#Food security

Emily Hocquard, LJI Journalist

SHIGAWAKE – In the small town of Shigawake —where the salt air meets fertile fields—Shaina Hayes is quietly cultivating something truly special. After living away in Montreal for years, she’s returned home for the season with seeds in her pocket, and a heart full of purpose.

Shaina, born and raised in Shigawake, has always been drawn to the rhythms of the land. Coming from a farming family, she is no stranger to hard work and determination. While many may know her as a musician, this summer she has strongly focused on a different kind of creativity—gardening. With rows of leafy greens, colourful root vegetables, and climbing vines taking over her family’s property, Shaina is transforming a simple plot of land into a thriving garden oasis.

Having studied agricultural sciences at McGill University, Shaina has always had a strong interest and love for growing and nurturing things. From admiring her mother’s garden as a child to becoming a first-year apprentice in a quite limited program at McGill, she then spent a second year running the Macdonald Student-run Ecological Gardens at the university; her admiration for gardening grew with exclusive experience. “I learned so much, it was like an amazing summer-camp. Intensive work energy and some of the best years of my life. I made lifelong friendships, learned my work ethic and learned how much stuff I could get done in a day. I also learned how much I loved that kind of gardening while I was there.” Shaina tells SPEC.

After graduation, Shaina also worked for one of Quebec’s leading basket farms called Tournesol. “They also do seeds; they are one of the major organic seed producers in Québec for vegetables,” she explains.

After some time, she was employed by a restaurant that had gardens of their own which Shaina became responsible for. The Covid pandemic hit while Shaina was entering her second year of employment with the restaurant. Shaina lost her job as a gardener as the hospitality industry faced widespread closures and cutbacks. Her job could no longer be justified. Rather than walk away from the land she had tended, Shaina saw an opportunity to adapt. She and the restaurant came up with an arrangement. She would continue cultivating the garden, growing vegetables both for the restaurant’s now-limited needs and for a basket system of her own. The deal allowed her to maintain a livelihood while doing what she loved and supporting local food access along the way. Shaina transformed a moment of uncertainty into one of initiative and resilience.

Once things settled and began to go back to a state of normality after a year, Shaina decided to rent her own plot of land elsewhere. She moved the fridge she had built and bought equipment of her own. “That is where I have been farming for the last three years, but with music it (gardening) had to take a back burner.” After peaking in 2022-2023, Shaina had to take a step back from producing vegetables to go on tour and commit herself to her music career.

SPEC asked Shaina why she chose to return this year to farm on the coast and her answer was quite simple. “It’s in my heart, obviously I just love it here and feel that deep guilt of not being here when I’m not,” she explained. “Primarily I just wanted to come back. My dad has land here, so it was an easy thing to test out without needing to make big investments,” she goes on. “I just love it here, is the short answer,” she adds.

Currently Shaina is growing over fifty different crops at her family home in Shigawake. She has a tunnel infrastructure to help extend her season as much as possible. We find a great balance of leafy greens, fruity crops such as cucumbers and tomatoes, root vegetables meaning things like carrots, beets and radishes and a miscellaneous category including onions and fennel and many different herbs. Shaina explains that the goal of a basket program is to offer variation and represent all the different groups of vegetables. Producing many different categories to harvest as early as possible, all during the season and of course at the end as well. “As much as it is harder to grow here in theory, it is also nicer to grow here,” Shaina says. “Things do grow extremely well, way better than I thought,” she continues. With the different climate comes different challenges. Shaina’s return to the land at home is a gentle but powerful reminder of the value of local, seasonal produce. “I was getting a little bit burnt out of the city. It is very expensive to be there; it has gotten a lot colder socially and less interesting for me. I miss being here and the sense of community and the connection to the place and the people,” Shaina states.

For Shaina, this isn’t just about growing food—it’s about sharing it. She’s a regular vendor at the local market in New Carlisle, where her kiosk is quickly gaining a reputation for its quality and variety. Locals and tourists alike are drawn to her vibrant display. Shaina manages to sell out every weekend, sharing her tasty fresh vegetables with surrounding communities. Her garden is a palette of textures and colours; each row planted with care and intention.

Looking ahead, the future is still unclear. “Next year I will be growing again, to what capacity is sort of a year-by-year thing, as it has been since the beginning for me.” Shaina informs SPEC. “I want to be here as much as I can, and I want to keep growing stuff,” she mentions.

As summer stretches on and the garden continues to flourish, Shaina Hayes is sowing more than seeds—she’s planting community, inspiration, and a deep appreciation for the land she calls home.