Jessy's Garden
Jessy Plaskitt–Atkins was according to her mother a sassy little girl with a heart of gold. She had the utmost compassion for those less fortunate than herself and often gave more than
she could afford
to the homeless,
organizing blankets and
food drives for
many on the
streets of Toronto.
In July 2008 at the tender age of 21 Jessy committed suicide. After the loss of their daughter Bonnie and Mel Sanderson started a memorial vegetable garden in her honor. This organic garden is situated 21 km just east of PA on highway 302.
Here at Jessy's garden people of all ages have the opportunity to pick organic vegetables for $10 a bag — if they can afford it.
In a personal interview with Bonnie Sanderson (2012), she elaborated: “If we get a family that’s really low income, we supply their food. We won’t charge them for the food that they take.” Bonnie says she understands what it’s like to be in a low-income situation because “circumstances change people.” “A lot of people look down on people that are of a lower income — I’ve been there and it’s … you lose your job and you lose everything after that,” she said. “That’s why I feel this is so important because there’s so many people out there.” As of this year, Bonnie estimates the garden serves about 500 families, individuals and agencies. “We just sell the vegetables to help us with the fuel (and) our seeds because next year we have to get bigger,” she said. “The need is so great here in Prince Albert and area because we have people coming from Whitefish, Melfort, Nipawin, we’ve had people from Candle Lake, Christopher Lake — all around.”
The agencies that often come to Jessy’s Garden for vegetables include the Children’s Haven, Salvation Army and Co-operative Health. Bonnie admits that she and Mel struggle — as the profits from the vegetables are put directly back into the garden. It was difficult for the couple since their house lost a basement wall last fall due to flooding and they were required to relocate to a trailer on their property. Yet, the Sanderson's believe that they were meant to have this garden to help others and that Jessy's spirit lives with the garden. This year Jessy's garden had five acres full of a variety of vegetables with over 7,000 lbs. of carrots being produced alone. In early October our 24 grade 5 students from the garden learning program together with the grade 1 students from King George Community Public School in Prince Albert, went out to the garden as volunteers to help harvest the enormous crop and they all went home with a bag full of vegetables. In their reflective writing journals students were asked to reflect on this story; their experience in the garden and how the work being done by the Sanderson's has changed/impacted them.
The experience had an huge impact on the students, some of whom had never been to a real garden before, because to them "vegetables came from the store".
Many students expressed their joy in visiting the garden and were thrilled to be able to take a bag full of vegetables home.
Many made thank- you cards in gratitude and expressed their desire to go back to the garden in spring next year to help out when planting commences.
This life history has enriched the lives of everyone it has touched. The connections to learning and the community have nurtured themselves through growth, life, kindness and humanity.
If you would like to visit Jessy's garden
please contact :
Bonnie & Mel Sanderson at 306 922-3101 or
306 864-3103
for the garden's opening season and times.
In July 2008 at the tender age of 21 Jessy committed suicide. After the loss of their daughter Bonnie and Mel Sanderson started a memorial vegetable garden in her honor. This organic garden is situated 21 km just east of PA on highway 302.
Here at Jessy's garden people of all ages have the opportunity to pick organic vegetables for $10 a bag — if they can afford it.
In a personal interview with Bonnie Sanderson (2012), she elaborated: “If we get a family that’s really low income, we supply their food. We won’t charge them for the food that they take.” Bonnie says she understands what it’s like to be in a low-income situation because “circumstances change people.” “A lot of people look down on people that are of a lower income — I’ve been there and it’s … you lose your job and you lose everything after that,” she said. “That’s why I feel this is so important because there’s so many people out there.” As of this year, Bonnie estimates the garden serves about 500 families, individuals and agencies. “We just sell the vegetables to help us with the fuel (and) our seeds because next year we have to get bigger,” she said. “The need is so great here in Prince Albert and area because we have people coming from Whitefish, Melfort, Nipawin, we’ve had people from Candle Lake, Christopher Lake — all around.”
The agencies that often come to Jessy’s Garden for vegetables include the Children’s Haven, Salvation Army and Co-operative Health. Bonnie admits that she and Mel struggle — as the profits from the vegetables are put directly back into the garden. It was difficult for the couple since their house lost a basement wall last fall due to flooding and they were required to relocate to a trailer on their property. Yet, the Sanderson's believe that they were meant to have this garden to help others and that Jessy's spirit lives with the garden. This year Jessy's garden had five acres full of a variety of vegetables with over 7,000 lbs. of carrots being produced alone. In early October our 24 grade 5 students from the garden learning program together with the grade 1 students from King George Community Public School in Prince Albert, went out to the garden as volunteers to help harvest the enormous crop and they all went home with a bag full of vegetables. In their reflective writing journals students were asked to reflect on this story; their experience in the garden and how the work being done by the Sanderson's has changed/impacted them.
The experience had an huge impact on the students, some of whom had never been to a real garden before, because to them "vegetables came from the store".
Many students expressed their joy in visiting the garden and were thrilled to be able to take a bag full of vegetables home.
Many made thank- you cards in gratitude and expressed their desire to go back to the garden in spring next year to help out when planting commences.
This life history has enriched the lives of everyone it has touched. The connections to learning and the community have nurtured themselves through growth, life, kindness and humanity.
If you would like to visit Jessy's garden
please contact :
Bonnie & Mel Sanderson at 306 922-3101 or
306 864-3103
for the garden's opening season and times.