Sitka Conservation Society

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Second Sitka Food Summit to take place on Monday, April 22

Join Transition Sitka and the Sitka Local Foods Network for the second Sitka Food Summit on Monday, April 22. This event will explore findings, offer feedback, and view the information collected for the 2024 Sitka Community Food Assessment.

Come by Harrigan Centennial Hall any time between 6-8 p.m. on Monday, April 22, for dinner, a chance to win prizes, and to participate in an informal data-sharing event.

The inaugural Sitka Community Food Assessment was a project from the 2012 Sitka Health Summit and was published in 2014. Since it’s now a decade later and the data in the original assessment is obsolete, an update has been in the works. This event will present some preliminary findings before the new assessment is published.

The Sitka Community Food Assessment examines where Sitka residents get their food, what types they eat, what they grow, what they hunt and fish for, where they shop, what type of access people have to healthy food, and other questions about Sitka’s food supply. The findings of the food assessment will help Sitka improve its food security.

Callie Simmons has been coordinating the updated assessment, with mentorship from Lisa Sadleir-Hart who coordinated the original. During the project they had a community survey that had nearly 400 responses, led several focus groups, and more. For more information, contact sitkafoodassessment@gmail.com.

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Sitka Conservation Society receives $300,000 grant from Indigenous Animals Harvesting and Meat Processing grant program

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack on Dec. 7, 2023, announced the first grant recipients under the Indigenous Animals Harvesting and Meat Processing Grant Program, as well as advances in Forest Service co-stewardship with Tribes. More than $7 million will support tribal nations in Alaska. The Sitka Conservation Society received one of the grants.

Secretary Vilsack made the announcements at the 2023 White House Tribal Nations Summit, where Tribal leaders gathered for nation-to-nation conversations with President Biden and senior administration officials on key priorities, new policies, and critical issues facing tribal nations.

Two tribal nations in Alaska are receiving Indigenous Animals Harvesting and Meat Processing Grants in the first round of funding:

  • The Alutiiq Tribe of Old Harbor is receiving a $1 million grant to buy and modernize an unused processing facility that will help the community address food shortages due to climate change. Members of the tribe live in a remote village accessible only by boat or small plane. Severe weather can delay food deliveries, and algae are depleting fishing stocks. The funding will allow the tribe to increase the amount of local game and fish they can process using traditional methods. This includes meat from the Sitkalidak bison herd the tribe manages.
  • The Tribal Government of St. Paul Island is receiving a grant of more than $668,000 to re-establish a local reindeer meat processing operation at the Aleut Community Store. The Aleut community will use the grant to develop a program to harvest, process, market and sell local reindeer products. The project will increase the availability of locally sourced organic meat products and drive profits back to the island. It also will help tribal members remember, relearn, and practice traditional herding techniques important to the cultural heritage of the island.

At the Summit, Secretary Vilsack announced a partnership with the Sitka Conservation Society to create a new curriculum to educate rural citizens, especially Alaska Native Youth about the Federal Subsistence Management Board, which manages fish and wildlife for subsistence uses on federal public lands and waters in Alaska. The Sitka Conservation Society will receive $300,000 through a cooperative agreement to support this endeavor.

“Subsistence and traditional and customary resources are extremely important to the people of Southeast Alaska,” Sitka Conservation Society Executive Director Andrew Thomas said. “The forest and waters provide food that takes care of families and households throughout the year. Ensuring that the fish, animals, shellfish, kelp, plants, fungi, and everything else that is harvested and gathering is managed and protected in ways that support the long-term opportunities for us to use and depend on these resources across generations is essential for food sovereignty and food security in rural communities across Southeast Alaska. This program will help educate the next generation of Southeast Alaskans on how they can participate in the stewardship of these natural resources through the federal subsistence management program, which is critical for ensuring that the food resources and traditions that have long supported communities to thrive in Alaska will continue to do so in the future.”

In 2023, the Forest Service signed 120 new co-stewardship agreements, and nearly tripled annual co-stewardship investments with tribal communities. These co-stewardship agreements incorporate Indigenous knowledge such as traditional plant management and ethnobotany, cultural interpretation, and traditional land stewardship methodologies and techniques.

These agreements mark important milestones in relationship-building with tribal governments and are significant advancements in the co-stewardship of the ancestral lands of tribal nations. Alaska’s first co-stewardship agreement is:

  • Co-stewardship of the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area: The Forest Service and the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida have implemented a Memoranda of Understanding on co-stewardship of the Mendenhall Glacier Recreation Area. This agreement will ensure that the history and cultural connection tribes have to the glacier and the surrounding lands are represented through cooperative interpretive programs.

Coinciding with the White House Tribal Nations Summit, Secretary Vilsack, the Chair and Ranking member of Senate Indian Affairs, and the House and Senate Agricultural Committees named 11 new members to the inaugural USDA Tribal Advisory Committee. This is a permanent committee created by the 2018 Farm Bill to ensure Tribal perspectives are well represented at USDA and to ensure the Department’s policies and decisions are informed by the unique Nation-to-Nation relationship.

For more information on co-stewardship agreements with tribes, visit: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/31d169da03704089b28080c7e707bbc0.

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Sitka Conservation Society to host annual Wild Foods Potluck and Annual Meeting on Sunday, Nov. 19

Join the Sitka Conservation Society for its Wild Foods Potluck and Annual Meeting.

This event will be held on Sunday, Nov. 19, at Harrigan Centennial Hall, with doors opening at 5 p.m. All are welcome to attend. Please bring a dish featuring local wild foods to share.

For more information, contact info@sitkawild.org or call 907-747-7509.

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Sitka Community Food Assessment Team thanks those who helped with food security survey

Thank you, Sitka, for taking, sharing, and supporting the Sitka Food Security Survey! Our survey ran from September to the end of October, and we gathered more than 400 responses. This survey is part of a larger effort to better understand food security in Sitka and capture the ways in which we can make it easier for all Sitkans to have access to affordable, nutritious, and culturally relevant food. We are so grateful for the outpouring of support and for each person who took time out of their day to complete the survey.

This work is a result of a partnership between the Sitka Local Foods Network and Transition Sitka, both local nonprofits with a vested interest in food security in Sitka. We are grateful to the dedicated members of those organizations who donated their time to help spread the word about the survey, especially Charles Bingham, Leah Mason, Barbara Bingham, and Toby Campbell. This work would not be possible without the dedicated support and guidance of our steering committee which include community partners at the Sitka Tribe of Alaska Social Services Department, The Sitka Public Library, Sitkans Against Family Violence, Blessings in a Backpack, Sitka Conservation Society, and UAF Cooperative Extension Services.

A special thanks to the organizations and events in town that shared and hosted the survey including the Sitka Sound Science Center, the Sitka Public Library, Indigenous People’s Day, Coffee with Elders, Southeast Alaska Independent Living, UAS Sitka Campus, AC Lakeside, Sitka Homeless Coalition, Sitka Sentinel, and Raven Radio.

Gunalchéesh, thank you for your support in this work! We plan to share results from the survey in early spring. If you would like to be added to our listserv to receive updates, including summary survey results, please email sitkafoodassessment@gmail.com.

In gratitude and service,
The Sitka Community Food Assessment Team

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Sitka Conservation Society to host annual Wild Foods Potluck on Sunday, Nov. 13

The Sitka Conservation Society is thrilled to once again be able to invite the community to its Wild Foods Potluck.

Join us beginning at 5pm on Sunday, Nov. 13, at Harrigan Centennial Hall for an evening celebrating the connections that bind us together: food, community, and this place we call home.

Please bring a dish featuring ingredients that were fished, foraged, hunted, or cultivated in Southeast Alaska. Doors will open at 5 p.m. and dinner will begin at 5:45 p.m.

This event is open to the entire community. Come celebrate Alaska’s wild food bounty. Prizes will be awarded for generosity, presentation, and tastiness. This event is open to the entire community.

The Sitka Conservation Society could never pull off an event this big without help from volunteers, members, and our community. Interested in volunteering at the potluck or want more information? Contact info@sitkawild.org or call 747-7509. Current members should be able to pick up their 2023 SCS calendar at the dinner.

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Sitka Spruce Tips/Alaska Way Of Life 4-H Club to host three-part Spectacular Salmon! series for ages 7-older

The Sitka Spruce Tips/Alaska Way Of Life 4-H Club will host a three-part Spectacular Salmon! series for youth ages 7-older.

During this series, youth will learn the ecology of salmon, practice their filleting skills, create reflective art, and connect with local community members.

Sessions take place from 3-4:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, Oct. 12, 19, and 26, using Room 29 at Keet Gooshi Heen Elementary School as a home base (note, locations may change depending on the program for the day). Location changes will be announced at least two days in advance of the move. A 4-H volunteer will be available in Room 29 by 2:40 p.m. each session day.

The Sitka Spruce Tips/Alaska Way Of Life 4-H Club charges a $20 per month supply fee, and scholarships are available. Participants must have an annual membership in 4-H to participate.

The Sitka Spruce Tips/Alaska Way of Life 4-H program is co-sponsored by the Sitka Conservation Society and the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service. For more information, contact Anna Schumacher at 907-747-7509 or anna@sitkawild.org.

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Sitka Conservation Society brings back Fish to Schools coho donation drive

The Sitka Conservation Society is excited to bring back its Fish to Schools coho donation drive after a couple-year hiatus due to the pandemic. This year’s drive is in full swing and will run through mid-late September. Thanks to the F/V Mindalina for its recent donation of 50 coho to the program.

To participate, simply tell your processor how many pounds or the number of coho you want to donate when you offload and they will record it. Yelloweye rockfish overage is also welcome. If you are a freezer-troller offloading at the Samson Tug and Barge Dock and would like to donate fish, look for the Fish to Schools tote or coordinate with Kurt Ainslie.

Thank you to all fishermen for their support of the Fish to Schools program year after year, helping increase access to healthy local seafood for youth in Sitka and ensuring the program remains a success.

Contact Kylee Jones at kylee@sitkawild.org or call 907-738-7232 with any questions or for more information.

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Sitka Spruce Tips/Alaska Way Of Life 4-H Club to offer Fall Wild Edibles Series in September

Join Sitka Spruce Tips/Alaska Way of Life 4-H Club for four sessions celebrating wild edibles through identifying, harvesting, and processing from 3:30-5 p.m. on Wednesdays Sept. 7, 14, 21, and 28.

All ages are invited to learn more about local mushroom, bog, berry, and salmon species. There is a supply fee of $10. Scholarships are available.

The Sitka 4-H club is supported through a partnership between the Sitka Conservation Society and the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service.

The first step is to register for 4-H at http://4h.zsuite.org/ (all participants must be registered with 4-H to be on the organization’s insurance policy). 

Contact emily@sitkawild.org for more information.

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Sitka Kitch to host Cooking With Culture class on how to make tortilla soup with Nalani James

Are you a tuxedo corn lover? Join the Sitka Kitch as Nalani James teaches our first in-person class since March 2020 on how to make tortilla soup as part of the Cooking With Culture class series. This class takes place from 4-6:30 p.m. on Saturday, July 9, at the Sitka Kitch community commercial kitchen, located in the basement of the Sitka Lutheran Church.

Summer is here and house-made tortilla soup is a good way to keep your soup bowls on the table. Summer is corn season and tuxedo corn is coming to the party. This soup has a beautiful array of colors to electrify your senses. Nalani chose this because she loves tuxedo corn from the Southwest. Corn has a short season and should be celebrated. There will be vegetarian and dairy-free options as well. Note: this is not a “grain-free recipe.”

Nalani has offered many classes in Sitka and has been successfully teaching to the community special dishes to her soul. This is the second year of her Cooking With Culture class series.

The class cost is $40, and we need at least eight people registered to make the class happen. Ingredients are provided in the registration price. Students may want to bring a container for leftovers.

This is our first in-person class indoors since the start of the pandemic (we did hold a couple of campfire cooking classes last year). With Covid-19 still being around, we are monitoring Sitka’s Covid-19 risk levels. Right now, Sitka has a Medium/Moderate risk level, which means face masks are encouraged in the kitchen but not required. If our risk level goes back to High, we will require masks in the kitchen.

Current (paid) members of the Sitka Food Co-op are now able to attend the online classes for $30 each (the co-op will cover the other $10 of your class fee). Please use the Sitka Food Co-op ticket when you register and  email  sitkafoodcoop@gmail.com letting them know you’re in the class. (NOTE, Only one person per Co-op household may use the Co-op discount per class. Please name that person when you register so the name can be checked against the Co-op membership list.)

The registration deadline is 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday, July 6. Space is limited, so register early to secure your place in the class. You can register and pre-pay using credit/debit cards or PayPal on the Sitka Kitch EventSmart online registration page, http://sitkakitch.eventsmart.com (click on class title). For those wanting to pre-pay with cash or check, please call Kylee Jones at Sitka Conservation Society (747-7509) to arrange a payment.

For more information about the class, contact Jasmine Shaw at 747-9440. We occasionally offer one scholarship spot per class for people with limited incomes, provided we still have enough students registered to make the class happen. Contact Jasmine or Kylee at SCS for more details about the scholarship.

The Sitka Kitch is supported in partnership by Sitka Conservation Society with UAF Cooperative Extension Service. This class is a fundraiser for the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen.

Students should enter the Sitka Lutheran Church downstairs through the back entrance (through the alley off Harbor Drive by the old Bev’s Flowers and Gifts location). The door on the right should be open for students to enter. Please do not park in the church’s back parking lot. Please use the public parking lots off Harbor Drive.

The Sitka Kitch also has a new class cancelation policy. If you register for a class, then find out you can’t attend, please email us at sitkakitch@sitkawild.org and we may be able to help fill your slot through our waiting list. If you cancel from the class at least five days in advance (eg, by Wednesday the week before for a Monday class), you are eligible for a partial refund of your class fee, minus $5 for processing (in this case, $35 or $25, depending on if you are paying full price or getting the Sitka Food Co-op discount). If you need to cancel with less than five days advance notice, there is no refund.

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Sitka Kitch to host online class on starting a cottage foods business

Learn what the basics of starting and running a cottage foods business as Sarah Lewis teaches students how to Start a Cottage Foods Business from noon to 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 15, via Zoom.

This class is a fundraiser for the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen, and also is designed to help vendors prepare for the upcoming Sitka Farmers Markets hosted by the Sitka Local Foods Network.

Sarah Lewis — the home, health and family development agent for the Juneau office of the UAF Cooperative Extension Service — will teach this class by videoconference from Juneau. Students will learn about state laws regarding home food businesses, and get ideas for businesses you might take to the Sitka Farmers Market or local trade shows. The first hour will be spent discussing rules and regulations, and the second part of the class will be for questions and answers.

The class fee is $10, and the funds go to the Sitka Kitch. Class space is limited, so register early. The registration deadline for this class is 11 p.m. on Monday, June 13. The Sitka Local Foods Network is offering students of this class half off their Sitka Farmers Market vendor fee for the first market of the season where they host a table. Representatives from the Sitka Local Foods Network/Sitka Farmers Market and (hopefully) the Sitka food safety office of the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation are planning to attend so they can answer any questions potential cottage foods business owners may have.

Register online at https://sitkakitch.eventsmart.com/ (click on class title) and pre-pay using credit/debit cards or PayPal. To pre-pay by cash or check, contact Kylee Jones of the Sitka Conservation Society at 907-747-7509 or info@sitkawild.org to arrange payment. For more information about the class, contact Jasmine Shaw at the UAF Cooperative Extension Service Sitka District Office at 907-747-9440.

The Sitka Kitch is supported in partnership by Sitka Conservation Society with UAF Cooperative Extension Service. These classes are fundraisers for the Sitka Kitch community rental commercial kitchen.