How Canada’s North is Trying to Grow Local Food Production
In Yukon, gardening and farming take a bit more effort and often a helping hand.
By Emily Baron Cadloff
Modern Farmer
June 26, 2021
Excerpt:
“The pandemic showed how supply chains (can be) disrupted. I think the more that we can do to ensure sustainability in the North, the better,” says Deborah Turner-Davis, a board member of the Whistle Bend Community Garden (WBCG) in a northern suburb of Whitehorse. Turner-Davis notes that there are only a handful of highways into the Yukon. If there’s a washout, bad weather or disruptions from COVID-19, food scarcity becomes a big problem, very quickly. “We’re relying entirely on this one silver ribbon. If anything impedes the flow of goods, there’s a rush on food and it’s very difficult to get things,” says Turner-Davis.
That’s why Turner-Davis has seen membership at the WBCG increase in recent years. As the area’s population is growing, the community garden is serving as a reliable gathering point, with close to two acres of land to work on. Two years ago, the garden applied for funding and Turner-Davis says they have applied for a federal grant this year to help with their rapid expansion. The garden needs basic supplies and help with irrigation and water supply as their membership grows.
