With closest grocery store 55 km away, this community is embracing food sustainability
There are rows of bright yellow plastic tubs — recycled fish buoys — in a backyard on Newfoundland's south coast.
Each tub bears the name of a person in the small community of Pool's Cove, a place turning inward to produce healthy food.
"On fine days, this is the gathering spot we call it," said Josephine Marshall.
"You wouldn't come here and not find somebody when it's fine."
Roughly 188 people live in the tiny outport that's positioned 55 kilometres away from the nearest grocery store. There is a single convenience store.
Pool's Cove highlights a problem that's plaguing many Newfoundland and Labrador communities, where healthy food is scarce and availability is jeopardized when bad weather prevents ferries from running and transport trucks from making it over long stretches of road.
"If a storm happened to come up, we find the ferry is not crossing the gulf, so we don't get fresh fruit or vegetables," said Marshall.
Marshall recognized it was a problem.
A survey of the community found 68 per cent of the population of Pool's Cove have high blood pressure. And an astonishing 98 per cent of people said they want access to healthier food.
The community applied for a grant with Central Health and Food First NL, a provincial, non-profit organization which aims to provide healthy, sustainable food for residents of the province. They were accepted, and this year, are preparing for their second season.
In total, 72 people in the community took part in planting the garden last year, and Marshall said Food First inspired others to have spin-off gardens. If residents don't have fresh vegetables for their Sunday dinner, the community garden provides.
"Those are going to be our potato bins," Marshall said, pointing to rows of steel guard rails propping up soil, "As you can see, my husband, he recycles everything!"
The veggie bins are actually old fish buoys from Northern Harvest farm in nearby St. Alban's, which were rescued from the dump.
Wild foods, like berries, fish and game, are easier to come by, but not everyone in the aging town has the ability to hunt, fish or gather. That's where the community freezer comes in.
Chickens and quail are the newest additions to the local food plan.
"The community has an older population right now, and it seems that we are going back to the way it used to be when we were kids," Marshall said.
"We're enjoying it immensely."
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