped our team understand the challenges for the future of those who are a part of this land.
Like many First Nations communities across Canada, NSL experiences above average incidences of diabetes and malnutrition. Also, there are issues of poor local soil fertility, extreme climate, transportation logistics, and at times, shortages of water. The flexibility, ease of transport, and simplicity of use of the Caja means that NSL’s new sustainable, organic vegetable garden will contribute directly to solutions to these challenges.
Together with community leaders, facilitators, and a dedicated nucleus of young folks, the TGC/AAH team installed 80 Caja containers, planted with a range of crops including lettuce, chard, kale, tomatoes and peppers. The short growing season and rather extreme climate should not be a great concern when using the Caja as plants can be started indoors, and the flexibility of the Caja allows them to be deployed in ideal micro-climates
The first harvests of greens began in August, and the gardens were put “to bed” in mid-September. The kids of NSL are looking forward to a Spring thaw, and the opportunity to get planting once again. The soil in the Cajas can be reused for multiple growing seasons, and the community can be more self-sufficient. See also: https://actionagainsthunger.ca/in-the-spirit-of-growing-north-spirit-lake/
Read more about our other case studies featuring unique and inspiring gardens.