Farmer Led Research Associate

 

 

Position Summary​

The Future Harvest Partnership is a multi-year collaboration between Wilfrid Laurier University, the Territorial Agrifood Association (TAA) and the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) Department of Industry, Tourism and Investment (ITI). Supported by an interdisciplinary team of leading academics from across North America, and informed by Indigenous Governments and traditional knowledge, the Partnership engages with food producers and local communities of the Northwest Territories to co-create research and generate useful insights for innovation and policy that can inform the development of a climate-resilient local food system.

 

The Research Associate will support the overall Territorial Agrifood Association Farmer-Led Research (FLR) network. This position is vital to growing the FLR program in the NWT, and for supporting project partners in building the capacity of food producers and community gardeners to conduct their own research and participate in research trials. As many NWT food producers already engage in some form of research, the Research Associate will help with the planning and logistics of on-farm trials and support the inclusion of food producers in research programs and pilots. This full-time position will report to the PI and be based out of Yellowknife, NWT. 

 

Accountabilities

The major accountabilities  of the position,

 

·       Work within the Territorial Agrifood Association (TAA) to facilitate NWT farmer led research trials

·       Work within the TAA to support NWT grower/harvester involvement in external research trials

·       Work with NWT Farmer Researchers to compose and disseminate research reports through the TAA

·       Conduct in house FLR trials

·       Provide on the ground/in the field support to NWT growers during field seasons

·       Conduct ongoing training for Farmer Researchers

·       Develop and share NWT food production expertise with an emphasis on small scale commercial production models

·       Organize NWT growers forums and technical training events under the TAA umbrella

·       Identify and seek additional farmer/grower engaged research projects

·       Conduct environmental scans and secondary research on key topics of interest to NWT growers and producers

·       Compose and disseminate routine reports for the Research and Project Management Team meetings

·       Liaise with the Research Team and respective Task Teams to provide support for their involvement with field tests and on-farm trials

·       Develop farmer-led research policy and procedure recommendations for the long-term sustainability of the project’s initiatives, in collaboration with the project partners

·       Other research activities, tasks and responsibilities as assigned by the PI.

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Qualifications

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Master’s degree preferred, or relevant experience, in Sustainable Agriculture, Agricultural Management, Geography, Environmental Studies, Biology, or other relevant subject area.

Experience supporting agrifood systems.