ALASKA FOOD SECURITY is a crisis compounded since 200 farming families from the midwestern US were brought to the fertile Matanuska Valley to try and eek out a living during the Great Depression. Later, during WWII between 5,000-6,000 head of cattle provided sustenance for our troops on Kodiak Island. Today we don’t have enough cattle statewide to feed Alaskans for more than a month or two. Commercial ag land is limited to 450-acre plots and mostly hobby farms supply produce for Farmer’s Markets.
It’s under control, Folks… Notice to International Readers: This site can be read in six languages. Just peck the popup at the bottom of the page to change from English. Ang site na ito ay mababasa sa anim na wika. I-peck lang ang popup sa ibaba ng page para magpalit mula sa This writer’s growing […]
Legislative Task Force to Assure Alaska Food Security Read More »
Food for Thought for Alaskans Alaskans take a lot of things for granted when it comes to food security in this state. And, while we live in the Polar Climate Zone our ability to create local food sources beyond what comes from other places is evolving. Unfortunately, public policy for food security is woefully inadequate
Alaska’s Soviet Style Food Security Program Read More »
How Can Alaska Gain True Food Security? This updated story was first published June 5, 2020 Alaskan grown beef prepared for market at Mt. McKinley Meats & Sausages. Alaskans know when calamity strikes we can expect to see responding events happen fast. The November 2018 earthquake was such a wake up call–and the pandemic of
Meat is Essential! Read More »
To Dream the Impossible Dream… Let’s imagine our elected State of Alaska officials–who like to blow smoke about Alaska Food Security–suddenly made land available for Commercial Agriculture… IMAGINE 10,000-acre parcels dedicated to serious farming endeavors instead of current 460-acre parcels where farmers do each other’s laundry. Such fantasy SOA Ag offerings would require successful bidders
Can a Ready Veteran Workforce Assure Food Security? Read More »
Alaska food security means different things to people in various regions of Alaska. When this writer lived in Southeast Alaska my freezer was filled every summer with fish and deer, but I was not so keen on spending a lot of time foraging for berries. In speaking recently with a food security advocate who lives
Seeking Local Alaskan Food: Mariculture Options for Food Security Read More »
Bill Borden: The Man, the Legend, the Publicity Stunt… Original title: Iditarod teaches Lessons in Georgia In early 2022 Bill Borden had this Instagram Account although he had not owned dogs in more than a decade. He ran the race once in 2002 coming in almost last as a promotional stunt for his Atlanta, Georgia
Seeking Alaskan Truths in 2021 (2021©donnliston.co) Living the Alaskan Lifestyle is by definition active. Sitting at a computer screen or looking at a phone are not active pursuits. So, having lived the Alaskan Lifestyle 60 years means I have mostly found my groove in dealing with demands of Alaskan Life—I’ve done enough Alaskan stuff
Mt McKinley Meat & Sausage owner, Greg Giannulis hands keys off to Todd Elsberry, new owner of the Palmer slaughterhouse, upon its recent sale. The slaughterhouse formerly known as Mt. McKinley Meats and Sausages (MMMS) has been lease-purchased by a North Pole Farming family and will return to processing red meat for Alaskans soon. The plant had been shut
Palmer Slaughterhouse Gains new Owners Read More »
MatSu Food Bank Builds Community MatSu Food Bank Executive Director, Eddie Ezelle, took me for a tour of the organization’s new facility on Blue Lupine Rd. in Wasilla. At any given time there are as many as 18 Food Pantries in the Matanuska Susitna Valley providing nutritious food to local residents, some supplied by the MatSu
Feeding Alaskans in Mat-Su Read More »
How Agriculture Works in Alaska (2021©donnliston.co) The theme of the long-time Spenard bar fits many, but not all, Alaska farmers. Alaska gardeners are familiar with the work of Jeff Lowenfels, a local authority on plants and gardening, who together with Wayne Lewis wrote a book called Teaming with Microbes for those who want
Let’s talk about Fertilizer Read More »
