Word travels fast in a small community like Hollow Water. I got a first hand taste of this while dropping off a wheelbarrow I had borrowed from my friend Wesley, just down the road from the Adam Hardisty Health Center garden. I found myself staring up at a couple of boys who had managed to climb on to the roof of Wesley's tool shed. I asked them if they had seen Wesley. When they responded that they hadn't seen him, I left them with a, “does Wesley know you're up there, play safe ” type of comment and turned around to get into my car. As I was opening the door one of the boys shouted out, “you heading to the garden?” I welled up with a sense of accomplishment as I responded, “yes I am, you should come visit” as I realized that even the random kid on a tool shed roof knows about the gardens.
When I caught up with Wesley later in the afternoon, we talked about using fish scraps from the local fishery to fertilize our gardens. Eventually our conversation migrated to northern gardening in general and he informed me of a recent discovery of his: people in York Landing, a small community 116 km northeast of Thompson, Manitoba are actually gardening more than the people in Hollow Water. They even grow strawberries! He continued with an emphatic tone, “if they're growing strawberries in York House, why isn't everybody growing food here?” As I repeated this line in my mind while finishing the days work at the Raven's Creek garden site, planting peas and beets, it came to encapsulate my feelings of purpose and opportunity on this project. One thing I know for sure is that the community is watching and people are curious, even eight-year-olds.

- Robin

Interested in volunteering? Check out the Wanipigow Garden & Trails Project volunteer page.