Inuvik’s East Three Secondary School begins its indoor gardening journey
It may be midday but the sun hasn’t risen. It’s winter in Inuvik, a remote community in Canada’s Northwest Territories, about 200 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle. The northern town experiences 30 days of polar night each year, which means the community is mostly shrouded in darkness until the sun starts to rise again in January. With highs averaging -22C (-9F) in winter, you won’t see anything growing outside until June.
But inside Inuvik’s East Three Secondary School, vibrant lettuces and fragrant herbs are growing fresh every day under the bright, warm glow of their new Terrace Pro indoor hydroponic garden system. The Canadian-made system is part of an initiative led by Mike Bodnar, one of the school’s vice principals, who has been keen to introduce year-round gardening to the students, staff and local community. “The idea of fresh produce growing right under our noses in the middle of winter is awesome.”
Home to just over 3,000 people, about 65% Indigenous, Inuvik is one of the most northern and remote communities in all of Canada. Food security is a major concern, as routes into town are closed for 6 weeks in the fall and 6 weeks in the spring. Everything needs to be flown in during those periods. “The price is double, maybe more, for fresh produce compared to down south. And the quality can be kind of sad at times,” says Mike.
Mike has been running the Terrace Pro for three months, growing curated varieties of lettuce, basil, parsley, dill and microgreens from the popular Fresh Harvest Seed Bundle. “There’s been lots of curiosity and positivity around the garden. It has a nice glow in the daytime, which has been a nice addition especially in the dark months. The students think it’s awesome and I’m encouraging them to take the produce home.”
Though the garden only requires a weekly check, Mike likes to visit it regularly each day, answering questions from the students as they walk by and checking in on the growth of the plants. “There’s a new story every day. One of the plants is growing more. Oh, there’s a nice basil leaf right there. You don’t need much work – and it’s fun work. It’s so easy to grow.”
Mike can grow a full and luscious head of lettuce in the Terrace Pro that is fresher, more nutritious and much more affordable than what can be found in the local stores, at any time of year. None of the food grown goes to waste, as the plants stay fresh out of the system for several weeks and can be harvested right before eating – a true farm-to-table experience.
Much of the produce grown so far has been used in the different food classes that the school offers. “Teachers have been using the produce as toppings and ingredients to complement what they’re making. The other day they made moose burgers and added the lettuce,” explains Mike.
Mike is looking forward to working with the food teachers on incorporating the indoor garden system into the curriculum and basing lessons around growing the plants and developing recipes around what they grow. “Kids everywhere often don’t understand where our food comes from. So seeing it grow, harvesting it and eating it – that’s powerful.”
There’s also an opportunity for the science teachers to incorporate the garden into their lesson plans and create an engaging interactive learning experience for students, as a Vancouver high school teacher has done. Topics like earth science, plant biology, agriculture and environmental sustainability could all benefit from starting plants right in the classroom and following along as they grow.
In addition to growing plants to full maturity, the Terrace Pro can also be used as a seed starting system. Inuvik is home to a large community greenhouse that provides fresh veggies and flowers to the local community during the sunny – but short – summer season. With the ability to grow up to 864 seedlings in their 3-Tier system, Mike looks forward to getting a head start in the greenhouse and maximizing what they can grow over the summer.
The school is exploring additional opportunities to expand the indoor garden, potentially adding more units to have in different classrooms, or building a larger community garden inside the school to increase food production. The Terrace Pro system can be used as a fundraising tool, by selling the plants grown to the local community and using the proceeds to purchase seeds and grow media, or to fund other programs and activities. There are also grant opportunities throughout the year for schools, Indigenous groups and other community organizations to help with funding of the Terrace Pro indoor garden system.
Contact hello@lesverts.com to find out how the Terrace Pro system can benefit your home, school, community or business, and to learn more about funding and grant opportunities.
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