Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I am pleased to advise the House that the newly created Northern Farm Training Institute, short form NFTI, in Hay River celebrated a successful year on September 22nd with its first ever graduating class, and I had the pleasure of attending that graduation at the Hay River Golf Course and partaking in a delectable array of locally grown and prepared food.
This innovative program was developed in response to numerous requests received from across the Northwest Territories to the Territorial Farmers’ Association that conducts sustainable gardening workshops and seminars.
Through the Northern Farm Training Institute, workshops were offered during the 2013 growing season to gardening enthusiasts and those interested in small-scale agriculture and animal husbandry businesses.
Each workshop included classroom teachings, hands-on work, all the tools needed, and great resources to give students the confidence and skills to grow their own food and to be mentors and teachers to others in their home communities who wish to do the same.
Workshops covered interesting topics such as designing and planting sustainable gardens, applying permaculture methods in cold climates, garden maintenance, food preparation and cold-climate animal care.
In total, NFTI hosted six workshops from April through September for 15 students each session from 13 different communities in the Northwest Territories. I want to congratulate the following students who received their NFTI certificate for completing all seven workshops: Jeffrey Fabian from the Hay River Reserve, Sharon Pekok from Hay River, Whitney Jason from Yellowknife, and Shelly Empey from Fort Simpson.
This program was made possible through the funding received under the Growing Forward II Program, a five-year agreement between Ottawa and the GNWT to provide $1.2 million per year to support northern agriculture.
In addition to providing expertise and hands-on experience, this funding was also used to offset the travel costs for out-of-town students so the travel would not be a barrier to their participation.
I would also like to thank the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment, Minister Ramsay, for his support in securing this funding. I also want to thank everyone who had a hand in making this inaugural year of this initiative a resounding success, including the folks at the Territorial Farmers’ Association, the instructors, and the many partners, farms and community-based organizations who enriched the learning experience of the students by allowing them to observe and participate in real life and cultural operations.
Mr. Speaker, I’d just like to seek unanimous consent to quickly conclude my statement. Thank you.
---Unanimous consent granted
In offering thanks, I cannot fail to mention Kim Rapati, Mayor Andrew Cassidy, and also, if any of you met her, the most enthusiastic person for northern agriculture that you could ever come across. If you don’t believe in northern agriculture, when you meet Jackie Milne you would be a believer by the time you finished the conversation. She’s a wonderful, wonderful boost to this program.
I applaud the Northern Farm Training Institute, which has lots of exciting ideas to expand in the future as it continues to grow and support the development of sustainable food systems across the Northwest Territories.
They’ve had an overwhelming successful year and are looking forward to another exciting year in 2014. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mrs. Groenewegen. The honourable Member for Range Lake, Mr. Dolynny.
