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Assessment will determine Creston Valley agriculture learning needs

Questions will addressed in a community agriculture learning needs assessment when data is collected from March to August...
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Creston Town Hall is located on 10th Avenue North.

“What specific learning needs and opportunities exist in the valley when it comes to farming, food production, and food security?”

“What kinds of educational programs, services and facilities would best meet local needs?”

Those questions will addressed in a community agriculture learning needs assessment (CALNA) when data is collected from March to August this year.

In a presentation to council, College of the Rockies employees Nigel Francis and Laura Hannant said there is a lack of relevant educational programming, “not just in Creston, but across the country.”

“There is an opportunity in the Creston Valley to capture this new market and become a destination for agricultural education,” Francis said.

The purpose of CALNA is quite specific, he said.

“We know there is a demand for more education programs, but are they exactly? That is what we need to determine,” he said.

Partnering in the assessment are the College of the Rockies, Community Futures, Creston Valley Agriculture Society, Creston Valley Chamber of Commerce, Creston Valley Food Action Coalition, Friends of the Community Greenhouse, Kootenay Employment Services, Lower Kootenay Band and Prince Charles Secondary School.