Neqotkuk Community Learning Garden

A love for gardening is growing in Tobique!

The Neqotkuk Community Learning Garden in Tobique was created to provide an answer to rising food prices and offer an alternative for individuals looking to pursue a healthier lifestyle. The garden provides an opportunity for community members to learn how to grow their own food, breathe clean air, gather together, exercise and eat fresh fruits and vegetables! The Garden is funded by ADI (Aboriginal Diabetes Initiative), with the goal of providing community members an opportunity to learn about growing and preserving food, and supporting them in the process. Chief and council allotted the land used in the garden, and community members built the boxes used there as part of a carpentry program. Although there are many volunteers who come and go, a core group of individuals have been intensely dedicated to the garden’s success.

The garden receives attention from local students during the school year, while Neqotkuk Health Centre steps in to help tend to it during the summer. All of the produce yielded by the garden is shared with community members. To accompany the harvest, the community centre offers courses on preserving food, including pickling and making jams. The garden has been a huge success, and the hope is that community members will build on the skills they’re learning and start up gardens of their own. With such dedication to this blossoming venture, the Neqotkuk Community Learning Garden is set to continue to be a growing success!