HAY RIVER (June 10, 2014) – A whole new crop of students in the South Slave Region is getting an opportunity grow and harvest local produce this summer thanks to the Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment’s (ITI) Take a Kid Gardening Program.

In response to the overwhelming success of this hands-on learning opportunity piloted last year, ITI is expanding its introductory agriculture program to include all schools in the South Slave Region. Other regions have also expressed interest in participating and the program is expected to grow.

“I applaud this initiative of the South Slave Regional office that gets youth involved in agriculture,” said Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment David Ramsay. “It demonstrates the creativity and innovation ITI’s family of program and service providers apply to their work every day.”

ITI supplies materials including seeds, transplants, soil, organic fertilizer, planter boxes and grow lights and works closely with local schools and community members to deliver these programs. The students assemble the planter boxes, mix soil, plant seeds and enjoy the fruits of their labour after harvest.

The Take a Kid Gardening Program and the Community Garden Program are two of the initiatives under the Small Scale Foods Program which is administered by the ITI Hay River office.Complete details of the South Slave Small Scale Foods Program are available in the Growing Forward 2: 2013 Annual Report.

Increasing opportunities in agriculture is one of the ways the GNWT is encouraging regional diversification as part of the Economic Opportunities Strategy (EOS) and will be complemented by work to develop an Agriculture Strategy for the NWT.ITI was encouraged to build on its highly successful Take a Kid Trapping Program many times during NWT-wide engagements supporting the development of the EOS.

The Take a Kid Gardening Program, with its focus on healthy lifestyle choices and participation in local food production is further serving to advance the 17th Legislative Assembly’s goal of a strong and sustainable future for the Northwest Territories.

For more information:

Alayna Ward
Manager, Public Affairs and Communications
Industry, Tourism and Investment
Government of the Northwest Territories
Tel: (867) 920-8696
Email: alayna_ward@gov.nt.ca