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This is Bart, from Elemental Farm showing us the processes of his composting cycle. As an organic farmer, Bart refuses to fertilize with anything other than the compost he has put so much love and nutrients into. It is his belief that if you put nutrition into the soil you will have nutrition in your diet. In other words, diversity in the elements of the compost leads to diversity on the plate. Containing organic matter, minerals, organisms, and fermented matter, effective composting has the ability to encourage bountiful yields. In the sentiments of Bart, if you're going to grow it, grow it right, grow it healthy, grow organic.

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Check out what my classmates and I had to say about our experience with the food system in the Yukon. We had the pleasure of being interviewed by CBC's Philippe Morin, during our foraging walk with local food author and chef, Michele Genest.

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A group of students from the University of Guelph has concluded a Yukon tour that focused on food distribution, cost and local growing.

The new Field School on Yukon Food Security in Northern Canada was offered this year to 22 undergraduate students.

Over a week the class visited farms and restaurants as part of a learning culinary tour. This included a visit to the Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in Teaching and Working Farm near Dawson City.

Students also met Suzanne Crocker, whose family completed a challenge to eat only local Dawson City food for one year.

Arvinder Pannu, a University of Guelph international development student, said he did not expect to see so much agriculture at this latitude and so much potential for local food in a short growing season.

"There's a lot more farming than I thought there would be, there are a lot of investments going on and I am looking forward to see what happens here in the next 20 years," he said.

Looking for edible plants

On May 24, students took a guided walk in downtown Whitehorse with Michele Genest, a food columnist and chef whose Boreal Gourmet books explore how to use Yukon's wild plants. She's developed recipes through interviews, consulting guide books and trial-and-error over many years.

Students hiked the Whitehorse clay cliffs to find pasture sage, rose hips, dandelions and spruce tips which are budding this time of year.

"Spruce tips have become very popular, in culinary uses, in the Yukon over the past several years," Genest said. "They of course have been used by Indigenous people in Yukon for thousands of years. When you start looking, you start seeing more and more that edible wild food is all around us."

Tips on spruce tips

All the foraged material was brought it to the Well Bread Culinary Centre a teaching space run by Cat McInroy in Whitehorse.

The local plants were there used to make syrups, flours and more.

For example, McInroy float-cooks dandelions in a mixture of white rice flour and soda water to make them crisp like tempura.

"My dad had a trapline when I was growing up in Carmacks, so eating locally-foraged flowers, berries, parts of the tree, that is nothing that's new to me. I just love sharing this with people that don't know that you can eat dandelion heads, the stems, the leaves, everything is edible on the dandelion," she said.

Yukon defies expectations

The Yukon government's agriculture branch estimates that only about two per cent of all food eaten in the territory is locally grown or harvested.

Nevertheless, some students said they were surprised at the prevalence of local foods and accessibility in Yukon.

Cassidy Cross, an arts and science student at the University of Guelph, took part in the tour. She said she was expecting food prices to be higher and more in line with what is seen in more remote communities in N.W.T. and Nunavut.

"I was expecting to experience more barriers in relation to food security and I thought there would be more difficult for food costs," she said. "I think it really shocked me the community that has banded together here, and the locality fo the food, the sustainability of it."

Students also visited a new startup company in Whitehorse, which is selling greens harvested in an energy-efficient modified shipping container.

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Students complete (main) course on new Yukon food tour | CBC News

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A group of students from the University of Guelph has concluded a Yukon tour that focused on food distribution, cost and local growing. The new Field School on Yukon Food Security in Northern Canada was offered this year to 22 undergraduate students. Over a week the class visited farms and restaurants as part of a learning culinary tour.

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This is Otto in his root cellar! Stored at low temperatures and heavily insulated, Otto has the ability to preserve his root vegetables throughout the cold northern winter. The food goes undamaged and allows for the availability of nutritious, local food through all four seasons (six including freeze up and break up). Look at that smile! You can tell Otto has a passion for the provision of healthy and adequate food for his community.

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The Kissing Buildings - The Result of Thawing Permafrost 

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The Kissing Buildings - The Result of Thawing Permafrost 

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Tarek-Bos Jabbar is a coordinator for the Crop-Box in Whitehorse. Crop-Boxes utilize unused shipping containers and fit them with a Hydroponic farming system. Hydroponic farming systems grow plants without using soil- just water. Tarek spoke to us about the ins and outs of Crop-Box farming. The boxes come from North Carolina and are shipped up to Whitehorse, then to subsequent communities. The boxes aim to improve food sovereignty by returning food production power back to the community. Although innovative, Suzanne Crocker (director of First We Eat and local food forager) notes that people in the North need more than leafy greens (which is the capacity of the Crop-Boxes) to survive the harsh 40 below winters. What sustains life in the winter in Dawson City are root vegetables, which are beyond the ability of the Crop-Boxes. Within Suzanne's story, she stored her root vegetables in her neighbours permafrost root cellar. The cool nature of the root cellar worked to maintain the nutritional content of the vegetables. Yet many people in the Yukon have limited options for storing their fresh foods  in the winter. So this poses a question for the north- what are the available options to either store or produce root vegetables for consumption in the winter?

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During our visit to the Yukon, I found that those who consumed local foods from the land had a greater respect for the environment. In particular, this quotation below illustrates the importance of having respect for the land that provides us with subsistence. In many First Nations cultures, the values of respecting the land, its wildlife, and its people have remained the same throughout generations. Furthermore, many First Nations groups recognize a particular animal as being central to their culture as well as their survival. For example, caribou have great symbolic and nutritional significance to the Gwich’in people.  Additionally, Suzanne Crocker found that she felt a greater connection to the land when she knew where her food was coming from. This demonstrates that eating local foods can result in a greater sense of environmental conservation and respect for the land. To conclude, increasing the consumption of local foods not only improves food security in the Yukon, it has the potential to enhance environmental stewardship.

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Surviving in a Northern Food System: Policy Restrictions 

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Surviving in a Northern Food System: Policy Restrictions 

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There are many policy-centric restrictions placed on people who live in the North. Multiple times throughout the field course, restrictive policy was referenced. Mark, from the Independent Grocers, noted federal restrictions with regards to stocking the shelves with wild game or local meats- which is a huge part of the Northern diet. Local meat cannot be sold without being processed through a Federal Inspection Unit, with the exception of farm gate sales.
Further, one of the hotel staff in Dawson City came to speak to us about the restrictions put on potential recipients of the Northern Food Allowance. The requirements for the allowance were ridiculous and made the allowance inaccessible for the people who need it the most. For example, in order to receive the subsidy, the applicant must have a separate kitchen, a certain number of bathrooms, and a certain amount of doors within their homes. This excludes people living in motels, squatter settlements, or on the street. Coincidently, those are the people in most need of assistance.
Additionally, many restrictions have been placed on the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Teaching and Learning Farm. Derek highlighted the large barriers that are put in place that alienate farm workers who have trouble understanding legal jargon. In order to sell the eggs that they produce, multiple forms must be filled throughout the cleaning and sorting process. These forms deter people from continuing in farm work as they are difficult to understand. Moreover, there is intergenerational trauma associated with Western legal documents for First Nations communities.
These are just some of the policy restrictions I noticed held severe impacts on living in the North. Moving forward, the governments in Yukon should work together to make food security more accessible for the players dedicated to increasing the resiliency of the Northern food system in a culturally adequate way.

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After the field school, a few of us took to the road to Alaska! While at a grocery store in Haines, we came across a poster for a seniors community garden. We also found a poster encouraging people to purchase local products. Looks like food security, vulnerable populations and buying locally are also hot topics right here in Alaska!

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Throughout our trip to the Yukon, we have learned about the many impacts of climate change. In particular, climate change affects the migratory patterns of caribou herds, decreasing the hunting success of these animals. During our time in Tombstone Park, we were able to see part of the migratory route of the massive Porcupine herd, which is pictured below. Luckily, we also saw some caribou! As a result of migratory changes, there is a decrease in the availability of caribou as a source of traditional food, which negatively impacts food security. This is just one of many examples that demonstrate the impacts climate change has on food security in the Yukon.

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Throughout our time in Yukon, we had the opportunity to meet so many amazing people, who each had their own individual story. One story however, that was told repeatedly was that of the Alaska highway being shut down in 2012, due to the highway being washed out. This led to grocery store shelves being emptied in a matter of days. I think the realization of food security and food availability really hit Yukoners when the highway closed. The awareness of just how dependent people were on grocery stores for their food became a reason for many to start growing and producing their own food. One primary example of trying to decrease supermarket dependency comes from the Whitehorse Community Garden project. This community garden first planted in 1998 has become an essential tool for community members to learn how to plant and harvest their own foods. The Community garden has been able to provide accessible space, the knowledge needed on organic and nutritious foods, how to grow them, a sense of community as well as the opportunity to become more self-sufficient. Being self-sufficient in the Yukon we learned, also has many benefits that relate to food availability. Having the opportunity to go on two foraging walks, following Suzanne Crocker and Miche Genest, we learned about many local, edible plants like spruce tip, fireweed, wild rhubarb and wild sage that are not only nutritious, but can be cooked and made into many different dishes. Suzanne Crocker talked about the importance of eating these local foods, and how in the last 100 years, Dawson specifically went from growing 97% of their own food, to now only 3%. Again, this shows the circle of dependency and reliance of grocery stores that needs to decrease if people want better food that has more nutrients and is also more sustainable in the long run.

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The Saddlers' and their Klondike Valley Creamery is another example of the uniqueness of Yukon and their determination to succeed where the common thought is that nothing survives. This family has managed to establish themselves as a yogurt and cheese provider to the Dawson City area as they attempt to contribute their small portion toward the food sovereignty movement of Canada's north.

One interesting aspect of this farm is that they will do their best to follow all the organic regulations, but they prefer not to be certified as organic. However, antibiotics are only used on this farm as a last resort. Sustainability in livestock or milk production in this context must be weighted against the health of the animal, and the Saddlers described to the University of Guelph Field School how they attempted to be both responsible to the environment around them and to the animals they have on their farm.

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https://www.instagram.com/p/Bxx-plOHLam/?igshid=15mc8sibusyw7

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For an entire year, Suzanne Crocker and her family ate food that was grown, foraged, and hunted in or around Dawson City. During our Yukon Field School trip we had the opportunity to meet Suzanne Crocker who spoke of her experiences and shared her foraging knowledge. Interestingly, at the end of the year Suzanne found that her nutrient levels met or exceeded their requirements with the exception of Vitamin C and Iodine. Both Suzanne and I found it strange that her Vitamin C levels were low since many Yukon berries contain Vitamin C; a nutrient which is efficiently absorbed to near completion by the human body. For example, juniper berries pictured below contain Vitamin C. In addition, we found it strange that Suzanne’s Iodine levels were low since she consumed a great amount of Iodine-rich salmon throughout the year. However, it is important to note that table salt is usually fortified with potassium iodide since there are few iodine food sources, which was not included in Suzanne’s diet. Suzanne and I hypothesized that with an increased consumption of berries and the addition of salt, local Yukon foods can provide all the essential nutrients required for bodily health. This highlights the adequacy of local foods and their potential to improve food security in the Yukon.

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Yukon has been going through a nutritional transition towards the western diet characterized by high saturated fats, high sugar, high salt and processed foods and away from local and traditional foods. Currently, Yukon depends on 97% imported foods which have long shelf lives with nutritionally low profiles of micronutrients. Additionally, according to Suzanne Crocker, fruits and vegetables have decreased nutritional profiles due to the long periods between being picked and getting to a Yukon shelf. For example, spinach loses 75% of its original folate content. Accordingly, the nutritional transition has led to a dependency on southern imports. It is exciting and inspiring to see Yukoners fight for their right to local, nutritious, and varied food.

Here is a picture of locally picked and made rhubarb jam.

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On May 21, after our visit to TH Farms with Derek, we visited Otto at his farm and got a peek at his root cellar (woah cool!). We learned all about the challenges farmers face but more importantly, we got Otto's personal perspective on the local food system. At one point he said "I wish the Alaska highway would shut down for a week". This quite obviously piqued our interest! Why would a local farmer wish that on his/her/their community?
Otto believes that the previous shutdown of the only road into the city (Alaska highway) was too short to cause a widespread, impactful change in the food system. Otto sourced a lack of knowledge and education as a cause of the community's reliance on imported foods. Programs like Kids on the Farm provide education and instill a passion for farming in them at a young age to continue and help support their local area.

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https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx0Q79knw71/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

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https://www.instagram.com/p/BxvH1-iHWTh/?utm_source=ig_web_options_share_sheet

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Caribou has been an important part of First Nations traditional food systems in the Yukon for centuries. They used almost every part of the caribou, including fat for light and food, hides for clothing and shelter and bones for needles, fish hooks and ornaments. Unfortunately due to the forced settlement of First Nations people and the effects of climate change on caribou populations, the relationship between First Nations communities and caribou have been severed. First Nations communities are working hard to empower youth to reclaim traditional knowledge and practices to heal this relationship.

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I absolutely loved our foraging 101 with Suzanne today, learning more about all the plants and that surround us that are edible and delicious! It underscored the need for a place specific food system in which the area and yourself are checked to see what is possible. We know that GHG are tied to a boom in factory farming and a globalize food transport system - and that for many a vegetarian or low meat option is the clear option. Yet for remote and northern areas in particular it must be recognized that reductions in meat consumption in favour of non-animal protein are cancelled out by travel footprints. Also, checking yourself and doing small actions if an entirely local diet is out of reach is healthy to accept too. Country food is time consuming to access yourself and costly to pay someone to do, and existing employment may be challenges. Knowing yourself and your country food market takes time and patience.

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During our time in Tombstone Territorial Park and on our foraging walk with Suzanne Crocker, we came across small Fireweed shoots. Fireweed is everywhere - on the trails, but also throughout Whitehorse and Dawson City, like the Fireweed Bookstore and Fireweed Market! Yukon’s official flower, Fireweed is one of the first to appear after a forest fire, creating a field of purple and pink. Therefore, Fireweed can be used as a reminder for the regrowth to come.

Suzanne informed us that Fireweed is also edible, known as Yukon’s asparagus. It can also be found in many products like teas, honey and creams! Even Yukon Brewery in Whitehorse has a Fireweed Honey Pale Ale on tap right now.

We can see that Fireweed is a symbol of the Yukon. Here is a staple flower, that not only represents Yukon as a territory, but the importance of a locally sourced product that has multiple uses! After our foraging walk with Suzanne today, it emphasized that all we need to do is look a little bit closer to see that our surroundings are abundant and full of opportunity.

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https://www.instagram.com/p/BxtS4XlHSrL/?igshid=ohprqst63lfi

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Foraging the Yukon

This afternoon we were treated to a walk through the beauty that is the nature of Dawson City. We learned about some of the beneficially nutritional plants growing close to Suzanne's home. These plants helped her obtain some of the macronutrients and micronutrients that she needed as her and her family attempted (and succeeeed) to eat only local food for one year. We then had the pleasure to see Dawson City from "The Dome".

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https://www.instagram.com/p/BxpmHc5HDoS/?igshid=133f2ckp2plt5

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Today we visited Elemental Farm, a certified organic farm that specializes in growing herbs and some vegetables as well as in poultry meat production. The cold climate and short growing season of the Yukon makes farming an extremely difficult task, requiring advanced planning and determination. Amazingly, farmer Bart Bounds plans for the next year’s harvest in December and works 90+ hour weeks during the growing season! Bart uses sustainable techniques on his farm such as drip irrigation, crop rotation, and composting. After visiting Elemental Farm and seeing the amount of work farming requires, I have developed an increased appreciation for Yukon farmers. Additionally, I have newfound hope for cold-climate farming and its role in improving food security in the territory. It was amazing to visit a farm that actively improves food security in the Yukon by providing residents with access to nutritious and local food products. Good work, Bart!

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Seeing up close and personal how much work, passion, and determination it takes to run an organic farm in cold climates! At elemental farm we saw how farmer Bart Bounds sustainably raised chickens, made his own compost and grew a variety of crops on the land. Adapting to the changing climate is essential in keeping food systems thriving for future generations!

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The only bear I want to see on this trip! 

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The only bear I want to see on this trip! 

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Please no grizzlies, only Charlie!

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Due to the effects of climate change the river feeding into Kluane lake has dried up, cutting off the lake's water supply. Pausing on our hike to take in the simultaneously breathtaking and devastating view a classmate suggested we take a moment of silence. We paused to take in, and reflect on the effects that humans are having on even some of the most remote places in the world. The Yukoners and First Nations with which we have met have such a deep connection with the land they live on. Standing on this mountain today many of us felt this connection were overwhelmed with emotion.

Climate change isnt a far off problem, it is here and happening faster then ever and can no longer be ignored.

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https://www.instagram.com/p/BxijELlH0N6/?igshid=ppybohuhn03i

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The visit to the Takhini Hot Springs today introduced the concept of using natural hot springs to potentially produce food in Yukon. I am not a scientist (hence why I am in ID), so bare with me.
The thought is that by running pipes of hot water under vegetable beds (etc.) and then covering them with a dome would generate enough heat to warm the soil so food could be produced.
Geothermal energy is also sustainable and does not require outside inputs, such as fossil fuels, to be effective. It can also be used then for heating buildings.
Hot springs/geothermal energy could be harnessed to improve food security. It gives one the ability to both grow food in regions where the ground temperature is close to zero AND cook a lot of pasta in one go.

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Functioning in a Food System as a Single Person

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Functioning in a Food System as a Single Person

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Today, Krista Craig and Kerry Nolan came to speak to us about the Anti-Poverty Coalition in Whitehorse at the Yukon College. One thing that Kerry had mentioned that really stood out to me was the notion that the food system in Whitehorse isn't accessible for single people. This really resonated with me. Think about how dependent we are on other people. For me, I’m dependant on my parents to help me out with tuition costs, rent, and other expenses. Taking it a step further, I won’t be able to move out unless I were to have another income to supplement mine. Where my mind went is the ease to stay in an unhealthy situation due to financial co-dependency.

When considering food systems and food security, there are so many factors that influence the systems. Off the top of my head- rent, minimum wage, food costs, transportation costs, etc. Being single, meaning only having one income coming in, restricts capacity to participate within a food system. Looking at the Right to Food, the framework for this class, single income people experience a more difficult time achieving that fundamental right.

Moving forward, development plans (for both Northern and Southern communities) need to begin to consider the ability to survive within a food system on a single income. As up an coming agent of change, this is something I will keep with me throughout my career and hope to implement in my future endeavours.

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Yukon Food Security Projects

The Yukon AICBR (Arcitc Institute of Community Based Research) organization has many initiatives ongoing that are working toward food security and food sovereignty. The best part of this organization is that they are able to apply the results immediately in their own back yard.

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Acquiring nutritious and culturally adequate food in a dignified way is essential to the ‘right to food.’ However, income can be a significant barrier to this right.

Today Kristina and Carrie from the Yukon Anti-Poverty Coalition took the time to share with us the organization's grassroots and think tank approach to eliminating poverty and subsequently increasing the economic access component of food security in the Yukon.

Here is a map of Whitehorse and the different ways and food systems in which people acquire food.

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Why did I filled my water bottle 4 times today?

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Why did I filled my water bottle 4 times today?

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we have been noticing that our lips are far more chapped and have been filling our water bottles far more often than we would back in Guelph - even on quiet days in at Yukon College. Its because this area is semi-arid, not a desert in our minds by any means but far more dry than expected. This must be considered in food production that is, as Bart - our buddy from the organic farm - pointed out, "of your land base" as crops and animals will face different challenges. As we heard from the historian Sally yesterday, you can try to plant potatoes in the best soil possible - or you can ask what is of the area already and build a food system that is regionally based and will thrive. Working where you are opposed to forcing the area to conform to what you want it to be makes a huge difference.

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GIDS students gearing up for day 2 of Yukon College workshops. On todays agenda- Perspectives on social justice, poverty, gender, disability, and First Nation organization in the Yukon
Https://www.instagram.com/p/BxfVPw-HMCk/?igshid=tfgcq94s71eh

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The minimum wage in Whitehorse is $11.51 while the living wage is $18.57. This disparity contributes to food insecurity. Choosing between rent or food should not be an option. Listening to the people and getting the government involved in creating a plan for low income households are just some of the ways to tackle this problem. Any other suggestions?

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As Carrie from the Antipoverty Coalition started “no one has the corner on knowledge,” with each voice new insights and depth to the challenge of food security in Whitehorse

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Every person has their own story of personal struggles and growth through those struggles. The power of listening is vital in creating a platform for communal growth and development around socio-economic issues. (I.e poverty, discrimination, drug abuse, violence, food insecurity, etc)
The anti-poverty coalition in the Yukon creates an accessible platform to talk about these issues with one another to tackle tough issues through discussion and subsequent action.
It is important to have local platforms in addition to global NGOs to provide personal support and education such as that provided by the NISJ.

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As we continue to hear new stories everyday, we must remember to acknowledge our own assumptions not only of our guest but also of each other.

We have the privilege of hearing from people of diverse backgrounds and diverse beliefs. Acknowledging that there are many stories and that each should have a voice and play a role is essential as we move forward.
However, we must also remember to accord that very same respect and lack of assumption to each other. We too are diverse, let’s strive to be open to each other’s stories and not assume a single story.

For more amazing information about the danger of a single story follow this link https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story/up-next

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“I thought I knew...”
“I thought I was aware of...”
“I didn’t know...”
These quotes were provided to Joanne by many of the students as a part of the 2-day intensive course taught by the NISJ at Yukon College. This course has been provided to employees at government institutions and the RCMP to educate people about residential schools. It is important to breakdown barriers and stereotypes regarding residential schools and to educate individuals on the devastation of these places. It is important to know others history in order to help people educate themselves.

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Curious about what local produce is grown and where you can find it in the Yukon? The Yukon Agriculture Association has created a list of local farms and where you can find their produce in town so you are able to feel more connected to your food. Check it out here:

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Yukon Farm Products and Services Guide - Yukon Agricultural Association

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Welcome to the Yukon Farm Products and Services Guide! You can immediately locate contact information about a farm, business or organization by clicking on its name. See the lists below. Or you can complete a search. Look under the blue logo. You can enter a search term or select one from the list of farm products/services.

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Started and ended off the day with amazing food @burnttoast & @earlskitchen+bar! Much needed brain fuel for today's workshop on the effects of climate change, the history of Yukon agriculture, farming techniques, organic farming and certification, and environmental sustainability at Yukon College!

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Today was our first day at the Yukon College! Before we got started, I came across this Yukon Diversity Art Project in the lobby. The creation of this mural was to reflect the diversity of Yukon and the coming together of many people to create beauty. We had the opportunity to meet a wide diversity of people today who began painting a picture of food security challenges and opportunities in the Yukon. Brian and Alison led us through the challenges of climate change in the North; Sally took us through the history of agriculture in the region; Krista and Dev, a local farmer and rancher, shared their knowledge and experiences; Liam, a 10-year old pig farmer, showed us his love for pigs; and Bart, explained his reasonings for being an organic sustainable farmer. The diversity of perspectives today highlighted how Yukoners are tackling climate change and cold-climate farming in different and innovative ways. I look forward to learning from a new diverse group of individuals tomorrow as we tackle social justice and activism in the area and First Nations rights to food.

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Agriculture Prodcer panel insights

The relationship between farmers and the Yukon First Nations people is a positive one. Both farmers and First Nations peoes have incredible respect for the land - the kind that resource extraxtion companies could never dream of.

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Did you know the Yukon is warming 4x faster than the rest of the world?

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Did you know the Yukon is warming 4x faster than the rest of the world?

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When visiting Yukon college today we discussed the benefits and the draw back of a credit warming region. As we have heard before, gains in agriculture and earlier hunting/fishing seasons are the cost of loss of glaciers and permafrost - and loss of these will make this short term gains precarious in the future years. Hearing that it is warming in the region 4x faster than the global average increases was mind blowing! What will this all mean?

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Yesterday we visited Miles Canyon, a waterway on the Yukon River which is a key access way to Whitehorse and onwards. We learned about the rapids and the difficult passage this area posed to settlers during the Gold Rush. But what was the history and stories of this land prior to the settler colonials arrival less than 150years ago?

Miles Canyon (named in 1883 after General Nelson Miles) was known to the Tagish Kwan peoples of the Kwanlin Dün First Nations as Kwanlin. Which translates to mean “running water through canyon” in Southern Tutchone language. This area was popular for fishing, and trail routes indicate extensive travelling and hunting occurred in this area. The headwaters of the Yukon River also known as Chu Nínkwän have lived along the river since the last ice age. An important aspect of the history of the headwaters of the Chu Ninkwän (Yukon River) and Kwanlin area was that for centuries it was a meeting place for many other First Nations groups as they lived nomadic lifestyles following the migratory routes of their food sources.

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As we have learned in class there are fourteen first nations groups in the Yukon. Each city we visit will be the traditional territory and home of at least one First Nation community.

A useful link I found to access the respective websites of the each First Nation group in the Yukon is:
About Yukon First Nations | Government of Yukon

As we spend our time in Whitehorse this week, I think it is important to know the name and history of the traditional First Nations groups who have lived in this area. There are two First Nations Communities who have called the territory now called Whitehorse home for millennia: Kwanlin Dün First Nation and  Ta’an Kwäch’än First Nation.

Below are the links to these two First Nations Websites; I have linked to the page which discusses their history, but I encourage everyone to explore the web page as I found very useful and interesting information. Remember we are HERE TO LISTEN.
http://www.kwanlindun.com/index.php/about

http://taan.ca/history/

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Our class had the best view today when we went to Miles Canyon for a picnic and a hike! The region once had a town which was a stopping point before heading on to Dawson city, it was a hub between southern supplies and the community. What a view!!

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Yesterday, a group of us spoke to someone local who recommended a certain hiking trail for us to venture to. This was the breathtaking view from our hike. During our hike we all spoke about how clean and fresh the air smells, and how welcomed we have felt. We took some time to sit and reflect on our privilege and what we all hope to learn and gain more understanding about during our Field School. Looking out at this view and seeing a beautiful community helped to ground ourselves before we begin our learning experience. Looking forward to starting Day 1!

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Today I realized how high maintenance we are. Or maybe it’s not like that. Today I realized how important individuals needs are, in the context of us! There are lessons everywhere and our first meal together was one of them. Gluten free? Dairy free? Vegetarian? Do you eat eggs? Yes to one of them, yes to all of them? Needy or maybe just individual! Whether it is a moral decision, a cultural practice, or an allergy - it’s all important, and it should be valued. We deserve the ability to choose, and the ability to have pride in what we choose to consume. Let’s break the stigma that needs are “needy”. They’re important!! You could be a First Nations from Whitehorse, or a student from Guelph, but your needs should always be respected and considered, especially when it comes to food!

Excited for our complicated ordering journeys together!! 💕

https://open.spotify.com/track/1TEL6MlSSVLSdhOSddidlJ?si=_2LSF4JwT0efINaY0RPrtA

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Breakfast this morning was toast with potatoes, honeydew, and scrambled eggs! Finally starting to remember everyone's names and super excited for the rest of our trip.

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We started our trip in Vancouver with a sunset and ended in Whitehorse with a sunset. Can’t wait for more of these over the next two weeks!

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We had the wonderful privilege of visiting lovely Yukon Brewing this afternoon! After choosing our flights of bees, we got chatting with one of their lovely Brewers. He was very curious about our trip and asked about which farms, places, and people we'd be visiting during our time here. With every place we mentioned his immediate response was "oh yeah he's a buddy of mine", and he would smile happily. Thi was likely the first of many examples of the strong sense of community and relationship that exists in northern communities.
As we move forward with our time here I hope we can begin to understand the ways this particular sense of community impacts and plays a role in food systems in the North.

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As we draw nearer to our destination, it was hard for me not to be completely in awe of the landscape beneath us. The teeming amount of life hidden from view in the mountains parallels our journey in an odd fashion. Only by getting closer to the ground can we really comprehend the breadth of life and food in this unfamiliar environment!

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Visiting the S.S. Klondike National Historic Park!

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A little taste of home

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The airbnb I stayed at for the night in
Whitehorse was a green home that focused on reducing environmental impact, and increasing the affordability and druability of housing in the community. Heres a blog post about some of the changes they made and its impact!

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Last year we "fuel switched" from oil heat to electric heating for our house. The following is a summary of cost savings, energy savings and reductions in Green House Gas (GHG) emissions resulting from this fuel switch.

Figure 1. Monthly energy costs savings for adding electric pre-heat to oil-fired combo heating system.

use half the energy of a normal home. Our home is heated with a combo-system: it's a oil-fired hotwater tank that provides both domestic hot water and space heating. The "fuel switch" was achieved by installing an electric hotwater tank in front of the oil-fired hotwater tank - that way the electric "pre-heats" the water entering the oil-fired tank. Both tanks are set at 140 DegF (I tried putting the oil-fired tank lower than the electric, but the relatively colder water from the oil-fired hot water tank was causing my fancoil (which provides the forced air space heating) to run in low-speed due to low inlet water temperature).
We have an Green Home which means it is a energy efficient home (Energuide Rating of 81, equivalent to R-2000) - or in other words, our house should

Figure 2. Electric Pre-heat for combo-heating system. Electric hot water tank on left (half-height space saver so it fits under the fancoil unit) pre-heats water entering / returning to oil-fired hot water tank on right. Yes, I know it's a pretty messy install - but it works.

I installed the hotwater tank in December 2007 due to both rising oil costs, but also in consideration of the benefits of using our locally produced hydroelectricity: very low GHG emissions and investing locally (e.g. energy expenditures flow to Yukon owned energy corporation). The hotwater tank cost about $250, and then I spent about another $200+ on fittings, copper, valves, breaker, wire, etc. So, the conversion probably cost me $450 plus a bunch of my labour (I'm not a very fast plumber).

Building Energy Use
During the design of our house, we had an energy model run (using HOT2000). Figure 3 below shows the modelled energy consumption of our house, and the acutal energy usage before and after the fuel switch to electricity

Figure 3. Actual and modelled total energy consumption for 705 Jarvis St.

We are using a wood stove for much of our space heat, and the HOT2000 model did not originally consider that. Overall we see that our house is using about 12% more energy than originally modelled, even when you take into consideration the relatively lower combustion efficiency of the wood stove.

Figure 4. Green house gas emissions for 705 Jarvis Street.

The Yukon's electricity is generated primarily by hydro-electric generation, and hence the Yukon's emission factor for electricity is currently very low (on the order of 1.6 g/kWh of CO2e). Given our use of biomass (aka wood) for heating our house, our baseline (pre-fuel switch) GHG emissions were already 16% lower than modelled, even though we are using 12 % more energy than modelled. With the fuel-switch to electricity, we've reduce our home related GHG emissions another 70% - from 5 tonnes of CO2e per year to 1.6 tonnes of CO2e/yr.

The fuel switch to electricity did not substantively reduce our total energy usage (only about 1% annual energy consumption savings), however in 2008 it has saved about $260. The simple payback on the electric pre-heat system should be about two years: not a bad investment given today's investment opportunities!

However, looking at Figure 1 you can see that the differential between oil and the electricty has decreased in recent months, reducing our savings. Oil prices have dropped and net electricity prices have risen due to YEC and YECL rate riders.

Green House Gas Emissions
Reductions in green house gas emissions are substantive. Figure 4 shows GHG emissions for our house. Note that biomass related GHGs have to be reported under most GHG protocols, but as biomass (e.g. burning wood) is considered renewable and carbon-neutral, it does not count towards your total emissions.

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Fuel Switching - Energy, Cost and GHG Emission Reductions

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Last year we "fuel switched" from oil heat to electric heating for our house. The following is a summary of cost savings, energy savings and reductions in Green House Gas (GHG) emissions resulting from this fuel switch. Figure 1. Monthly energy costs savings for adding electric pre-heat to oil-fired combo heating system.

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Yukon here we come ✈️

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Over the past two days, we have learned that people of Yukon are resilient. They adapt to their surroundings, whether that’s from changing climate, or the increased cost of living. One of the most memorable quotes, from Brian Horton, states; “ we are building climate resilience by having/increasing local production”. And this has been proven by all the farmers that we’ve had the privilege to talk too. They want to provide local and they want to inform people on the benefits of eating off the land, as well as to prove it is sustainable.

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Click here to learn about Dr. Sneyd

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Lauren Sneyd earned her doctorate at the University of Guelph in Geography and International Development Studies. She was previously a SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow at the Balsillie School of International Affairs, and a visiting Assistant Professor with the Development Studies Program and the Coady International Institute at St. Francis Xavier University. Lauren currently serves as a lecturer for courses linked to her areas of expertise for the College of Social and Applied Human Sciences (CSAHS) at the University of Guelph. She is the coordinator of the Guelph Institute of Development Studies (GIDS) Yukon Field School on Food Security in Northern Canada.

Lauren tweets from @laurensneyd, and she can be reached via email at lsneyd@uoguelph.ca

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Lauren Sneyd earned her doctorate at the University of Guelph in Geography and International Development Studies. She was previously a SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow at the Balsillie School of International Affairs, and a visiting Assistant Professor with the Development Studies Program and the Coady International Institute at St. Francis Xavier University.

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The Yukon Field School on Food Security in Northern Canada will enable students to apply perspectives on international development to food security issues in Canada's North. In this field-based and experiential course, students will explore theoretical and conceptual knowledge during pre-departure classes in Guelph. They will then gain food security knowledge traveling around the Yukon over the course of two weeks. They will also interact with First Nations communities in the Yukon to learn more about foodways in the territory. Through an in-depth exploration of Yukon's food system, the course will push students to consider the challenges and opportunities associated with applying concepts and theories that originate in international development studies to the Canadian context.

We will pay particular attention to the social, political, economic, and environmental forces that impact the structure and functioning of the territorial food system and food systems across the Arctic. In particular, we will explore ways of assessing the extent to which the food system advances principles of sustainability and the right to food in Canada. We will explore food and nutrition issues linked to hunting, wild food gathering, and fisheries, and delve into topics including food entrepreneurship and governance to better understand food security situations in the Yukon.

In the field, students will be immersed in stimulating activities and opportunities for reflection, challenging them to learn about issues impacting food security, Canada's colonial history, First Nations communities, and environmental sustainability. The course format will consist of pre-departure classes at the University of Guelph before travel to the Yukon for the two week field school. In this course, we will also embark on outdoor adventures in scenic 'larger than life' Yukon!
The Yukon Field School is being offered by the Guelph Institute of Development Studies. Preference will be given to students who are majoring in International Development Studies, but students from other disciplines are also welcome to apply.
Application deadline: 11 January 2019

Information Session for Yukon Field School

Field School Instructor
Dr. Lauren Sneyd
Field School Dates

The Yukon Field School will be offered during the Summer 2019 semester, in May.

The tentative dates for the semester are:

On-campus, Guelph: May 6-9, 2019

Yukon Territories: May 13-24, 2019

Credits

Students will be registered in a 3000-level IDEV course worth 1.0 credits. Questions about possible substitutions for your ID major should be directed to Lisa Blenkinsop.

Costs
Students should budget for the following:

Round-trip airfare to Whitehorse, Yukon Territories.

Tuition and fees for 1.0 credits to the University of Guelph

The Yukon Field School fees: $2500 - 3000 (amount is dependent on the number of students registered in the program)

Personal expenses

Travel health and emergency insurance

Eligibility

Students applying to the Yukon Field School must have 7.5 U of G credits (by May 2019), and a 70% cumulative average.

Preference will be given to students who are majoring in International Development Studies, but students from other disciplines are also welcome to apply.

Applications

Click here to access the application.

Please submit the application in person to the GIDS office (8th floor, MacKinnon) or emailing to idadvisor@uoguelph.ca by January 11, 2019.

Questions?

If you have questions about the Yukon Field School, you can contact Dr. Sneyd or Lisa Blenkinsop.

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Yukon Field School on Food Security in Northern Canada

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The Yukon Field School on Food Security in Northern Canada will enable students to apply perspectives on international development to food security issues in Canada's North. In this field-based and experiential course, students will explore theoretical and conceptual knowledge during pre-departure classes in Guelph.

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We will be learning about food rights and food security in Yukon May 2019!  Don't forget the three A's

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We will be learning about food rights and food security in Yukon May 2019!  Don't forget the three A's

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1) availability
2) accessibility
3) adequacy
The S stands for - stability (and sustainability) over time!

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Did You Know? <-CLICK HERE

Green: Forests
White: Snow
Blue: Rivers
Flowers: Fireweed

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What role can dogs play in alleviating food insecurity in Canada's north?

The Whitehorse reference family spends an
average of $504.71 per month on transportation in 2018.

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Our first group shot from the pre-departure sessions!

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A welcome forecast for our first days in the field school

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A welcome forecast for our first days in the field school