New funding and the kickoff of a community coordinator program made this season one of the best yet for the Inuvik Community Greenhouse.

SA国际影视传媒淭his was the best season weSA国际影视传媒檝e seen in my three years here and from what ISA国际影视传媒檝e seen for quite a while,SA国际影视传媒� said executive director Ray Solotki.

It was a stark change to last year, when the greenhouse didnSA国际影视传媒檛 have enough employees and Solotki was busy with 15 weeks of travel to community greenhouses over the season.

This year, the greenhouse received funding for three full-time interns, had one volunteer and the coordinator began earlier than usual.

SA国际影视传媒淲e have new things happening, new revenue streams, new opportunities for our community members to make money, new workshops, different things and different ways to teach people about local food, about what you can do with what you have in small communities in the ArcticSA国际影视传媒� ItSA国际影视传媒檚 just been a wonderful season,SA国际影视传媒� said Solotki.

And sheSA国际影视传媒檚 been able to stick around for it, as the greenhouse requested funding from Industry, Tourism and Investment, not to go to her travel to the seven Arctic communities, but for greenhouse coordinators to be hired over the summer in each community to run their own operations.

Solotki said there had been a gap in support for the community greenhouses between her visits.

SA国际影视传媒淧eople are tapped out in these small communities,SA国际影视传媒� she said. SA国际影视传媒淧eople donSA国际影视传媒檛 have the background in gardening, or the one person who does gets way too inundated and doesnSA国际影视传媒檛 feel like they have the support.SA国际影视传媒�

So instead, ITI funded seven coordinators for 200 hours during the summer to work in the greenhouse.

SA国际影视传媒淚t meant there was somebody there every day, they put on workshops, they taught people how to garden, they used us as a resource,SA国际影视传媒� said Solotki.

Alexandra Neyando was the coordinator in Fort McPherson. She was in Inuvik last week teaching a plant-winterizing workshop for the greenhouseSA国际影视传媒檚 annual fall fair.

SA国际影视传媒淯sually, people come into our community and teach us how to do our planting and how to harvest,SA国际影视传媒� said Neyando. SA国际影视传媒淣ow we have an actual coordinator to do this. ItSA国际影视传媒檚 easier that way. We can go to our communities and we can teach people.SA国际影视传媒�

Everyone in the community can learn and take part in the greenhouse together with that setup, she said.

Neyando added that many youth and elders have been frequenting the Fort McPherson greenhouse this summer.

SA国际影视传媒淚t brings back memories for them,SA国际影视传媒� she said about the elders gardening. SA国际影视传媒淣ow we are teaching all the young kids and theySA国际影视传媒檙e just having so much fun learning.SA国际影视传媒�

Last week's fall fair marked the unofficial end of the greenhouseSA国际影视传媒檚 season, with doors officially closing mid-October. The event was packed with people taking part in workshops and checking out the facility for one of the last times during summer.

Solotki hopes this yearSA国际影视传媒檚 momentum carries over into 2018, which will be the 20th anniversary of the Inuvik Community Greenhouse.