GLACE BAY, N.S. — Community support did it again for the Glace Bay Food Bank.
Their greenhouse, which was destroyed during hurricane Dorian last September, has been repaired thanks to a donation from Home Depot in Sydney and volunteers who did the work.
“We’re just ecstatic. A place to finally put the plants,” said food bank co-ordinator Michelle Kalbhenn.
“Poor Kim (McPherson, garden co-ordinator) was getting overrun with seedlings at her house.”
Since starting their community garden six years ago, the Glace Bay Food Bank has grown hundreds of pounds of food which is used in their kitchen and in client food orders. They also have started a grow-at-home program, teaching people gardening skills and providing some transplants to get them started.
“On average we grow about 750 pounds of food. Our best year was 950 pounds, but on average it’s 750,” Kalbhenn said.
“Usually we give away 200-300 seedlings to clients, for their gardens. This year we’re aiming to give away 600-800, to promote more growing at home.”
The greenhouse was the latest addition to the garden, only up for three months before the storm brought it down in September 2019.
John White, who is on the food bank board of directors, said he knew it was an important part of the gardening project that needed to be replaced.
Originally, the Future Ready Youth Society group — founded by White— was going to construct the replacement greenhouse but due to public health restrictions to stop the spread of COVID-19, they couldn’t.
White decided to design the greenhouse himself, doing pre-fabrication work in his garage. Longtime Future Ready member Steven Toms offered to help White rebuild the greenhouse in the food bank's backyard and they worked on it over the past two weeks.
“I hope they have years of producing fresh vegetables in their new greenhouse,” White said,
