In pictures: Living a dream with a tour of Fort Smith farming

An industry tour of farms and food producers took place in Fort Smith on Saturday, with seven stops culminating in a farm-to-table dinner featuring local ingredients.

The Territorial Agrifood Association and Town of Fort Smith showcased the agricultural possibilities not just of the region, they said, but of the North. Twenty-five participants visited locations in and around Fort Smith and nearby Fort Fitzgerald.

A man and a woman stand next to large produce. The man is gesturing as he speaks. — John Goodwin, left, and Beverly Tupper share their farm’s story and what they’ve been able to build in Fort Fitzgerald over the past 35 years. Miriam Bosiljevac/Cabin Radio

Group of people cradling squash — Tour participants took advantage of the fresh produce available to purchase a squash each. Miriam Bosiljevac/Cabin Radio

Janet Dean, executive director of the Territorial Agrifood Association, said northern regions across the world have productive agriculture sectors.

“This tour really showcased that we have an interconnected chain of people who are already doing amazing things, that can be role models and mentors for more people to get involved in the sector,” Dean said.

Her hope is that by seeing existing small-scale producers, others will be inspired to live their passion and learn how to make a living.

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A man holds a chicken — Tim Van Der Spek, owner of North of 6T Farm, says it’s a lot of work but incredibly rewarding. As a small-scale producer, he wishes an inspector would travel more frequently to his farm in northern Alberta. Miriam Bosiljevac/Cabin Radio

Close-up of a steer's nose. — Bob the steer at North of 6T Farm. Every Sunday, the farm is open to visitors from 2-4pm. You might have a chance to be licked by Bob. Miriam Bosiljevac/Cabin Radio

Dean said the sector shows creativity in terms of what is produced here. The general consensus that you can’t grow anything in the North, she said, isn’t true.

Molly McAllister has taken an experimental approach to creating Molly’s Orchard in Fort Smith. With 18 fruit trees and a garden taking up every inch of her yard, she shared what she’s learned about growing food in the North.

“You just need to know a few things about when to plant, when to harvest, what to look out for with the weather and what to look for with your seeds,” she said.

“I look for seeds that grow faster. If it’s going to take 100 days to mature, I’m not buying that seed because I don’t have 100 days. I have 90 days.

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“But you can actually have a ton of success growing right in the ground. You don’t need a big greenhouse. You don’t need big raised beds.”

Green grapes growing on a vine. — Molly McAllister is experimenting with varieties of apples and pears, as well as tomatoes, hazelnuts and even grapes. Miriam Bosiljevac/Cabin Radio

Sunflower in a garden — A large sunflower at the community garden in Fort Smith, where locals and students from Aurora College can grow flowers and vegetables. One of the gardeners working the soil called it healing. Miriam Bosiljevac/Cabin Radio

A growing romanesco broccoli has a fractal pattern and light green colour — A romanesco broccoli’s natural fractal appearance fascinated tour participants. Miriam Bosiljevac/Cabin Radio

Beverly Tupper, one of the small-scale producers in Fort Fitzgerald, echoed that sentiment. “You can grow just about everything in this area. All you need is soil, sunlight, and water,” she said.

“We’ve got long sunlight hours in the summertime, so it’s good for just about everything.”