What started as an idea to grow healthy food has grown into a source of pride for a First Nations’ community near Meadow Lake, Sask.
Riverside Market Garden on the Flying Dust First Nation was started in 2009 as a reaction to high levels of diet-related disease among Canada’s aboriginal people, said Susan Merasty, co-manager.
Merasty said community elders had maintained small gardens in the past, but the practice had dropped off and had even been discouraged by the federal government’s Indian Affairs agents.
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But since starting, the project has far exceeded expectations.
She said originally organizers hoped to produce enough organic produce to supply the community.
Now, not only does the garden provide free vegetables to people in the Flying Dust First Nation, but there is enough surplus to sell.
Starting with just one or two acres, the operation has expanded to 14 cultivated acres, with 30 more laying fallow, said Len Sawatsky, co-man-a ger of the market garden and instructor of the provincially recognized Green Certificate apprenticeship program that was set up on site with help from North West Regional College.
They want to expand to 60 acres and set up greenhouses so they can operate year-round, said Sawatsky. He added that there are already several buyers in Canada and the United States, who have expressed interest in their Northern Vigour potatoes.
Challenges remain though, said Sawatsky. The garden has operated pesticide and herbicide-free since its founding, but getting organic certification has proven difficult.
“There’s a lot of hoops to jump through, and some people wonder if it’s worth it, but it’s something we will continue to pursue.”
Sawatsky said he was happy to see the garden expand and run profitably, but that the biggest rewards came in the positive contribution the garden has made to the community.
Many of the workers at the farm come through the Work Opportunity Program, which helps to get First Nations people off of social assistance.
Others have benefited from the skills they picked up in the Green Certificate program. Many who graduated from the first class have now moved to supervisory roles.
“We have a little motto we like to use around here: ‘growing produce, growing people,’” he said.
Students learn skills vital to operating the garden, such as when and how to plant vegetables, and how to operate equipment, said Gladys Cardinal, a recent grad of the two-year program who started as a worker and has now become a field boss.
The 45-year-old single mother says the most difficult part of the job is balancing the time spent at work with a busy home life looking after her sons aged seven and 10.
However, she says the hard work pays off when it is time to distribute hampers of free vegetables .
“They’re always really grateful and thankful. And they’re really proud of what [we’re] doing, which makes [me] feel proud,” she said.
Merasty said one of the best experiences she’s had working at the market garden was going into the Co-Op at Meadow Lake and seeing Riverside’s produce on the shelves. She hopes the success of the program in her community can be translated to First Nations across the country.
Sawatsky said that he hopes to see the garden continue to flourish.
He says the ultimate sign of its success will be when he steps aside and members of the community take full control of the operation.
