Hay River Community Greenhouse

The Hay River Community Garden Society (HRCGS) is a registered non-profit society located in the industrial area of Hay River, NT. We have been incorporated as an organization since 2012. Our objectives as a society are to provide a place to garden for individuals who wold like to provide their own vegetables and herbs and help to provide education and hands-on experience in the creation and maintenance of an organic garden. We promote agriculture and food production within the community. On average, we have around 30 members who come from varying levels of gardening experience. Membership is predominantly female with young families, many new to Canada or new to the Territory. 

Recently our Community Garden has undergone new improvements and developments- this has renewed significant interest in the garden by the public and there has been an increasing demand for garden plots from community members. We currently have 30 outdoor 4ft x 12ft plots, 20 greenhouse 3ft x 9ft plots and a collective chicken coop with 14 happy hens.

Our proposed project, Community Greenhouse 2.0, focuses on purchasing and assembling a new 24ft x 60ft greenhouse within our fenced garden boundary. This greenhouse is equipped with the necessary components for effective ventilation (ex. blower inflation unit, blower fans, manual side wall roll ups), enhancing overall greenhouse efficiency. Members will be able to grow within a greenhouse temperature regulated environment- vegetables that thrive in warm temperatures include tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, sweet potatoes and more. The greenhouse also acts as a season extender for growing- members are able to plant earlier (end of April/ early May) and harvest later (end of September/early October). Having an additional greenhouse will increase the number of greenhouse plots available thus increasing our membership numbers. 

Currently we have 36 members at the Community Garden and 28 members to the Collective Coop. There are 30 outdoor plots, 20 greenhouse plots and 28 spots for the collective chicken coop. Having a functioning, safe and stable greenhouse will allow our members to continue growing using the greenhouse environment. Greenhouses extend growing seasons, increase crop yields, and protect from pests and extreme weather. Adding an additional greenhouse also increases the plot availability to the public, thereby increasing our membership numbers. 

Receiving this grant would not only benefit our members, but the direct impact will also be felt to their families from the food being grown and to our community partnership with the Hay River Soup Kitchen. Members to the community garden commit to donating a portion of their garden yields to the Hay River Soup Kitchen.