Athabasca Grown – “Building Our Local Food System” Workshop Series

Athabasca Grown – Northern Alberta Fresh Food, is hosting various FREE events in the Athabasca Region that feature many workshops, presentations, learning experiences, and more!

Connect for Food: On January 18th @ 11:30 AM-2:30 PM join them with co-host Community Futures – Tawatinaw Region at the Athabasca Seniors Centre. Participants from around the food wheel—from producers to consumers, retailers to educators and beyond—will learn from each others’ perspectives and express ideas about actions to develop a more localized food system that is also regenerative. Lunch provided. 

Farm Futures: Young Agrarians & Agri-Tourism: On February 18 @ 5:30 PM join them with co-host Athabasca District Agricultural Society at the Athabasca Agri-plex. Participants from around the food wheel—from producers to consumers, retailers to educators and beyond—will learn from each others’ perspectives and express ideas about actions to develop a more localized food system that is also regenerative. Light dinner is available from 5:30-6:30 PM. 

A (Mostly) Passive Solar Greenhouse Design Workshop: On March 5th @ 6:00 PM-8:00 PM join them with co-host AU RAIC Centre for Architecture & Science Outreach – Athabasca at the AU Governing Council Chambers. Participants from around the food wheel—from producers to consumers, retailers to educators and beyond—will learn from each others’ perspectives and express ideas about actions to develop a more localized food system that is also regenerative. Light dinner is available from 5:30-6:30 PM. 

Greenhouse Business Innovation: On April 8th @ 5:30 PM-8:00 PM join them with co-host Athabasca County Economic Development at the Athabasca Regional Multiplex. This evening features a commercial passive solar greenhouse operator, as well as local Athabasca greenhouse operators, who will share insights from their successful greenhouse businesses – from accessing local markets and differentiating products to tackling the unique challenges of greenhouse operations. We’ll also explore how engaging the community in these operations can create lasting impacts, support local food systems, and drive community development. Light Dinner Available from 5:30-6:30 PM.

Community and Local Food Economy: On May 8th @ 5:30 PM-8:00 PM join them with co-host Town of Athabasca at the Athabasca & District Senior Citizens Society. Small communities like ours have incredible potential to build resilience and self-reliance through sustainable food systems and community-driven economic development. This event is an invitation to explore how residents can work together, build partnerships, and create a more connected, thriving local food economy and capture related benefits. Special guest to be announced! The evening will also feature a report from the Rural Food Production with Passive Solar Greenhouses project. This GoA-funded project by the Town of Athabasca with Athabasca University has been gathering information through 2024-25 to develop a feasibility report for a PSG in Athabasca. A recap of what we’ve heard and an update on the report will be shared. Light dinner is available from 5:30-6:30 PM. 

Registration is appreciated. Visit their website to register and learn more: www.athabascagrown.ca