In August, JEDI completed our webinar series on Agri-Food & Agriculture. The recap of our 3rd session includes an overview of the programs and services provided by the Government of NB. The webinar provided an Overview of the Dept of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries, the NB Indigenous Agriculture Development Plan, the NB Food & Beverage Strategy, and ONB’s Business Navigator program.
OUR SPEAKERS INCLUDED:
Terry Sullivan is the Senior Advisor to the Assistant Deputy Minister at the Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries. Before working in this position, he graduated from the Forestry program at UNB and accepted a position with the Government of British Columbia in 2004 in Haida Gwaii where he started working closely with First Nations to find solutions to complex resource management issues.
Terry discussed:
Real opportunities that exist in agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries for interested individuals, businesses or Indigenous organizations
Supporting economic development and growth of the sector through strategic sector initiatives and programs
Promoting the growth and competitiveness of the fisheries and aquaculture sectors
Indigenous Projects & Initiatives
Listen to Terry’s presentation at 17:05 of the video.
Ryan Bourgeois is the Director of Industry Financial Programs for the NB Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries. The mandate of the Industry Financial Programs is to deliver financial assistance programs to support the development of the agriculture, aquaculture and fisheries sectors in New Brunswick.
Ryan discussed:
The Indigenous Agriculture Development Program
Supporting Indigenous Farmers to develop viable business plans
Navigating the complexities of farm finances and production costs
Listen to Ryan’s presentation at 29:50 to hear him discuss the Indigenous Agriculture Development Program details and other programs his department offers!
Jill Mulholland manages the Buy New Brunswick initiative and leads the renewal of NB’s Local Food & Beverages Strategy at NB’s Dept of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries. She is also a proud member of both Food for All NB and Farm to Cafeteria Canada’s steering committees and assists in efforts to provide healthy and local food options for all New Brunswickers.
Jill discussed:
Improving availability of local food and beverages, consumer awareness, and support for new/expanding food and beverage enterprises
Building a NB Local Food & Beverages Strategy that supports greater Indigenous participation in NB food & beverages sectors to create a stronger local food system in NB
Creating greater access to culturally appropriate food, Indigenous food ways, and ancestral recipes
Listen to Jill’s presentation at 38:00.
Melissa Gottschall holds an undergraduate degree in Finance from St.F.X. and an MBA from UNB. She has been with ONB for three years, holding positions as a Business Development Associate, Business Development Executive and is currently in the role of Manager of Business Navigation at ONB.
Melissa discussed how the Business Navigator Program helps entrepreneurs deal with things like:
Red Tape
Business Registration
Permits and Licenses
Listen to Melissa’s presentation at 53:30.
To watch the full webinar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbyIpI5Qujg
If you missed the other recaps, you can find them here:
Agri-Food & Agriculture Webinar Series Recap Week 1
Agri-food & Agriculture Webinar Series Recap Week 2
Stay tuned for our next blog post in this 5-part Webinar Series!