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The short and unforgiving Northern growing season has thrown down the gauntlet to the people of the region: find a way to grow more local produce or continue to rely on expensive imported fruits and vegetables for fresh fare. An innovative army of researchers and agriculturalists are meeting that challenge by working to develop a Northern greenhouse that will pave the way for commercial greenhouse operations.

One such innovator is Simone Rudge, an instructor at the School of Academic Skills Development at Yukon College in Whitehorse. As the co-owner of Aurora Mountain Farm, which specializes in certified organic produce, she combined a passion for agriculture with the college’s Northern Greenhouse Research Project. Under the collaborative program, students learned about growing techniques specific to the Yukon climate, while testing energy innovations and growing fresh produce.