Produce from the greenhouse will help stock a free food pantry in the communityPublished Jun 12, 2025 • 2 minute readThe new greenhouse is located behind the Portaupique Community Centre. Photo by Aidan Rawding /Truro NewsPORTAPIQUE – A new greenhouse was installed at the Portaupique Community Centre to improve food security for residents.The greenhouse, along with four new raised garden beds, can be found behind the community centre. It was installed on May 24.The project is a collaboration between the Portapique Market, the Portaupique Community Centre, and Humble Harvest, a food security initiative associated with The Word Hub, a not-for-profit in Kenora, Ontario.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle content Raena Ducharme is the founder and executive director of The Word Hub. Humble Harvest is a branch of the non-profit and has free food pantries located around Nova Scotia. Photo by Contributed /Truro NewsThey have installed a handful of free food pantries across Nova Scotia. One is located at the Portaupique Community Centre.Getting funding to source food out to pantries is challenging, said Raena Ducharme, founder and executive director of The Word Hub. The idea for a greenhouse was born out of a need to keep pantries stocked. Produce grown in the greenhouse will go toward the Humble Harvest pantry, which is also on site of the Portaupique Community Centre. Photo by Aidan Rawding /Truro News“Humble Harvest took on a new mandate in regards to supporting communities to become more self-sufficient,” explained Ducharme, “and one of our goals is to support our areas that have pantries with greenhouses.”Produce grown in the greenhouse will be stocked directly in the pantry and also be sold at the Portapique Market to buy non-perishable food items for the pantry.“It was a big web of people that made it happen,” continued Ducharme. “I’m excited for that community to have a greenhouse.”IMPROVING ACCESS TO FOODThe new greenhouse on the community centre property is an additional measure to improve resident access to food.Article contentAshley Swan, executive director of the Portapique Market, shares that the market was created three years ago as a food security initiative.“We started because there was a documentary about the fact that this area was a food desert,” she said. Ashley Swan is the director of the Portapique Market, a food security initiative that started about three years ago. Photo by Aidan Rawding /Truro NewsThey introduced the Humble Harvest pantry afterward to give residents more food options beyond produce, said Swan, like pantry staples.Once the greenhouse project is more established, Swan said adding a food literacy component might be in the cards. This could include teaching residents how to grow their own food, for example.“We’re hoping that it brings community together,” said Swan about the greenhouse. “And they grow together, and eat together, and it’s sustainable (in the) long-term.”Article content
New greenhouse in Portapique installed to improve food security
