Pacific High School has a spring plant sale coming up next weekend.
The plant sale is a fundraiser for Pacific High School’s Farm to Table program, where students learn to grow and cook local veggies through the kitchen and garden facilities on site. Xóots Elementary School kindergarteners also participate in the garden program, planting Lingít potatoes in the spring, which they return to harvest as first-graders in the fall.
We’ve planted quite a variety of seedlings this year, from kale and cauliflower to tomatoes and basil and calendula and cosmos. For a more extensive list feel free to email school garden coordinator Andrea Fraga at middleislandgardens@gmail.com.
Join the UAF Cooperative Extension Service for an introduction to pruning techniques workshop with Casey Tennis from 10-11:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 30, at a Sitka location TBA.
Students will receive a solid base in the science and practice of selective pruning. This will include a demonstration on anything we have access to: deciduous trees, evergreen shrubs and possibly deciduous shrubs. Location TBA and will be sent to participants in advance.
The cost for this workshop is $10. Register at https://bit.ly/SitkaPruning. Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made seven business days in advance to Jasmine Shaw, jdshaw2@alaska.edu, 907-747-9440.
The 2024 Alaska Farmers Market Association annual summit takes place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, March 22-23, via Zoom. The theme is “Food for All: Rooted in Community”.
This year’s summit will feature two keynote speakers, a food access panel, a panel discussion on AFMA’s defined types of member markets, regional breakout rooms, technical assistance, marketing support, and more.
By JOEL HANSON / Transition Sitka president, Sitka Local Foods Network treasurer
Growing a community garden from scratch is no small feat, especially if you first have to look around for a suitable location. That can take some time, as we can attest.
It was a little over a year ago in January that a few of us from two nonprofit groups, Sitka Local Foods Network and Transition Sitka, joined forces to put energy behind establishing what the Italians appropriately call an orto di orto—a garden of gardens. And what have we got to show for it so far? Niente!
Actually, that’s not strictly true. If you turn off Sawmill Creek Road at the Post Office and go up Jarvis Street to the end, you’ll see a couple survey stakes stuck in the ground. They’re on the left, just before you get to the construction site where the Sitka Homeless Coalition has cleared an area for its cabin development.
Those stakes don’t look like much in the way of progress, but don’t be fooled. A lot of work has gone into putting them there. And if all goes according to plan, much more obvious signs of a Jarvis Street Community Garden will appear by mid-summer. Don’t expect it to look green and well-tended for a while yet, though.
There is much that needs to happen over the next few months to still leave a good portion of the coming construction season for earthworks. Before we can do anything on the ½-acre site besides take measurements and dream, we need to successfully bid on the Request for Proposal (RFP) that Sitka’s Planning Department expects to issue sometime soon for a “horticulture” project. Then we need to negotiate the details of a long-term lease. Then the city needs to write those details into an ordinance for the Assembly to consider and pass through two hearings.
Daunting as this may seem, the city’s administration and staff, as well as our Assembly, have been helpful and supportive of our efforts. Good progress is not an unreasonable expectation at this point.
The goal this summer will be to clear the parcel, fence the perimeter, and hang walk-in and drive-in gates. We’ll also harden a small portion of the site to accommodate a modest parking area and a garden support structure. The structure’s actual construction will commence in spring of next year. It will house a restroom, a tool storage area and an open shelter. Garden bed development will also begin next year.
When the Jarvis Street Community Garden opens in 2026, aspiring growers will have access to more than forty standard 10’ by 20’ plots to turn into their own home-away-from-home kitchen gardens.
2023 Sitka Farmers Market Manager Anastasia Stefanowicz, second from left, coordinates with volunteers before the July 15, 2023, market.
The Sitka Local Foods Network is seeking a manager to coordinate the 2024 Sitka Farmers Markets this summer. This is a contract position, and the manager receives a small compensation, depending on experience, for his or her contract work organizing the farmers markets this summer. The manager receives a monthly check for the five months from May through September.
We hoped to have our 2023 manager, Anastasia Stefanowicz, back for another season, but she decided to apply for school and will be leaving town before the season ends. We hope to have the new manager hired in time to do some training with Anastasia (and assistant manager Charles Bingham) this spring/summer, and Anastasia may be able to assist for one or two of the early markets before totally bowing out of the job. We thank Anastasia for her service last summer.
This will be the 17th year of operation for the Sitka Farmers Market, which features 6-8 markets during the summer from July through September. Market dates for 2024 haven’t been confirmed yet, but they usually run from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on selected Saturdays at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Founders Hall. We have requested June 29, July 13, 27, Aug. 10, 24, Sept. 7, and 21 for the 2024 markets. The Sitka Farmers Market is a fundraiser for the Sitka Local Foods Network.
The farmers markets feature booths from local farmers/gardeners, local fishermen, and artisans and craftspeople. These events are great Sitka gathering places, and we promote local foods and other local goods at the markets. The Sitka Local Foods Network hosts a farm stand at the market, with produce grown at St. Peter’s Fellowship Farm and a variety of Alaska Grown value-added food products.
In recent years we made some changes to the market, and those have helped it grow into one of the top markets in the state. We have an experienced assistant manager, who will help ease the load for the manager by doing most of the administrative work while the market manager handles the actual markets. The manager needs to be able to commit to being available for all of the markets this summer. In addition, the market manager needs access to (or a reliable friend with access to) a vehicle with a trailer hitch (we keep our market supplies in a construction trailer) and to the internet.
The manager’s main duties include recruiting and organizing the vendors for each market, hiring musicians and other entertainment, setting up and taking down the market tents and tables, managing the Sitka Local Foods Network farm stand, recruiting volunteers to help sell produce at the SLFN farm stand, helping the assistant manager make deposits and keep track of WIC/SNAP benefit matches, etc. The assistant manager handles market publicity, helps with set up and take down, helps sell produce, takes photos of people and vendors at the market, makes bank deposits, purchases Alaska Grown products to sell at the market (under consultation with the SLFN board of directors), etc. A detailed description of the market manager duties can be found at the link below. The farmers market manager has been a member of the SLFN board in recent years.
Applications should include a cover letter, resumé and three recommendations, and they are due by 10 p.m. on Monday, April 15. The market manager of the Sitka Farmers Market is a seasonal contract position that reports to the Sitka Local Foods Network board of directors via a board liaison. For more information or to submit applications, contact SLFN board president Charles Bingham at 1-907-623-7660, or you can email the SLFN Board at sitkalocalfoodsnetwork@gmail.com (please put “Sitka Farmers Market Manager” in the subject line).
Once we sign a contract with our market manager, we will announce a couple of pre-market meetings for potential vendors. We also will announce a spring class on cottage food business basics (in partnership with the UAF Cooperative Extension Service) for those thinking about starting a home-based food business, and students taking that class will receive a reduction on their first table fee from the Sitka Farmers Market in 2024.
The Southeast Alaska Master Gardener Course 2024 is open for registration. Classes will be held from 6-8:30 p.m. on most Mondays, February 26 to May 13, and two Saturday workshops, from 9 a.m. to noon on April 20 and May 11.
All community members from throughout SE and Coastal AK are encouraged to join! From Metlakatla all the way up to Kodiak, gardeners will find that the information, expertise and techniques taught will apply to our shared “mild” wet conditions unique to our very Northern NW Pacific Coast.
*All classes will be Zoomed for participants outside of Juneau’s face-to-face classes. Out of Juneau workshops are dependent on local capacity — see registration page for more info*
For this course, UAF Extension and local experts will provide about 40 hours of in-depth training to experienced gardeners and, in return, participants complete 40 hours of service through a range of educational and community projects. When complete, a rebate for $150 of the $300 tuition will be credited back to you.
All projects and service efforts will be supported. No worries about what you can or can’t do — we have a great Southeast Master Gardener community who wants to help you successfully garden and share your love of gardening with others.
Contact darren.snyder@alaska.edu with any questions. More information also can be found on the registration portal at bit.ly/SoutheastMG
Grant applications are open for the third round of funding in Alaska Micro Grants for Food Security program. The application period opened on Wednesday, Feb. 14, and they are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, March 15.
The program offers grants of up to $5,000 for individuals or $10,000 for organizations for a variety of food security needs — such as improving a family vegetable garden, buying a freezer to store meat, fence equipment to protect your garden from critters, building a greenhouse or chicken coop, purchasing subsistence supplies such as fishing nets, etc. Certain items are not eligible, such as firearms or ammunition, so consult the application.
This grant program is part of the last Farm Bill, when Sen. Lisa Murkowski included a section creating a series for annual micro grants for food security in Alaska, Hawai’i, and the Pacific territories (Guam, American Samoa, etc.). The money is part of the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) budget, and there is about $2.6 million available for 2024 Alaska projects, which will be distributed by the Alaska Division of Agriculture.
There is a priority given for grant applications from more food insecure communities, and they might pick up more in grant money. There is a 10 percent cost match for organizations winning grants. To learn more go to this link. Click this link for the application portal. Only one application per household. For more information, email dnr.ag.grants@alaska.gov or call 907-761-3885.
Producing crops in our maritime climate has its advantages, including long daylight hours during the growing season and mild “shoulder” seasons that allow for additional growing time when compared to other places in Alaska. It also has its challenges, of which farmers and gardeners here are acutely aware — too much rainfall and cool temperatures can persist throughout the growing season, impacting crop quality and quantity, and limiting the types of crops that typically can be produced.
Controlling the growing environment by covering the growing area can help improve growing conditions. Row covers or low tunnels can be used to cover individual beds and are both easy to install and maintain, or high tunnels can be used to cover larger areas but are more complex to install and require more active management of both the structure itself and the growing space they cover.
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) can help farmers and gardeners with identifying opportunities for conservation on their growing operations. NRCS works with individual growers to develop a conservation plan based on their objectives and resource concerns. Staff tailor plans to the site-specific conditions of the land where crops are grown, and develop alternatives for addressing resource concerns. Implementing the recommendations is voluntary.
Once a conservation plan has been completed, eligible lands and landowners may also qualify for financial assistance through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). The program includes funding for a variety of practices that can help improve crop quality and soil health, including low tunnels, high tunnels, nutrient management, crop rotation, cover cropping, and irrigation practices. EQIP contracts reimburse the producers based on current payment rates once the practices are installed to NRCS standards. EQIP applications are accepted continuously, though the first deadline for the current fiscal year’s funding is April 18, 2024.
Additional information about working with NRCS and about the high tunnel initiative can be found at the links below:
For more information, contact the Southeast Alaska NRCS Field Office located in Juneau at 907-586-7220, (Kathleen.Dilley@usda.gov or Samia.Savell@usda.gov). Click this link for more Alaska office contacts. Click here for the Alaska NRCS page link.
Sarah Lewis of the University of Alaska FairbanksCooperative Extension Service will teach a series of online Preserving Alaska’s Bounty classes about home food preservation. The classes will be held from 1-4 p.m. on Sunday afternoons, Jan. 7, Jan. 14, Jan. 21, Jan. 28, and Feb. 4 using Zoom. For more information, or to register, please visit bit.ly/PAB2024.
This course is designed to lead students through a series of food preservation methods, building on food safety knowledge and the development of skills for use in the home. Each module will start with a live lesson, instructing students on the topic and outlining the assignments to be completed for the module.
After completion of all modules, students will have both the knowledge and the experience to confidently continue preserving food in their homes. There is an optional exam available for participants who wish to become Food Preservation Educators within their home community.
There are important, but simple, food safety considerations when preserving food at home. In Alaska we preserve a variety of wild harvested meats, vegetables, fruits, and berries to ensure food security and nutrition through the non-harvest seasons. Alaskans also preserve their garden harvests for the winter months.
The preservation methods you will learn about (and practice in your own kitchen throughout this course) include: pickling and fermenting vegetables; boiling water-bath canning of fruits, berries, and pickles; pressure canning of meat, fish, and vegetables; dehydration of fruits and vegetables; making jerky; smoking fish. Other topics will include emergency preparedness, how to start a Cottage Foods business, and information about wild harvested plants. At the end of this course, students will feel confident that they have gained the skills necessary to safely preserve foods for the benefit of their household.
Those students who wish to receive a certificate of course completion and become a Food Preservation Educator within their home community may do so by attending all sessions, completing all assignments, and passing a final exam. Students who wish to become Food Preservation Educators must complete all assignments and pass a final exam to receive a certificate of completion.
Participants must be 16 or older (unless joining a household adult). The registration deadline is Sunday, Dec. 31. A course fee of $150 per household or Zoom connection includes one class textbook, which will be mailed to students. A 50-percent reduction is available if requested. The Preserving Alaska’s Bounty series will be taught by Sarah Lewis, an agent with the University of Alaska FairbanksCooperative Extension Service‘s Juneau District Office. Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made 10 business days in advance of the Jan. 7 start, to sarah.lewis@alaska.edu.
In addition to keeping 100 percent of the funds we raise from individuals like you, we have a chance to win a challenge grant of up to $1,000 from SeedMoney based on how much we raise over the course of the 30-day challenge period. The fundraiser goes live at 8 a.m. Alaska Time on Wednesday, Nov. 15, and we are competing against more than 400 other garden projects around the world.
The Jarvis Street community garden project is one of two community garden projects originally proposed by Transition Sitka and the Sitka Local Foods Network, which would fill a glaring need in this town since the Blatchley Community Garden was closed in 2016. This project will build a new half-acre community garden at the top of Jarvis Street, near where the Sitka Homeless Coalition is building a tiny home neighborhood for unhoused Sitkans.
The funds raised in this campaign will go toward the $2,000 cost of a survey on the proposed site, which is needed for permitting the garden. Even though the garden site has Sitka Assembly approval, there are preliminary hurdles, such as paying for a licensed surveyor to establish the garden boundaries. Transition Sitka will receive the funds from this campaign.
As extra incentives, SeedMoney is offering a $400 bonus grant to the campaign that raises the most in the first 24 hours and 50 $100 bonus grants to the 50 campaigns that raise the most during the first week. Your support on launch day can help us secure one of these bonus grants.
It was a little over a year ago in January that a few of us from two nonprofit groups, 
Sitka Local Foods Network 
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