Whitehorse, Yukon (Rural Roots Canada) – Leona Watson is helping redefine what agriculture looks like in Canada’s North.

The Yukon-based farmer and former Nuffield Scholar is welcoming past Nuffield Scholars to the Canadian territory for Nuffield Canada’s 75th-anniversary celebration, a region that, for many of them, is uncharted territory, which is kind of the point.

“It’s the first time in the Yukon for a lot of these folks,” Watson says. “We’re just excited to feature what the Yukon has to offer. It’s a growing population, and we offer a lot of diverse things up here, including a small but growing agricultural sector.”

Watson, who earned her scholarship in 2011, brings more than just her planning skills to the event. She’s an example of what can happen when opportunity and dedication collide. A decade ago, she and her husband moved north to literally and figuratively break ground in a place where agriculture is not foremost on people’s minds.

“He purchased our first hunting area and off we went to the Yukon,” she explains. “We’re farmers and outfitters. I have a lot of horses to feed, so the plan is to grow as much hay and oatlege as we can. We’ve got a couple of quarters of land, some grazing leases, and a homestead we’ll actually be showcasing on the Nuffield tour, which I’m excited to show. I consider myself farming back in time, like 100 years ago. I’m breaking land from scratch, working with old equipment, but it’s been good.”

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For Watson, the challenges of farming in the Yukon are real. “It’s not for the faint of heart,” she says, “You always work around the challenges. We’re putting up an elk fence because elk can be a challenge. I put in an irrigation system because water is a challenge.”

Hauling in fertilizer and seed is also a challenge. “My trucking bill is expensive,” she chuckles. “Fertilizer comes from Dawson Creek, B.C., and seed comes from Fairview, Alberta. So, yeah, we work for it.”

Still, seeing the fruits of their labour makes it all worth it for Watson. “It’s done well. I thought it was just full of opportunity to come up here.”

Her Nuffield journey was also an opportunity that has benefited her many times over the years. She travelled the globe, from the U.K. to India, Australia and New Zealand, researching family farm succession planning. The exposure led to a speaking career that helped raise awareness about estate planning in the agriculture sector, a topic she remains passionate about.

“I feel fortunate to have had that opportunity,” she says. “It opened a lot of doors and helped get more agricultural folks thinking seriously about their futures and being progressive in their planning.”

Now, with Yukon’s rugged beauty as a backdrop, Watson is helping spread the word about the land she farms and the importance of broadening your horizons through Nuffield, just as she once did. This time, however, it’s not about faraway countries but the hard, beautiful, and stubborn land underfoot.

She wouldn’t want it any other way.

Rural Roots Canada is on the ground in the Yukon for Nuffield Canada’s 75th anniversary.