Alaska Economy

Challenges from Anchorage

Matanuska Brewing Company Innovates  (2021©donnliston.co) Dining in our own bubble; Waneta Borden, Bill Borden, Brenda Borden and this writer, recently had a wonderful meal at Matanuska Brewing Company in Eagle River. Matanuska Brewing Company owner Matt Tomter believes his business absorbed the pandemic shutdown better than some other area businesses because of innovation to safely […]

Challenges from Anchorage Read More »

The Sorry State of Alaska Agriculture: Kodiak Island Area Beef Production

Opportunity Lost The State of Alaska has a high opinion of the value of Agriculture Land, which includes Agricultural Homesteads with Agricultural Rights Only, and Fee Simple land with Agricultural Covenants. Perhaps that is why so little ag land is in production in Alaska. It is just too valuable to allow much of it to

The Sorry State of Alaska Agriculture: Kodiak Island Area Beef Production Read More »

Alaska has Food Security Options

Addressing Alaska’s Hierarchy of Needs This is an update of a story that first appeared February 10, 2021. Alaskans are generally stuck at the bottom of the 5-level pyramid of human needs defined in Abraham Maslow’s 1943 paper, A Theory of Human Motivation. His 1954 book “Motivation and Personality” expanded on this theory and remains a

Alaska has Food Security Options Read More »

Who is Making a Difference?

 Realities of Alaska Food Security (2020©donnliston.co)   Familywith food on the table have many problems. Familywith no food on the table have one problem.                                                                                                                        

Who is Making a Difference? Read More »

Alaska’s Economic Sweet Spot

  The Mat-Su Valley   State Economist, Neil Fried recently explained the impact of theChina Virus Pandemic to a Mat-Su audience. (2020©donnliston.co)   The Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development announced on October 16 that September jobs in our state are down 11.0 percent from last September; a loss of some 37,600 jobs. A

Alaska’s Economic Sweet Spot Read More »

Who Dares to Farm in Alaska?

  The Future of Alaska Food Security Rayna Reynolds, 9, is a farm girl in the Matanuska Valley. (2020©donnliston.co) When 200 farm families were selected from three mid-western states to be moved to Alaska’s Matanuska Valley for a farming experiment in 1935, nobody was certain what would happen. During the early 1930s Alaska agriculture was in

Who Dares to Farm in Alaska? Read More »

Eaglexit’s New Validation: Financial Study by Northern Economics

(2020©donnliston.co) The latest financial study is in. It brings good news to the communities of Chugiak, Birchwood, Eagle River, Eklutna and Hiland Road in the goal to form their own local government. The study, conducted by Northern Economics, shows there is more than adequate tax base for a new city to be born.  Old timers

Eaglexit’s New Validation: Financial Study by Northern Economics Read More »

Alaska’s economy down from China Virus: Who Can Afford to Live in Alaska?

This large book was given to every Alaska Legislator during the 30thSession in 2018 by Gov. Bill Walker, who personally inscribed amessage of hope through partnering with Communist China forresource development.  Alaska has always had a tenuous economy, buffeted by winds of boom and bust. Most economic winds are generated by capacity for natural resource

Alaska’s economy down from China Virus: Who Can Afford to Live in Alaska? Read More »

Scroll to Top