Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in aim for food security with Dawson City farm

Dawson City's newest farm is so far a modest affair, with just a tenth of a hectare of land tilled and planted.

But the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in First Nation hopes the farm, which sits on a 35-hectare property, 15 kilometres outside Dawson, grows into something much bigger. Its name in Hän is Nänkäk nishi tr'ënòshe gha hëtr'ohǫh'ąy: "Land where we learn to grow our food."

"The First Nation is concerned about food security and sustainability in the Klondike region," said Dexter McRae, the First Nation's human resources director.

"We need to ensure that future generations have a secure source of fresh food."

The first seeds went into the ground this week. A staff of five farmhands will oversee crops of potatoes, carrots, beets, onions, lettuce and edible flowers. The aim is to produce food for elders and the needy within the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in community. Anything left over will be sold at Dawson's weekly farmers market.

Expansion plans

In the meantime, the farmhands, as well as scientists from the Yukon government, Yukon College and other institutions will collect soil samples and figure out where the best places are to plant crops and which parts of the property are better suited for sinking wells and constructing buildings.

Eventually, McRae said, the hope is to expand to add livestock and traditional plants and berries. The farm will also include a nursery to produce local trees to be used in mine remediation projects.

 "By next summer we expect to have greenhouses, we expect to have a much larger produce growing area, a produce management area. We'll be designing the farm over the course of this coming winter."

Lead farmhand Adam Farr said he hopes the farm sparks curiosity among Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in youth and encourages them to pursue on-the-land work.

"I can see a great vision, if everything works out right, that it could be a great educational tool as well as an employment tool."