Northern Vision Development (NVD) and Flat Creek Farms plan to bring a greener, fresher farm-to-plate experience to Yukoners.

Flat Creek Farms will provide NVD with locally-grown pork and other specialty meats for its hotel restaurants and banquet events, the two parties announced Wednesday.

The arrangement will allow for Yukon farmers to develop their business with guaranteed sales on the back-end, reducing risk and uncertainty while providing the hospitality industry with a steady supply of ethically raised, locally grown livestock.

“The demand for local produce, livestock and grains is skyrocketing,” said David Branigan, NVD’s director of food and beverage.

“We are looking to use this deal with Flat Creek Farms to show other producers the advantage of co-ordinating with local hospitality operators to partner on farm-to-plate Yukon offerings throughout the Yukon hospitality space.”

Branigan is the son of Don Branigan, a physician who served several terms as mayor of Whitehorse in the 1970s, the 1980s and up to 1991. He died in 1999.

“My father was a farming pioneer at the Branigan Farm on the shore of Crag Lake,” David recalled.

“I know he would have loved to have contract purchase orders waiting for his produce before he even put the seeds in the soil.”

By adopting this framework, NVD is committed to supporting the agriculture sector as a whole, he added.

Flat Creek Farms is located just outside of Whitehorse. It brands itself as offering “ethically-raised” pork, chicken, quail, and rabbit.

Through its partnerships with local chefs, Flat Creek Farms says, it can supply NVD restaurants with local pork recipes catered to the Whitehorse market.

“We are very pleased to be working side by side with NVD, bringing farm fresh food to Yukon locals and its visitors,” said Sonny Gray of Flat Creek Farms.

“This partnership will enable us to grow as a farm, leveraging guaranteed sales to expand herd size and infrastructure. The future looks bright for farms in the Yukon, and it’ll be the people of the North that reap the ultimate benefits.”

As the Whitehorse culinary scene develops, the two parties said, Yukon farmers will be able to walk in lockstep with the development of the local agricultural industry as a primary hospitality supplier.

“If the Yukon can convert even a third of its highway-delivered food stock over to the local farm market in the next five years, it’ll be big win for Yukoners health, for the environment and for local farmers, pubs and restaurants,” the two said in a statement.

Matt Douglas, also affiliated with Flat Creek Farms, said their special sauce is partnering with local high-end chef talent.

“By partnering with Luke Legault from The Wandering Bison, we are able to offer NVD with more than just locally raised product,” Douglas said.

“Extensive recipe development comes with unique and local flavours catered to the Whitehorse market. Chefs are the new rock stars, and we want to celebrate that up here in the North.”

NVD owns and operates four major hotels, five food and beverage outlets and extensive banqueting space, including the Yukon Convention Centre.