On connection with plants and land 

I’ve always had a strong connection to the land. My mother told me when I was a little kid, I’d go blueberry picking, and they’d have to drag me off the land. I didn’t want to go. For my entire adult life, to de-stress, I go to places like Lake Winnipeg to put my feet in the water and walk on sand or in the bushes. That’s just something that’s a complete part of me. Then, learning about gardening and this rich history of all the contributions of my ancestors connects me to my roots. When I burn my smudge, whether sage or tobacco, I’ve grown in my garden. It connects me to my culture and all those rich traditions.

On gardening tools and techniques

There is a wide misconception that settlers coming to Canada were the first farmers, but that is untrue. I plant corn, beans and squash in the ‘mound system.’ Indigenous gardeners have been gardening this way for thousands of years. The corn takes the nitrogen out of the planting, and the beans return it. Because it has prickly leaves, the squash spreads around and protects the mound from critters. It makes it harder for squirrels to get at your corn—a battle I endure every year. In season one, we travelled to Mexico, into the Jungles of the Ukatan, to meet Mayan farmers who plant in this mound system. After going into the jungle, it really hit me how Indigenous people were the original growers. Corn, beans, squash, chocolate, vanilla, popcorn—all these things wouldn’t exist without the contributions of Indigenous farmers. 

On tracing Indigenous roots 

In 2016, I went on an archaeological dig to Lockport, Manitoba, where we uncovered evidence of First Nations farming. We went down and discovered tools from the 1400s. We filmed the whole dig and interviewed archaeologist Dr. Lee Sims from the University of Manitoba. He showed us many tools and pottery where they would store tools, with thunderbird designs etched into the clay. You can’t even describe the feeling of discovering something like that—something akin to what it’s like to be Indiana Jones. It is rewarding to share this with our audience and have them understand this significant part of history. 

On the benefits of growing your food

Especially for Indigenous communities, food security is a huge issue. About 33 per cent of Indigenous families either need more money for groceries, sometimes run out of food, or need access to healthy and fresh food in their communities. Up North, in remote communities, a fresh vegetable would be six or seven times the cost of something you would pick up at Safeway. Encouraging people to look into what they could forage for or grow is important, especially with grocery prices going through the roof. Not only are you eating nutritious food and have the satisfaction of growing it yourself, but you’ll also save money overall. 

On favourite discovery from this season

This season, we went to Manigotagan in Northern Manitoba to gather sacred medicine from the black diamond willow tree. It’s a fungus that you can use as a smudge, and it’s also helpful for things like asthma, anxiety and depression. The person who came with us climbed high into the tree with a machete and gently sliced it off. It’s pretty long and big and looks like a white mushroom that grows just on the bark up high in the tree. It’s very rare, and elders say that the tree will only present itself to you if you use it well. So, when we came across it, I was just in awe of this tree, this plant, and this medicine. I later learned that people would also sew it onto their clothing when going into war or battle because of its protective powers. 

On big takeaways and giant tomatoes 

I have kind of become, I wouldn’t say, an expert, but I now know a lot about growing tomatoes. I grow various gigantic tomatoes from seeds from Sicily, Italy, that a friend of mine, who’s an Italian chef, gifted me many years ago. One slice of these tomatoes covers an entire piece of bread. That’s how big they are. People from all over the world, from past seasons, have written us and asked for these seeds. So, we spend some of our time mailing them to places as far as Germany. I harvested 400 pounds of tomatoes this past season, which lasted through the entire winter. I never thought I could grow that much food in a tiny space. There’s always something to do, even in the cold winter days.

On what audiences can takeaway 

The bottom line is that we want people to learn that it’s easy to garden and that everyone can do it. Most of all, don’t overthink it. Buy some seeds, put them in the ground and see what happens. As a first-time gardener, you can become overwhelmed. So, as I often say on the show: ‘If you’re not sure about something, connect with other gardeners and ask your neighbour.’ It also offers so many personal benefits. For instance, I feel the nutrition as I eat, and knowing it is from my own yard is such a satisfying feeling. I have had eczema all my life, and I’ve been able to treat it with some medicinal properties from plants. It’s improved my life overall