Agricultural Education, Training, and Research (Akinoomaagoong Ktigewkaan, Akinoomaagizowin miinwaa Ndakenjigaadek)

Economic Development, Education and Training

The Anishinabek Nation is working to enhance opportunities for agricultural education, training, and research. As part of our Strategic Plan for Agriculture, the following strategies and actions to achieve have been identified. We welcome further suggestions about how to enhance economic development, education, training, and research.

Strategies

• Work with academic institutions, industry associations, and industry partners on developing and delivering a series of education and training opportunities in the agriculture and food industry for Anishinabek citizens with a focus on young adults and the general population.
• Develop a series of education and training opportunities in agriculture and food with a focus on school-age children.
• Develop a series of education and training opportunities in agriculture and food with a focus on preschool-age children targeted at AN daycares.
• Develop a team of AN agricultural experts or champions to enhance knowledge and expertise in communities and to act as role models for others.
• Provide support to AN communities to build stable agricultural infrastructure and establish secure, the permanent designation of agricultural lands on-reserve for long-term food security and economic enhancement.
• Cultivate strong relationships with non-native and settler farming industry and organizations to advocate for stable and growing farm-related infrastructure in Northern Ontario.
• Facilitate and promote the development of AN agriculture and food-related businesses and enterprises to enhance First Nation economies.
• Assist communities and businesses in accessing employment grants to hire enthusiastic summer students to complete agricultural projects.
• Examine the opportunity for the development of food cooperatives and/or AN branding and marketing of food.
• Promote farmer market development in AN communities.
• Develop training opportunities for First Nations youth in a variety of agricultural fields.
• As part of Round Tables, invite members of the agricultural industry to provide information on economic opportunities in agriculture and food.
• Enhance First Nation agricultural capacity building by identifying opportunities for partnerships between First Nations and industry and seeking funding opportunities to realize these opportunities.
• Develop opportunities for networking and information sharing.

Actions to Achieve

• Raise awareness of food handling training available through local Health Units for those working in the foodservice industry.
• Promote cooking classes and food skills workshops in the communities to teach individuals how to make culturally-appropriate, healthy, and nutritious food.
• Work with the University of Guelph and/or industry to develop and deliver beekeeping training courses for citizens.
• Plan, implement and participate in agricultural farm tours to raise awareness of the various forms of agriculture (example: yearly aquaculture industry tours)
• Work with organizations that have already developed curriculum for school-age children to deliver it to on-reserve schools, i.e. Agscape.

Fleming College-Sustainable Agriculture Technologist Program

As part of its School of Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, Fleming College offers Certificate Programs in the following:

• Agricultural Equipment Operator
• Aquaculture Foundations
• General Arts & Science
• Urban Forestry

It also offers a Sustainable Agriculture Co-Op Program.