Food for thought

“Food for thought” is an expression that means “something to think about.”

Where does food come from?

People around the world get their food in many different ways. Today, it is very common for people to get their food from a grocery store. Some people get their groceries delivered directly to their front door. In the past a lot of people grew their own fresh food and some still do today. Canadian farmers grow and cultivate large amounts of fresh produce. But, in Canada, fruit and vegetables cannot be grown all year. This is because Canada has a shorter growing season. Growing season is the time of the year when plants can grow. This is why countries like Canada, that have colder weather often have to buy fruit and vegetables from countries with warmer weather, where fruit and vegetables can grow all year.

In nature, animals get their food and energy from eating plants, or from eating other animals. Food is very important because all living beings, including animals and plants, need energy to survive.

Did you know?

Explore the following carousel to learn some fun facts about where food comes from in Canada.

Check your understanding

Cold weather growing season

Agriculture in parts of Canada has a limited growing season due to the climate and landscape, especially in the northern parts of the country. In remote areas like Nunavut, the growing season is extremely short due to the colder weather and fewer hours of sunshine. The restricted growing season limits some Inuit people from growing vegetable gardens and fruit trees in their backyards.

The Inuit are people who are originally from the Arctic and northern regions of Canada, Alaska, Russia, and Greenland. In Canada, the Inuit homeland, Inuit Nunangat, includes Nunavut, Inuvialuit (the Northwest Territories and the Yukon), Nunavik (Northern Quebec), and Nunatsiavut (Newfoundland and Labrador).

Creative innovations

An Arctic greenhouse

Thanks to creative innovation and some students from Toronto Metropolitan University (previously called Ryerson University), in 2016, one of the first greenhouses was built on the Arctic Circle that allows people to grow their own fresh fruits and vegetables.

Explore the following video from CBC News to see one of the first greenhouses that were built in the Arctic Circle.

Thinking about the design of the greenhouse

In the video, you saw a student named Ben Cannings talk about the greenhouse in the Arctic Circle works. He explained that when the sun sets, heat is radiated from the water, which protects the plants from freezing. Ben Cannings also explained in the video that the greenhouse allows for 7 months of growing season. The greenhouse will benefit the residents in Naujaat, Nunavut because they will be able to grow fresh fruit and vegetables for at least 7 months of the year!

How does it work?

The Arctic greenhouse is a great example of scientific design that has a positive impact on the community.

So, how does it work? Inside the Artic greenhouse, as you saw in the video, there is a large, black tub of water that keeps the inside of the structure above freezing temperature. This is very important, because plants cannot grow in Arctic conditions. The water is warmed up naturally with the help of a reflector that directs the heat from the sun into the large, black tub of water. Imagine the reflector looks like a mirror that you can manipulate to follow the sun as it moves across the sky throughout the day.

The Inuvik Community Greenhouse

Located in the Northwest Territories, the Inuvik Community Greenhouse was built where an ice hockey rink used to be!

Impacts on the Inuit

Over the last hundred years, many changes have impacted the way the Inuit traditionally gather and consume food. Traditionally, the Inuit hunted for their food and travelled based on the hunting seasons and growing seasons. However, the impacts of the European way of life had a negative impact on Inuit diet and food access. As different groups came to live in Northern and Arctic communities, they increased pressures on the environment, and also wanted to change Inuit way of life to reflect more European values and ways of living.

Eventually, as flight and shipping transport became available, so did the regular introduction of southern foods, many of which are processed and unnatural within the traditional Inuit diet. Because these foods are also shipped and flown in from the south, they were and remain very expensive to purchase. Today, the Inuit are working to restore their food and food systems and integrate a healthy diet for their people. However, climate change and the melting of the ice in the Arctic and northern regions have severely impacted Inuit way of life and increased shipping costs. Though much of the food grown in the Green Iglu is not traditional to the Inuit, it is less expensive and more nutritional than many of the southern foods that are shipped in.

Create your own greenhouse

Scientists and students have taken some necessary steps to create solutions to the very complex problems that Inuit communities face. Through innovation of greenhouses, the Inuit of Nunavut have more accessibility to fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the year. The goal of the Green Iglu, and The Inuvik Community Greenhouse is to create solutions with the help and support of the Inuit.

Using the engineering design process, design a greenhouse that would benefit your own community.

Engineering design process

Explore this video to learn about the steps of the Engineering Design Process.

Your turn!

It’s your turn to design your own greenhouse using the engineering design process! Use the following fillable and printable document entitled The Great Greenhouse Design to help guide you through your own engineering design process.

Complete The Great Greenhouse Design in your notebook or using the following fillable and printable document. If you would like, you can use speech-to-text or audio recording tools to record your thoughts.

When designing, keep in mind that some fruits and vegetables can be grown from the seeds of the food purchased at the store.

Use the following checklist to help as you work on your greenhouse:

Reflection

As you read through these descriptions, which sentence best describes how you are feeling about your understanding of this learning activity? Press the button that is beside this sentence.

Now, record your ideas using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.