A group of residents from Southend will spend the weekend planting gardens with soil imported from the south.
A partnership between the Thakoitan Economic Development Corporation and Cameco helped buy seeds, soil and lumber to build garden boxes.
This weekend about 56 residents will plant potatoes, vegetables, flowers and even strawberries and raspberries in garden boxes with the fertile soil that was trucked into the community.
Gail Jobb says Southend residents have tried for years to grow gardens with little luck because of poor soil conditions.
“I went on Kijiji and I was able to obtain a lot of perennials and potato seed from that sort,” says Jobb. “There are other things still coming, all different kinds of perennials, flowers, strawberries, raspberries, and so on.”
Jobb says they brought in several pallets of soil, lumber to build garden boxes and have received donations from other gardeners in the south.
She says there is quite a bit of interest in the community.
“We have identified along with the people of Southend that gardening for food sustainability, food security is a big issue. The only place we can buy fresh vegetables here in Southend is at a confectionary or the northern stores.”
Jobb adds there is waiting list but they have the resources to help more people grow a garden.