May is winding down, and we're thrilled with the progress in our living lab! We set aside our usual creative tools earlier this month to focus on preparing our food security program. The sight of hundreds of strawberry flowers opening up is a truly exciting reward for all the hard work.
Inside our Community Garden Project’s Second Year
As we enter June and the growing season fully takes root, the community garden and food product development program is flourishing in its second year—marking major progress in our push for northern food security and sustainable agriculture in Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario. Building on the incredible success of last years pilot projects, funded by Manitoba Agriculture and the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, this initiative has moved beyond its successful pilot phase and is now expanding rapidly across the region.
Expanding Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture
While our fall and winter programming is focused almost entirely on participatory and media arts, skills development and capacity building, spring is a different story. As the school year winds down, and we find ourselves outside more, efforts shift towards our living lab and its land-based activities.
This year has brought the addition of more raised garden beds, improved infrastructure, and an even greater diversity of crops. Thanks to last year’s groundwork, this year’s plants now benefit from healthy, mature root systems, setting the stage for a more abundant harvest.
Thriving Crops and Early Garden Successes
Among the first crops planted this spring were leaf lettuce seedlings, which are now thriving. Dill, a community favourite introduced last year, has returned stronger than ever. A lush patch of chives is spreading beautifully, signaling another year of flavorful harvests.
Northern Berry Production on the Rise
The garden’s berry patches are particularly promising. Our blueberry bushes are covered in thousands of delicate, bell-shaped blossoms—an early sign of a strong summer crop. In our patches, low-bush wild blueberries are also starting to flower. Meanwhile, strawberry plants are bursting with hundreds of blooms, and overwintered raspberry shoots are thriving in their newly expanded beds.
With more space and stronger perennials, the team expects a much larger yield than last year’s 25 pounds. This year also welcomes blackberries and Saskatoon bushes, a native plant rich in both cultural heritage and ecological significance.
Northern Food Systems Innovation
In a bold move, the project is growing giant pumpkins for the first time this year. Bright yellow blossoms are already appearing, building excitement around the potential harvest. This experiment reflects the initiative’s commitment to creativity and innovation in northern gardening.
Other additions this spring include sage, peppers, onions, and young apple and cherry trees. Some apple pippins grown from seed are displaying deep purple leaves—a striking genetic trait caused by anthocyanins from cross-pollination.
A Living Model of Sustainable Food Systems
More than a garden, this is a working model of a sustainable, community-led food system. It blends regenerative agriculture, food literacy, and cultural connection, offering a hands-on approach to local food resilience.
As the season progresses, the project continues to nurture growth, deepen local knowledge, and strengthen northern food systems—proving that with commitment, creativity, and community, even the coldest climates can bloom.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported our programming this spring as we head into the summer months: We are especially grateful to Krish Agrawal, Tony Eetak, Eva Suluk, Jamie Bell, Lucy and Paul Eetak, Kendall Suluk, Terri Bell, Maurice Betournay, Kami Norland, Dr. Olaf Kuhlke, the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Global Dignity Canada, and Art Borups Corners. Your support and collaboration have helped create the conditions for our program to enter its second year with strength and momentum.
About the Author
