TIMMINS -- A woman in Smooth Rock Falls has taken a hard time and turned it around into a dream come true. 

When the pandemic resulted in her being laid off from her job at a restaurant, Stephanie Cake, used her COVID-19 relief cheque to develop vegetable gardens and put up some greenhouses.

She's named the gardens 'Rockin' Veggies’ and they’re located on the side of Highway 11.

"I did this all with my EI: emergency benefit. I'm not joking.  I asked for help and I couldn't find any. Because I don't have money and you need money to make money and I don't have that," said Cake.

Someone who did help her though is a man by the name of Doctor Maher Hussain from Brampton. 

He's the owner of the land--about 150 acres--which he plans to develop further and Cake will manage, in exchange for a leased-plot for use in her farm.

Cake says ‘Rockin' Veggies’ will eventually grow peppers to be sold in stores and she also wants to grow produce to feed food bank clients throughout northern Ontario.