August 23, 2017
Four agriculture enthusiasts from the Sahtu Region found themselves gardening and converting a sea-can into a chicken coop at the Inuvik Greenhouse earlier this month.
The collaborative approach to northern agriculture was made possible by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment’s (ITI) Sahtu Regional Office. They provided funding under the GNWT’s Growing Forward 2 agreement with the federal government for the group to participate.
Participants included Economic Development Officers from Fort Good Hope and Deline, as well as two residents from Fort Good Hope and Norman Wells with an expressed interest in Agriculture.
The session was an opportunity for participants to interact and learn from fellow NWT agriculturists and take skills, insights and best practices back with them to the Sahtu.
The group of four spent a week in Inuvik learning about community agriculture, including:
- Operating a community garden and greenhouse;
- How to plant, maintain and harvest a garden;
- Canning and preserving techniques;
- Animal husbandry; and
- Using recycled materials to construct chicken coops.
This model and approach to bi-regional training was identified by the Department of ITI to address a recommendation in the NWT Agriculture Strategy: “to support appropriate agriculture training, using a Train the Trainer approach, outreach or extension services that improve regional and local capacity” [Recommendation #4.2].
If you are interested in learning more about agriculture information or training opportunities, please contact your regional office.
