PM announces money for N.W.T. farm training institute

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced in Fort Smith, N.W.T., Friday his government is prepared to invest up to $4 million to help Northerners grow their own food.

Harper made the announcement during his second stop on this year's northern tour.

Of the money, $2 million will go towards building a permanent campus for the Northern Farm Training Institute in Hay River, N.W.T.

"We're already seeing Northern ingenuity — Canadian ingenuity — confounding conventional wisdom by finding ways to produce fruit and vegetables in unconventional places," Harper said.

"There is now commercial potato farming in Norman Wells. There is a thriving farmers' market in Yellowknife. There are even greenhouses in Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk north of the Arctic Circle."

The money will allow the two-year-old school run programs year-round. Its permanent campus will be on about 120 hectares of farmland with greenhouses, offices and classrooms.

Harper also announced about $2 million in funding to help design year-round commercial greenhouses for Northern communities.