Farm Futures: Young Agrarians & Agritourism
It was a chilly Tuesday evening for folks to gather around some hot chili at the Athabasca & District Agri-plex. They gathered to hear ideas on adding some new and exciting economic development to farm operations.
The 30 participants weren’t all agricultural producers, but everyone there was keen to talk about farms and farming within the context of the local food system.
Before the presentations, everyone had a hot meal with apple crisp and ice cream for dessert! Thanks to Rustic Farm Girls for cooking such a great meal.
Thanks also to the Athabasca District Agricultural Society for co-hosting in their beautiful space and introducing many to their work.
The formal part of the evening kicked off with Dr. Mike Gismondi and Cara Shan, the co-leads of the Athabasca Grown project, welcoming all, outlining the activities and providing some tips on respectful dialogue.
Young Agrarians
The first presentation was by Alex Pulwicki, from Young Agrarians. Young Agrarians “is a farmer-to-farmer educational resource network for new and young ecological, organic and regenerative farmers in Canada. They run a slate of programs that connect young or starting out farmers with working farms.” Besides the benefits the new farmer receives, the host farm can see increased production yields or discover new ideas and directions.
“We believe that it is our collective responsibility to care for and respect the land that we live on and depend upon for water, food and shelter. All of us can do our part to nurture local, ecological and equitably produced food systems choosing with our dollars, values and hands to consume and steward foods that are healthy for us and future generations.”
Alex introduced the crowd to their apprenticeship, mentorship and land access programs. This information was valuable for the starting-out food producers in the audience as well as the long-time producers.
After the presentation, she took some questions, one being about funding. The Young Agrarians programs are funded through various grants and donations.
Agritourism
The next presentation was Pierre Cormier of Clearthink Group, a consultancy that specializes in providing strategic guidance to a wide range of businesses. They do a lot of work in the agritourism sector.
He walked the crowd through some first-hand stories and some numbers. He defined agritourism:
“Agritourism is an agricultural diversification activity that results from the synergistic intersection of tourism and agriculture. Agritourism offers authentic experiences related to agricultural production that showcase the tangible and intangible resources of the region or locality.”
He then went through this “Agritourism Framework” to explain the different segments of the agritourism industry.
He closed his presentation with a story of his experiences in Scotland and how a farm created a thriving business through agritourism.
What’s Possible and How?
After the presentations, the participants broke into 4 groups to have some discussion around two questions:
What’s Possible?
What are the opportunities for large and small-scale farmers in Athabasca to connect to local food systems, expand production, and develop a unique regional specialty?
How?
How do we turn these ideas into action? Identify needs, collaboration, and new opportunities through cooperation.
Some of the ideas about developing a regional specialty for Athabasca were:
Traditional & Cultural Foods – Ukrainian cuisine, Indigenous foods, wild herbs, and willow for “Athabasketry”
High-Value/Unique Crops – Saskatoons, haskaps, carrots, rhubarb, garlic, potatoes, onions, winter squash, and specialty mushrooms
Specialty Livestock – Yaks, llamas, and other niche breeds
Agritourism – Farm-to-table meals, foraging workshops, seasonal events, geodome stargazing, with potential for a two-day farm tour
Passive Solar Greenhouses – Extending the growing season sustainably
Regional Branding – Turning local quirks into strengths, such as marketing the constant rock-picking from fields with a theme like "We Rock the Province"
Athabasca River Connection – Linking food and tourism to the region’s key natural feature
The group also came up with thoughts around how to build a more resilient local food economy: producer clusters for cooperative marketing, local processing facilities, stronger retail collaboration, expanded agritourism with policy support, and community-driven food hubs for year-round access to fresh, local food.
And here are some thoughts raised on the "How?" question:
By focusing on cooperation, infrastructure investment, and creative problem-solving, Athabasca’s local food network can grow stronger and better connected to consumer needs. Success factors identified included:
Infrastructure & Resources – Invest in storage, kitchens, and shared spaces
Financial Support – Access grants, public banking, and slow capital
Regional Connections – Partner with nearby regions for tours and marketing
Cooperation – Use collective models, shared spaces, and networking
Promotion & Education – Boost farm education and joint marketing
Market Strategies – Expand direct sales, farm stands, and online presence
Supply Chains – Secure steady materials and purchasing contracts
Mindset – Foster collaboration and resilience in local food
Here is the full summary of the discussions from February 18th. You can also find it on the Resources page of our website.
What Participants had to Say
“The information about the Young Agrarians was very valuable. Open Farm Days is a great idea for the future.”
“There are opportunities if you look for them. E.g., Ag Society has a spare building. Lots of people are looking for different things. Bringing people together can fit people into niches.”
“The most important or valuable thing I learned today: The ongoing efforts to bridge the cognitive gap between farm & table, and the unique operations and ideas already in place in the area. Shows the existence of passion, drive & creative thinking - staples in the recipe for success”
Keep the Conversation Going
Join us for our next event: A (Mostly)Passive Solar Greehouse Design Workshop on March 5th!
AU professor Veronica Madonna and leading passive solar greenhouse designer, Rob Avis of 5th World, discuss applying passive solar design and other design considerations to a potential greenhouse to serve Athabasca.
To learn more about Athabasca Grown upcoming events, visit our Eventbrite Page.
To stay up to date with the Athabasca Grown project, subscribe to our Newsletter below.