ONION LAKE CREE NATION, Sask. – A Saskatchewan First Nation is cultivating its own solution to the growing problem of food insecurity. Onion Lake Cree Nation grew more than 1,000 pounds of vegetables in a small, no-till garden plot that the community decided to trial this year. The vegetables, which include cauliflower, tomatoes, zucchini, potatoes, cabbage and carrots, will be donated to the community’s group homes, Elders, food banks and schools. “It’s a true blessing,” said Amanda Lameman, a policy analyst at the Onion Lake Health Centre. For years, she and many others have been working to help bring the community garden to fruition. “My late father was big into food sovereignty, and I do this work because of him,” she said. A cross-country study of First Nations communities from between 2008 and 2018 found that nearly half of on-reserve households experience food insecurity. Indigenous communities are also more likely to exhibit a high prevalence of nutrition-related chronic disease, including Type 2 diabetes. The condition used to be common in adults, according to registered dietitian Ashley DeBusschere. But recently, Onion Lake Cree Nation has seen a rise in Type 2 diabetes among children, she said. Poor access to healthy foods is a contributing factor. “By increasing the amounts of fresh produce and healthy foods on reserve, we are really hoping that that gets more foods into kids’ mouths,” DeBusschere said. Alicia Oliver, a driving force behind the no-till garden project, has been teaching people how to eat healthy for more than two decades. “I have seen people struggle to get healthy vegetables on their plates,” the community dietitian said. “Sometimes it can be an issue of transportation and the cost of fresh produce.” Onion Lake sits on the Saskatchewan-Alberta border, about 330 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon. Fresh produce is often limited and expensive at the local store, and most people have to drive 30 minutes just to get groceries. Oliver said people in the community are “struggling to make ends meet,” which results in food insecurity for many. “It makes people feel like they are failing,” she said. “Sometimes, people feel a sense of not being able to support their family. I want people to feel like having access to food gives them that. It empowers people.” Low-maintenance gardening Oliver first learned of no-till gardens through an online course she took with the University of Saskatchewan. The low-maintenance method of gardening avoids digging up the ground. Instead, layers of compost and straw are piled onto mounds of soil, which helps retain moisture and prevent weeds from surfacing. “We didn’t water even once,” Oliver said. “It was extremely minimal work.” No-till gardens provide better soil structure and protect the microorganisms in the ground. They do not require fertilizer or pesticides. Oliver admitted it took quite a bit of upfront work to set up the plot of land, but the payoff in yields has been worth it. “We have grown over 1,000 pounds of produce,” she said. “We have not (harvested) any of the root vegetables, yet. We still have carrots, beets and potatoes.” The no-till garden is part of a larger garden project in the community. This year, the First Nation planted hundreds of potatoes and fruit bushes in regular gardens next to the no-till plot. The project reminds Elder Yvonne Carter of her own garden she used to grow. Carter, 81, would grow corn, raspberries and sunflowers taller than her. “I just love gardening (and) growing something with my hands,” she said. She’s helping with the community garden as much as she can – chopping fresh vegetables for soup to feed residents and learning how to make preserves. “It’s good to see these gardeners doing everything,” she said. “Nobody goes hungry.” The group hopes to see the no-till concept grow throughout the community and expand into schools. “If each school had a patch this size, they could greatly reduce their food bills and ensure that there is healthier foods being served to the kids,” DeBusschere said. The First Nation will finish harvesting the vegetables this week before distributing the rest of the bounty.
