February 28, 2017

Leaders in Northern agriculture will share and exchange their ideas and expertise this weekend as part of the Dehcho’s first-ever agriculture conference.

The conference, to be held March 2-4 at the Fort Simpson Recreation Centre, will span a variety of topics including greenhouse management, animal health, food independence and the economic impacts of new market chains.  Speakers will foster discussion between agriculture-minded individuals and stakeholders and encourage interest among youth to get involved in the agriculture and agri-foods sector.

The list of seminars includes: Agriculture Strategy & Plans, School Gardening (Why youth should choose agriculture?), Seed Starting, Community Greenhouses, Farmer’s Markets, Permaculture, Community Composting, Small Business Greenhouses, Restoring our Food Independence, Regenerative Agriculture & Holistic Management, Spin Farming and Animal Husbandry. All will be free-of-charge. 

The event will also mark the introduction of the NWT’s first Agriculture Strategy. The GNWT Strategy will set the stage for actions, investments and the development of regulatory tools to advance economic and job opportunities for NWT residents in the production and sale of fresh, healthy, local, safe and more affordably grown food choices.

March 2 will engage youth in agriculture, while March 3-4 will support communities and entrepreneurs looking to improve and expand existing or new enterprises.

The conference is co-sponsored by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI) and the Government of Canada through its Growing Forward 2 initiative. It is being organized by ITI’s Dehcho regional office.  It is one of many ways that ITI is working to support the economic growth and diversity of the Dehcho region.

Going to the event? Post your photos and comments on Twitter or Facebook with the hashtag #GrowNWT and tag @GNWT_ITI on Twitter, or tag GNWT ITI – Dehcho on Facebook. We want to hear from you! 

Featured Speakers

• Ray Solotki – Inuvik Greenhouse
• France Benoit – YK Farmers Market
• Jackie Milne – Northern Farm Training Institute
• Kim Rapati – Northern Farm Training Institute
• Don Tremblay – Ecology North
• Brittany Weaver – Sahtu Gardens
• Catherine Scott – Permaculture Expert, Wrigley
• Tracy St Denis – Director of Investment and Economic Analysis, GNWT