Growing jobs in Gitsegukla
Hazeltons
by Dave Ryan

Gitsegukla Village is located 28 km west of Hazelton at the confluence of the Kitsegukla and Skeena Rivers. Gitsegukla Valley Farms are located 4 km east of the village at the bottom of Carnaby Road along the Skeena.

The river bottom soils are classified as sandy-loam, well drained, with above average organic matter, well suited for cold crops, grains and berries.
For the past four years, Gitsegukla, in collaboration with the University of Northern British Columbia (biology department), and the National Research Council, has conducted scientific research in varietal adaptability of industrial hemp to the region. Several varieties of hemp were found suitable for the production of oil and fiber. Research documents produced by UNBC students will be published in the Journal of Industrial Hemp in 2003.

The Gitsegukla Sustainable Agriculture Project is not just about the cultivation and processing of hemp, but about the development of other ‘certified organic’ crops like potatoes, cabbage, black currants and blueberries. It is also about on-the-job training programs and the development of sustainable employment for present and future generations.
In early May of this year, Gitsegukla began its first on-the-job training program in agriculture. Twelve young people from the Village, known as the 'Farm Team,' were selected from 46 applicants. The training was organized around a work-based apprenticeship system that combined both classroom instruction and practical experience. The training plan was as much about the development of the people and community as it was about economic development. It is this combination of human, social and economic capital that is necessary to create healthy, sustainable communities.
Gitsegukla hired a local resource person who was about to retire and move to Utah. Richard Wilkerson had been farming in the Skeena since 1982 and is experienced in the production of potatoes and cabbage. Richard agreed to be the trainer and farm manager for our six month term. Although Richard had raised 10 children and had them as farm helpers, he had never before trained 12 inexperienced young people in farm procedures.
The work-based apprenticeship system combined both classroom instruction and practical experience. Classroom time was confined to the beginning and end of the program. Periodically, some classroom-based instruction was necessary as participants took on new tasks. The focus of work and learning included:
understanding sustainable agriculture and the Gitsegukla Sustainable Agriculture Plan,
understanding the practices and approaches involved in sustainable agriculture,
learning to work as a team,
workplace safety,
understanding soil composition, nutrients and preparation,
ability to operate and maintain farm equipment,
planting and harvesting hemp, potatoes, cabbage, black currants and blueberries,
crop maintenance,
storage and processing,
biological farming methods and organic certification procedures.
This year, our crop production plan included: 30 acres of organic hemp oil seed, 25 acres of certified organic potatoes, 2 acres of certified organic cabbage, 5 acres of organic black currants, and 40 acres of conventional potatoes.

Harvesting was a huge challenge as September was the wettest on record in the Upper Skeena. The beginning of October was no kinder as the rain and cloudy weather continued. However, by October 25, all 200 tons of organic and conventional potatoes were tucked away in a barn in cold storage along with the organic green cabbage. The hemp has proved to be more difficult to harvest. The stalks were too wet and the seed moisture content was far above normal. At press time we were hoping for a dry spell in late November. The black currants will not have any substantial yield until 2004.

One advantage we have in this operation is the ability to store the potatoes in a temperature-controlled barn. The potatoes are kept a few degrees above freezing and can be stored until next May. The best market for potatoes is from January to May when most potato producers have depleted their inventories.

The organic potatoes are to be sold locally first, and the remainder will go south to Discovery Organics, a distributor of BC certified organic produce. Discovery will get our potatoes into retail stores such as Capers and Thrifty Foods on Vancouver Island.

At the local and regional level, our organic potatoes will be marketed to food stores, cafés and organic box distributors like Gail’s Green Grocery in Smithers and Wendy’s Organic Garden in Telkwa.

Our conventional potatoes, grown for cash flow to pay for the project, will be marketed and sold locally and throughout BC: J&F Distributors (Terrace), Overwaitea Stores from Prince Rupert to Prince George, Super-Valu, Copperside, McDonalds Red&White. Direct farm sales can be made by contacting the Gitsegukla Band Office.

The hemp is being harvested for the seed. Harvesting is done with a conventional combine. The seeds are dried, cleaned and stored over the winter, then put through a cold-press, extruding the oil into five gallon glass bottles, and stored.

The oil, high in essential fatty acids, is to be marketed locally and throughout the region. Valu-added products from the seed cake, the product from pressing the seeds, will be developed next spring. Much like soy, hemp can make milk and a frozen confections similar to ice cream. There are many other food products to be developed but Gitsegukla will concentrate on the oil and seed cake in the first phases of processing.
The training project wrapped up on October 31. The reaction from the "Farm Team" was that they did not want it to end! These 12 jobs were the only jobs in the Village this summer. In an evaluation and debriefing session at wrap-up, we heard the following comments:

" It felt good to bring a pay cheque home for six months and I paid off my debts."

" I was amazed to see the seeds we planted turn into so many potatoes."

" I don’t drive a car, don’t have a license, but I drove three tractors and a forklift."
" I want this to be a long-term opportunity for the village. I see the importance of producing healthy foods and jobs at the same time."

" Weeding in the heat for a month was the hardest but it is better than putting chemicals on the food and in the soil."

Preparations for next season have already begun: our 2003 crop plan will see the elimination of any conventionally grown food and an increase in organic production.

Gitsegukla is committed to supporting a ‘Local Food System’ in the Upper Skeena, a system that supports local food growers, creates sustainable employment and slows the importation of food. We look forward to 'Farm Team II' in 2003!

(Dave Ryan is project manager of Gitsegukla Valley Farm. He can be reached at (250) 849-5490 or gitseguecla.hemp@kermode.net)
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