Volunteer gardeners work hard to feed residents of Lac du Bonnet, where a thriving community garden produced about 6,000 kilograms (about 13,000 pounds) of produce this year.

Nearly 1,000 kilograms of this food was grown especially for the local community food bank in southeastern Manitoba, where the season’s final harvest was recently distributed: a trailer full of pumpkins.

“Fresh produce is very nutritious,” said Kim Laurans, president of the Lac du Bonnet and Area Food Bank.

“It’s difficult to find in stores, it’s very expensive,” he added. “This way we can distribute very healthy products to our customers free of charge.”

Most of these products were grown in the Lac du Bonnet community garden. The plot of land along Highway 502 was donated by local farmers, while water is delivered there with the help of the Town of Lac du Bonnet and the surrounding rural municipality.

“If we were looking at food security across Manitoba, we would want to look at this model,” said Leslie Wakeman, a founding member of the Lac du Bonnet Community Gardens committee.

The garden started four years ago with just 13 plots and has since grown to 52.

“If we can get to 70 — which we could very well get to next year — we would probably inject almost 18,000 pounds (more than 8,000 kilograms) of fresh produce into our community,” Wakeman said.

“It helps offset grocery bills or creates equity in terms of access to healthy food for people in our community,” which is about 90 kilometers northeast of Winnipeg and has a just under 5,000 inhabitants, between the city and the rural municipality.

Wakeman said everyone is welcome to take up some land and try their hand at gardening, barrier-free. There are raised beds for those with limited mobility and a greenhouse with tools that everyone can use.

From the field to the food bank

Two plots are maintained by the Manitoba Métis Federation, which Wakeman said employed two students over the summer and provided fresh food to at least 14 local families.

Three other plots are dedicated to the food bank. Volunteers — mostly seniors — came six days a week to plant, weed and harvest, said Lillian Wall, the food bank’s garden coordinator.

“We don’t use any pesticides or herbicides, so the produce is very fresh,” she said. “It literally comes from the field to the food bank twice a week.”

The food bank has additional land behind its building, in the center of the town of Lac du Bonnet. Fresh produce is packed into the baskets twice a week, with excess stored in the freezers.

Wall said they don’t just offer the basics.

“We planted asparagus, mushrooms,” she explained. “Brussels sprouts were another new thing we tried this year.”

The food bank’s herb garden has done particularly well this season, providing a welcome addition to baskets, Wall said.

“That means you can put rosemary or thyme on your roast potatoes,” she says, smiling. “It’s a little extra touch that makes (customers) feel good and tastes good.”

The variety makes a big difference to Craig Goodchild, who said he comes twice a month and uses the vegetables to make large batches of soup.

He is on disability and lives on $400 a month, after paying his bills, he said.

“Potatoes, carrots, cherry tomatoes” are among his favorite ingredients, he says with a smile. “They give you what you need and it helps.”

Serving a wide area

The Lac du Bonnet Food Bank serves a wide area, with clients from communities up to 50 kilometers away, including Whitemouth and Sagkeeng First Nation.

“Our needs are very great,” Laurans said, adding that the volunteer-led group hopes to open a new branch in Powerview-Pine Falls.

The food bank president said volunteer gardeners are a big help as hunger rates continue to rise across the region.

“We also get a lot of private product donations in the fall,” he said. “(Our customers) love it. Fresh tomatoes, cucumbers – there’s nothing better than that kind of food.”

Back at the garden, Wakeman said members share knowledge about things like seed saving, batch cooking and canning, all of which can increase local food security.

She hopes more residents will get involved next season, to bring even more food to the kitchens of Lac du Bonnet – and beyond.

“Produce coming out of a garden and into the community means kids are going to school with food in their lunch,” Wakeman said.

The success of Lac du Bonnet should be food for thought for local governments around the world, she said.

“A healthy community will be a rich community, in many ways.”

Lac du Bonnet volunteers cultivate food security through a community garden

A community garden in Lac du Bonnet produced approximately 6,000 kilograms of fresh fruits and vegetables this year, with nearly 1,000 kilograms going directly to the Southeast Manitoba Community Food Bank.