by Carl BR Johnson
May 27, 2013
Photo by Carl BR Johnson — Rebecca Frederick hopes that the community gardens will attract more people this year than ever before.
Growing vegetables it not just an activity for farmers or people who live on large tracks of land. Even apartment dwellers can grow a multitude of foodstuffs for themselves, said Rebecca Frederick, the president of the Dawson Creek Community Gardens Society.
“Growing vegetables in our gardens will allow anyone to have more control over what they’re eating,” said Frederick.
Frederick said that when she started growing her own food many years ago, the taste was undeniably better compared to buying vegetables at the supermarket.
“I haven’t bought vegetables from the store in about five years ’cause I grow all of what I need on my own,” she proudly explains.
“Once you start eating vegetables right off the plant, everything else, like vegetables in the stores, all taste like cardboard.”
Frederick has been the society president for three years now and her qualifications stem from a passion of gardening that she has her mother to thank for.
“I was nominated because I have business skills,” explains Frederick.
“I just love the gardens. It’s a good way to meet people and now my daughter is into it too because she has been asking me constantly, ‘when are we doing the garden mom?'”
The Paul Dampier Community Gardens, located on the west end of the campus of Dawson Creek’s Northern Lights College, were established in 2000 by NLC instructor Lise Ecclestone.
The so-called “Trail Side” community gardens were established in 2010 as a second garden site.
Previously, it was known as the “Compost Demonstration Centre” and was located on the Dawson Creek walking path just off the corner of 14th Street and 107th Avenue.
Frederick said that every year the gardens attract about 30 to 40 gardeners, which include many senior citizens.
At the Trail Side garden, Frederick is keen to point out that there are concrete pads laid out and many raised garden beds for the physically impaired horticulturalists.
The gardens are set in an acre and a half of land donated by Northern Lights College.
To Frederick’s absolute delight, when she arrived at the gardens Friday evening, she discovered that the main ground level plots have been rotor-tilled.
“Wow! They took care of it (the rotor-tilled soil) already!” she exclaimed.
Things are not all rosy for the gardens though, because vandalism has been a recurring problem for the society, at both garden sites, for several years.
“Vandals have destroyed so much of our work,” said Frederick.
“Solar panels, light sensors, trees and part of our buildings have all been targets for senseless destruction. We even had a donated bench made of stone that was smashed to smithereens too – why would anyone destroy something like that?”
Despite the hardships, Frederick’s energy and enthusiasm for the gardens is unwavering and unfettered.
She added, “Right now is our get ready time and we’re hoping more people from the surrounding areas come out to participate.” A 2011 study within the scientific journal “Reproductive Toxicology” showed that a BT toxin in GM food could travel from pregnant women to their fetuses.
“Given the potential toxicity of these environmental pollutants and the fragility of the fetus, more studies are needed,” the report stated in its conclusion.
One of the goals of the March for Monsanto was also to call for labeling of genetically modified food, so that consumers could make more informed choices.
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