Photo supplied.
Located on the northern coast of Labrador, Nain residents can look forward to some help from the local garden club in the form of tools, soil amendments , and seed potatoes.
Several members of the Millbrook & Area Garden Club met recently with Andy Harjula to discuss Andy’s suggestion for helping the residents of Nain, Nunatsiavut.
Nain is the northern most coastal village on the Labrador coast. Nain is located in the self-governing territory of Nunatsiavut. The weather is harsh and the growing season is short, if you blink you will miss it. However, the Moravian Missionaries did produce vast amounts of vegetables in the 1770s from seeds and soil brought from Germany.
Nain is only accessed by aircraft in the winter and once a week by ferry in the summer (if the ferry has not broken down). Food prices are exorbitant compared to Millbrook’s food prices.
The proposal from Andy is to raise sufficient funds locally to provide the gardeners in Nain with sufficient resources to begin gardening in Nain. Specifically, to supply some basic soil amendments (there is lots of sand and seaweed available locally) and a few garden tools such as hoops and covers for the raised vegetable beds; grow lights to begin seedlings indoors and of course some seed potatoes.
Anyone wanting to learn more and wanting to help are encouraged to contact Andy Harjula at andyharjula@gmail.com or Glen Spurrell, 705-932-1231 or nate@nexicom.net. The public are cordially invited to attend the next garden club meeting on March 4th, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. in St. Thomas Anglican Church Hall, Millbrook, to hear more about the suggestion to help our northern neighbours.
By Glen Spurrell
