March 8, 2022 by Charles Bingham

AARP Alaska, UAF Cooperative Extension Service team up to teach five-class garden series online

Join AARP Alaska and the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service for a free, five-part virtual series on gardening, from starting seeds to cooking with home-grown herbs (and more). Each event will feature a different speaker and new topic, so you can join one or all.

You can register to receive the meeting link or watch live at the scheduled time on the AARP Facebook page.

Gardening: How to Successfully Start Seeds at Home

Wednesday, March 30, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Join Glenna Gannon from the Cooperative Extension Service in this workshop and demonstration to learn the basics of starting seeds at home in Alaska. You will learn which start-up supplies are necessary and the simple techniques to successfully start your own seeds. The benefit of starting your own seeds is that you can choose varieties that work well for your specific growing conditions, choose from a much wider selection of varieties that are often not found at your local nursery, and save money on plant starts year after year once you’ve made the initial investment in seed starting supplies.

Gardening: Container Gardening

Wednesday, April 6, 11 a.m.to 12 p.m.

Join Gina Dionne from the Cooperative Extension Service in this workshop to learn about container gardening, which has become very popular, and for good reason! In this class, you will learn how to make creative use of container gardens to allow you to grow your own food on a sunny deck, windowsill and other non-traditional spaces.

Gardening: Growing and Cooking with Herbs

Wednesday, April 13, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Join Heidi Rader from the Cooperative Extension Service in this workshop to learn what herbs grow well in Alaska. Which ones come back (perennials) and which ones should you plant year after year? Which ones are easy to start from seed and which ones are easiest to grow from transplants or cuttings? Once you’ve started your herb garden, how do you use them in your everyday cooking? Learn about classic flavor combinations.

Gardening: Growing Vegetables in Alaska

Wednesday, April 20, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Join Steve Brown from the Cooperative Extension Service in this workshop to learn how growing bountiful veggies is very easy if you know the tips of the Far North. This presentation will show you the secrets behind planning, planting, season extension, fertilization and pest control.

Gardening: Love to Garden but Aches and Pains Getting in the Way?

Wednesday, April 27, 11 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Join Art Nash from the Cooperative Extension Service to talk about accessible gardening ideas. Barriers to growing can come from injuries when we are young or normal pains as we grow older. Yet there are adaptations in how we plan out growing areas, modify the growing area or use altered tools. This session will look at various build-outs and alterations that can hopefully help as you age in place — in the garden.

March 5, 2022 by Charles Bingham

Alaskans Own community-supported seafood program opens 2022 membership sales

Alaskans Own is excited to announce that seafood lovers throughout Alaska and Seattle can now sign up for Alaskans Own seafood’s 2022 monthly seafood shares, with the early bird sale starting on Monday, March 7.

This year marks the 13th year that Sitka-based Alaskans Own will deliver monthly shares of wild Alaska seafood directly to consumers through its community-supported fishery (CSF). Based on the widespread community-supported agriculture (aka, CSAs) model where people pay a farmer before the season for a share of the crop, CSFs are a way for people to buy a “share” of seafood before the fishing season, giving fishermen some certainty that they have a market before they head out to the fishing grounds. Founded in 2009 by the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association (ALFA), Alaskans Own is Alaska’s first and oldest community supported fishery and offers monthly seafood shares subscriptions in Fairbanks, Anchorage, Sitka, Juneau, and Seattle.

In 2022, all profits from Alaskans Own seafood sales will go towards ALFA’s Fishery Conservation Network and Seafood Donation Program. The Seafood Donation Program was created in 2020 in response to COVID-19 and the rise in demand for food assistance throughout Alaska and the greater Pacific Northwest region. Thanks to funding from Catch Together, Multiplier, The Alaska Community Foundation and affiliates Sitka Legacy Fund, First Bank of Alaska, Sealaska, Sitka Rotary Club, and a host of individual and business donors, ALFA was able to help deliver more than 640,000 donated seafood meals to more than 100,000 families in 2020 and 2021. Given the Seafood Donation Program’s success and continued food insecurity amongst thousands of Alaska households, ALFA is hoping to expand the Seafood Donation Program and use Alaskans Own’s monthly seafood shares sales as a way to help sustain it.

“As a Community Supported Fishery, community is at the heart of who we are and everything we do at Alaskans Own. Our top priority is to take care of our community, whether that’s by paying local fishermen a good price for their catch, providing our customers with premium quality fish, or ensuring that all Alaskans can have access to nutritious, wild seafood,” said Natalie Sattler, Alaskans Own program director. “When someone signs up for our monthly seafood share, they’re not only taking care of their family’s health, but they’re also directly supporting conservation of Alaska’s fisheries and seafood donations for families in need.”

This year will be the option again for Alaskans Own customers to choose from a selection of monthly seafood shares, including a seafood variety share, salmon lovers share, and white fish share. All monthly seafood share options feature hook-and-line caught wild Alaska seafood harvested by Southeast Alaska’s troll and longline fishermen.

“The challenges that we all experienced as a result of the Covid pandemic really reinforced for us at Alaskans Own that we want to do more than just deliver high quality seafood. We want our fish to do good for the greater good. We’re so grateful for our customers who believe in our mission and invest in it every time they buy seafood from Alaskans Own,” Alaskans Own founder, commercial fisherman, and ALFA executive director, Linda Behnken said.

To learn more about Alaskans Own’s monthly seafood shares and other seafood products, visit www.alaskansown.com.

March 2, 2022 by Charles Bingham

Check out the March 2022 edition of the Sitka Local Foods Network newsletter

The Sitka Local Foods Network just sent out the March 2022 edition of its monthly newsletter. Feel free to click this link to get a copy.

This month’s newsletter includes short stories about the upcoming Alaska Food Festival and Conference on March 17-19, an update on the launch of the 2022 Sitka Food Business Innovation Contest, an item about the opening of the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend application period (and Pick.Click.Give. application) on Jan. 1, an update about how you can support the Sitka Local Foods Network by buying a t-shirt or hoodie from our online store, information about our 2022 sponsorship programs, and an invitation to join our board of directors. Each story has links to our website for more information.

You can sign up for future editions of our newsletter by clicking on the newsletter image in the right column of our website and filling in the information. If you received a copy but didn’t want one, there is a link at the bottom of the newsletter so you can unsubscribe. Our intention is to get the word out about upcoming events and not to spam people. We will protect your privacy by not sharing our email list with others. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook, like our Sitka Farmers Market page on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (@SitkaLocalFoods).