ColdAcre Food Systems once served the Yukon with solutions for farming, hydroponics, agriculture design, food distribution and food production but has recently closed.
On Oct. 2, partners of the company announced in a press release that they will no longer be operating following financial difficulties caused by the Victoria Gold landslide in June.
The company, established in 2019, developed and manufactured food-system technologies, which included hydroponic grow units and Arctic greenhouses. The company also provided planning, management and training services.
ColdAcre was active in Whitehorse, Dawson City, Mayo, as well as Inuvik in the N.W.T., prior to its closure.
Na-Cho Nyäk Dun Development Corporation (NNDDC) owned a majority stake in ColdAcre, expanding its food services portfolio while integrating different levels of the supply chain.
NNDDC currently owns Mayo Foods as a local grocery store and camp services provider for local industries and mining projects.
“Food sovereignty and security remains an organizational priority for not only the business development opportunity within the industry, but for its impact from a community reinvestment standpoint,” Sarah Frey, NNDDC’s communication consultant, said by email to the News.
“We’re disappointed about this recent decision to close ColdAcre but are absolutely still committed to our food sovereignty mission.”
Although ColdAcre has closed, they and their partners express confidence in the release that the development journey will possibly lead to future projects that aim to advance food sovereignty for the North.
Food sovereignty was one of the three main topics discussed at the Magnetic North Business Conference on Oct. 8-9.
The conference, organized by the Yukon Chamber of Commerce (YCC), focused on food sovereignty, renewable energy and artificial intelligence and big data.
It aimed to connect technology professionals, business leaders and investors to work together on solutions for challenges faced by northern communities, as per materials given to the News leading up to the event.
“Chu Níikwän, Kwanlin Dün’s development corporation, are building a 75,000-square-foot cold storage as part of this food sovereignty idea that we’re working on,” said YCC executive director Luke Pantin in an interview with the News on Aug. 15.
The Arctic Institute of North America’s Kluane Lake Research Station currently runs a hydroponic grow facility for cold climate food production at their Kluane Lake site. The organization claims to reduce growing times and provide year-round produce in any climate.
Contact Jake Howarth at jake.howarth@yukon-news.com
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