Cultivating ideas for farming
Potential for small-scale agriculture in North is real

by Glenn Taylor
Northern News Services

INUVIK (Oct 06/97) - The Inuvik Region is fertile ground for agriculture, according to researchers from Agriculture Canada.

Rick Lawrence, Neil Harker, Al Schaefer and Ann de St. Remy came to Inuvik last weekend to talk to residents and business owners about small-scale agricultural opportunities in the region. The potential, they say, is big as all outdoors.

The region may not be suited for wheat fields and cattle ranches, according to food processing specialist Lawrence, but he points to this month's planned muskoxen harvest in Sachs Harbour as example of made-in-the-North possibilities.

"The European market, Germans especially, relish exotic meats," said plant scientist de St. Remy. "There's no problem selling the meat, you just need the will to do so."

"We joked about ptarmigan omelets over breakfast, but I think they'd sell well," said Schaefer, an animal physiologist, who spent time researching reindeer farming in Alaska.

"You have a natural marketing advantage here -- the Clean Pristine North," said Lawrence. "You can't compete with Nova Scotia selling blueberries for example," said Lawrence. "The quantity is not here, and it's cheaper to do it elsewhere."

But regional businesses could concentrate on "value added" products, like folding wild berries into jams or chocolates to sell during events like the Great Northern Arts Festival, said de St. Remy. "You should try to sell in your own market first with tourists, and expand from there."

The secret to any Northern agricultural operation is to put quality first. "Maintaining quality assurance is the biggest challenge," said Schaefer, referring to wild meat harvesting. "Twenty different things affect quality. Without quality control, if you have one poor harvest and sell the product, that's it."

The department is eager to collaborate with locals on any ideas they may have, but ultimately the initiative must come from the region. "The will to do this has to be here," said de St. Remy. "Nobody can come in from away and tell you how to be successful."