What is the name of your organization?
Farm the North
What is the name of your solution?
Farm the North
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
Build sustainable food systems for the Indigenous Communities of the Canadian Arctic to promote food sovereignty and community sustainability
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Cambridge, ON, Canada
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
CAN
What type of organization is your solution team?
Not registered as any organization
Film your elevator pitch.
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What specific problem are you solving?
Indigenous communities in Canada are disproportionately affected by a high rate of food insecurity. This is even worse in the Arctic, with rates of household food insecurity ranging from 16.9% (Yukon) to 21.6% (NWT), while Canada is 12.7%.
Since the majority of the food is imported, and due to the economic inequities of the Indigenous communities, this problem is exacerbated by the high (and rising) cost of nutritious and perishable food. Smaller communities, accessible only by plane or ice roads, are even more disadvantaged. As well, the harsh and changing climate (due to climate change) are severely impacting food security in many ways. Some of these include: damage to roads, which limits access to food and essential supplies, historic flooding (my own family and community in Fort McPherson was greatly affected in 2023), and the increase and severity of forest fires over the past few years.
What is your solution?
Farm the North is developing a prototype modular growing system (MGS), that can be installed inside the homes of people in the community or inside of a shipping container. The shipping container farm is powered by solar and wind. Based on a design similar to the container farms developed by Freight Farms Inc. Solar panels will also be installed on homes that are using the MGS as well. The MGS utilizes a variety of growing mediums, such as hydroponic and aeroponic. Multi-spectrum LEDs for optimum plant growth and controlled by software utilizing AI. The HVAC, humidity and nutrient delivery systems are also controlled by the same software.
Another component of Farm the North is partnership with the local schools, we are developing a curriculum for students to learn and engage with the various technologies utilized. From agriculture and farming, to alternative energy and AI. Multiple part-time positions will also be created for various members of the community, including positions for youth.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
Farm the North aims to help the Indigenous communities of the Canadian Arctic get access to fresh produce at an affordable price. Which will help improve health and wellness and combat the growing rates of heart disease and diabetes. Starting first with Fort McPherson, NWT, since that is where my family and members of the team live. We have a plot of land in the community for 2-3 shipping containers, and 5 houses chosen for our pilot project to launch and to start collecting data.
Once this testing phase is complete, we will then set up systems throughout the community in batches, and to the surrounding communities of Tsiigehtchic, NWT and Aklavik, NWT. In the future, we plan to take this project to many more communities throughout the NWT, as well as communities in Yukon.