August 24, 2016

Seniors in Norman Wells were able to pluck lettuce, kale, carrots, radishes and herbs from their own gardens this summer as part of a new agriculture project sponsored, in part, by the GNWT’s Industry Tourism and Investment’s Sahtu Regional Office.  

Twenty-six seniors signed up for the project and had garden boxes, pallets (to provide height), soil and a choice of seeds delivered to their homes.

In addition to providing affordable fresh herbs and vegetables for the dinner table, the Norman Wells gardens helped to promote community wellness. Gardening is known to have theraputic qualities that aid in mental health and overall well-being.

The program was a great success and organizers received positive feedback from participants. With the garden materials remaining in place, seniors will be poised to begin an early planting season next year.

The project was made possible under a partnership agreement between the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI), the Norman Wells Land Corporation, and the Sahtu Health and Social Services Authority.

In support of the GNWT’s commitment to improve food security by encouraging local food production, ITI is developing an Agriculture Strategy to guide future government investments designed to increase the production of fresh, healthy and more affordable locally-grown food choices.