Can we grow veggies designed to combat diabetes? Manitoba researchers hope so – CBC

U of M scientists team with remote First Nation to grow more nutritious vegetables, teach locals to love them

Aug 21, 2024

Researchers at the University of Manitoba are working with a northern First Nation to develop vegetables with increased nutritional characteristics that may help combat health conditions like diabetes. But they also have to convince local folks to eat them.

“There’s a lot of stigma that we were met with,” said Stephanie R. Cook, Opaskwayak Cree Nation (OCN) smart farm operations manager. “People were like, ‘Oh … it’s artificial, it’s fake food.’ ”

Cook understands this hesitancy, because in her first few months on the job, she was also too scared to eat the produce. Coming from a traditional background, she says she was taught that food comes from the earth, not from a lab.

“It was funny, because the first time I ate it, I was actually surprised at the freshness. You know, normally, coming from the north, you’re not used to getting such fresh product unless it’s coming from the garden in the summer.”

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/smart-farm-veggies-diabetes-research-1.7299870