THUNDER BAY -- Roots to Harvest has partnered with Nishnawbe Aski Nation in the construction of a new greenhouse on Lillie Street.
It's adjacent to the vegetable garden that Roots to Harvest put in earlier this year on the grounds of the Lakehead District Public School Board's Victoria Park adult education centre.
Roots to Harvest Executive-director Erin Beagle says NAN wanted a prototype greenhouse for remote First Nations to help those communities develop food security.
She said funding was provided by the Heart and Stroke Foundation and the Ontario Trillium Foundation, and Roots for Harvest became involved since it already works with community agencies and youth that will be accessing the greenhouse.
Beagle said two Thunder Bay residents operating as ASM Innovations designed the greenhouse and "are really excited about piloting it here so that it can be rolled out in other communities."
Roots to Harvest will use the greenhouse under its existing programming but will also reach out to other partners.
"Dennis Franklin Cromarty school is already a partner that we do programming with, so students from that school will be involved in learning how the build goes, and the running of it, learning how to grow food in northern climates and colder climates so they can take that to their home communities."
Beagle said she hopes this will eventually help these communities become more in charge of more of their own food supply.
She expects the main part of the construction will be finished by October, and "a little bit of growing" could begin at that point, but the greenhouse will start full operation next spring.
"It's designed to be a year-round greenhouse. It's using a lot of different sustainable energy elements, passive solar and geothermal, which is really exciting to just be able to try in an effort to grow more food throughout the growing season," Beagle said.
The projected was highlighted at NAN's recent food symposium in Thunder Bay.
