Is change always good? A U.S. Geological Survey party at work, near present-day Talkeetna.Stephen R. Capps Collection, UAF Rural Alaska in the 1950s–60s–70s was rugged, with community members pulling together to face good times and bad; any individual member or family could need help at any time, and all shared in opportunities. Quality of daily […]
Talkeetna Reflections: 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 »
Do more farms mean more production for Alaskans? In his self-satisfied memoir—written after serving two terms as Alaska’s fifth governor–Jay Hammond, in his book Tales of Alaska’s Bushrat Governor, reflects on …major disappointments in my second term. One, deemed by many the biggest blunder of my administration, was an attempt to promote Alaska agriculture. [1]
Steps to Food Security for Alaska: Are Alaska Agriculture Efforts Working? Read More »
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 »
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 »
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 »
Battle Dawgs take Combat Veteran Care to the Next Level (2019©donnliston.co) The Battle Dawgs base camp near Talkeetna. It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, more vengeance, more desolation. War is hell. –William T. Sherman In 1836 the Pilgrims
An Alaskan Way to Repay Service Read More »
(2019©donnliston.co) The romantic notion of owning an historic Alaska Roadhouse became a reality for young Trisha Costello in 1996 with the help of a personal loan from her dad. Over the decades since she has kept the Talkeetna Roadhouse open year-round, paid her father back, provided jobs for a community of some 800 people, and learned a
The Historic Talkeetna Roadhouse Read More »
BY DONN LISTON (2019©donnliston.co) May 20, 2018 Must Read Alaska: http://mustreadalaska.com/pitching-power-hope-willow-ranch/ CONGRESSMAN YOUNG TO ATTEND SATURDAY FUNDRAISER BY DONN LISTON SPECIAL TO MUST READ ALASKA A dream for many who have developmental disabilities is to do things most people take for granted. Too often they’re parked in “assisted living” venues to mark their days on a calendar.
Pitching in for power to Hope Willow Ranch Read More »
