This archeologist is testing a soil recipe from Indigenous people in the Amazon in northern Ontario

An archeologist at Algoma University in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., has been testing an ancient recipe to create fertile soil in her home garden. And so far she says the results have been positive.

"I sort of taste tested foods that I had growing and just regular soil and foods that were growing in Terra Preta," said Paulette Steeves.

"And the ones that were growing in Terra Preta seemed to have a much better flavour."

Terra Preta is a fertile soil made by adding charcoal and broken pottery to existing soil.

"What the pottery does is it creates a place for microorganisms to live," Steeves said.

Indigenous people in the Amazon invented the soil, which is also known as 'Amazonian dark earth.'Archeological records date it as far back as 450 BC.

For Steeves, who is Cree-Mtis, the soil is an important piece of Indigenous knowledge.

"This is indigenous knowledge that supported agriculture, that supported large cities and civilization," she said.

When she heard about Terra Preta she wanted to recreate it in northern Ontario, and see if it would be effective in a more northern climate.

She's been using her homemade Terra Preta for five years now to grow vegetables in 22 raised garden beds.

When comparing those garden beds to ones with regular soil, she found the crops were on average, about six per cent larger using the Terra Preta.

She noticed vegetables growing in the Terra Preta were also larger than those in the other garden beds.

Now Steeves plans to test the soil at a larger scale at three different sites: the Harvest Algoma greenhouse, a local food bank farm and at Thessalon First Nation.

With the high cost of food, especially in more remote First Nations, Steeves says this type of fertile soil that is relatively easy to make could help with food security.

"I know there are some communities that have greenhouses," she said.

"They're really working to become more sustainable with growing food. And I thought if this soil works in the north, this could be a really great way to support food security for not only Indigenous communities, but, you know, smaller communities."