Today's winner is Debbie Starkey of Porters Lake, Nova Scotia.

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I have been on a mission to help our planet for years, doing everything in my power to reduce, reuse and recycle. My family takes pride on our recycling and composting skills as well as reducing energy consumption in the home. Today I wanted to tell you about my favourite effort to go green. It's my pride and joy: my vegetable garden. I grow enough vegetables that I don't have to buy any all summer long. The success of my garden is a year-long labour of love. I start by conposting all of our organic scraps (no meats) and leaves and put the compost in the garden, digging it up and burying it to enrich the soil. I never use the hose to water the garden, I use rain water and the leftover pool water from my children's summertime splashing. My neighbours make fun of me going out in my bathrobe with my morning coffee grounds, but...it works. In the spring I get ready for planting. It gives me great joy to see the tiny plants coming out from the earth as well as giving off oxygen. I cannot eat all of my vegetables so friends and neighbours get bags of beans, carrots and tomatoes. It's rewarding and lots of fun!

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Thanks to Debbie for sending in her story. Rachel wins a copy of The World Without Us by Alan Weisman, courtesy of HarperCollins, and a Clear2O Home Water Filtration System. Today's code word: vegetables Read more: • Tips on greener gardening • 10 ways to pest-proof your garden organically • 5 healthy herbs to grow at home – it's easy!