September 7, 2018
Thanks to contributions from the GNWT, and a whole lot of gumption from leaders like Pam Noland, Aklavik’s Peel River Garden Society has taken root and blossomed this summer into an important part of the community.
“At 14 members this year, we’ve doubled our membership since 2017,” Noland explains. “The increased activity and participation has allowed us to run events for adults and youth almost every weekday evening.”
Programming has included cooking classes, vegetable care lessons, and ongoing care programs. The organization has partnered with schools to get the next generation on-board with local food production.
With the stronger organization has come expansion. “We added two beds inside the greenhouse and fourteen personal gardens outside,” says Noland.
It’s this expansion, and team Noland’s hard work, that has built the Aklavik Market which now runs Friday evenings through summer.
“It’s a chance not only for the society to sell some of the plants, herbs, and vegetables we’ve grown, but for the community to come together,” says Noland. “All kinds of vendors — artists, crafters, garage sellers — are now selling their wares.” The traffic around the Society’s table has sparked a lot of interest in food production, she adds.
And the results speak for themselves. They’ve sold more than 1000 plants, dried almost 30 trays of herbs, and canned over 35 pounds of beets. And that’s just what’s been harvested so far — there’s a big potato and carrot harvest coming up this month, and leafy greens and root vegetables abound.
“It has been a huge success for our community,” says Noland — beaming as she describes the progress. “Our greenhouse is almost bursting at the seams there’s so much going on!”
Noland also expressed her thanks for the Canadian Agricultural Partnership funding that helped the society expand, and support from the regional office of the territorial government’s Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment.
“We wouldn’t have been able to get it all done without their support and encouragement,” she says. “It has been a great three years.”
Do you have a great idea for agriculture? Learn how the federal-territorial Canadian Agricultural Partnership can help here, and how we’re striving to support local food production through our Agriculture Strategy here.
