Seeding local food growth
Agricultural conference draws crowds
Kirsten Fenn
Northern News Services
Monday, October 31, 2016
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Rows of posters, pamphlets and even fresh vegetables from around the Northwest Territories were on display part of a conference designed to get people involved in their local food systems.
"We have different organizations here talking about all their programs and services, to see what's available to people in the North, who they can turn to," said Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment trade and investment manager for the North Slave region Leanne Graydon. "Our goal was to invite (people) to come and be inspired to grow their own food."
The second-annual Inspiring Commercial Agriculture conference was organized by the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI).
It drew between 60 and 80 participants daily from Oct. 25 to 27, Graydon said - more than double last year's turnout.
Although the conference began as a North Slave initiative, it has grown to include participants from the South Slave and Deh Cho regions, as well as Whitehorse.
The three-day event featured guest lecturers from Canada and the United States who spoke about indigenous food systems and practices, local food economies and how to grow food north of 60.
American environmental and political activist Winona LaDuke, from White Earth reservation in Minnesota, delivered a keynote speech about the importance of food sovereignty in a world where agricultural corporations genetically engineer and control a large part of the world's seeds.
"We've become people who shop, and all of our ancestors used to feed ourselves," LaDuke said, explaining why the recovery of indigenous food systems is important for self-determination.
Protecting indigenous seed varieties not only has cultural and health benefits, she said, but is important as climate change continues to impact the North.
"Seed libraries are the antidote to the other side," LaDuke said, explaining they can serve to educate communities, foster discussion, protect genetic diversity and allow for adaptability.
"That adaption is going to be super important in the time of climate change that we are in," she said.
While the first day of the conference was meant to inspire people, the last two days were hands-on. They included workshops on soil health, school gardening, greenhouses and potatoes.
The goal was to provide people with "practical tools to grow more food in their communities," said Lone Sorensen, agricultural mentor for ITI and conference organizer.
Last year, Sorensen travelled to communities throughout the North Slave region to find out what equipment they have for producing food, what skills they want to learn and whether they have food security strategies for the future.
That information and feedback received from community conference calls hosted by ITI this summer were then used to put together this year's activities, she said. "It just grew much bigger than we expected because so many people are wanting to do this," Sorensen said.
