Regina North Central Community Garden expands to double food output

“Our motto is help yourself.”

And now thanks to 12 new garden boxes, more people than ever before will be able to help themselves to fresh vegetables at the North Central Community Garden in Regina.

“A lot of people will just kind of like walk their dog, pass here with an empty grocery bag and just fill up a grocery bag with whatever they want for supper and carry on their way,” Maegan Krajewski, the North Central Garden coordinator said.

“And that’s really the idea of it — it’s here for anyone at any time.”

Located behind the Mâmawêyatitân Centre, the garden first began in 2008 and is free to use for anyone.

Krajewski says the garden allows people to come together and learn about food, while also saving a lot of money.

“We share knowledge about food, how to plant it, how to grow it, how to preserve it, how to cook it and how to prepare it,” she said.

“It allows us to grow more of our own food, decide what we want to grow, decide how we want to use it, and share it with one another and kind of fight back against hunger and food insecurity.”

Everything from beets to lettuce, corn, carrots and more are available at the garden. and with new boxes on the way, the garden will add even more selection.

The expanded garden will double the amount of food produced, in a time when food security is at an all-time low.

Krajewski says more spaces should be turned into community gardens which would help feed a lot of people.

“It’s really awesome that people are slowly starting to rethink how we use our public spaces,” she said. “Gardens are better than grass.”

For community volunteers who helped put the new garden in, it was important to help those who need it.

Sean Louvel has never used the gardens before but volunteered to help build it and bring snacks for those involved.

“Especially now with inflation and different issues, it’s really important to help when you can,” Louvel said. “If everyone helped out a little more, everyone would need a little less.”

The City of Regina has 10 community gardens, with a new one on the way in Coronation Park.