Hometown, Alaska - Alaska Public Media

It's not always easy to find locally grown or raised food items in Alaska, but you might be surprised at what is out there. Kyla Byers is a founder and owner of Arctic Harvest Deliveries. The company specializes in supplying produce, meat, eggs and artisan grocery products from local, Alaskan farmers and food entrepreneurs around the state. Byers tells us how the business got started, about supplying home cooks and professional chefs alike and what we can do to ensure our state’s food security. Later in the show Sherry gives cooking tips on how to prepare some of these local ingredients.

HOST: Kim Sherry

GUEST: Kyla Byers, founder/owner, Arctic Harvest Deliveries

LINKS:

Arctic Harvest Deliveries

Kim's Alaskan Chowder | PBS Food

Roasted Alaska Beet Sauce with Pasta – Alaska Girl Eats

3 Layer Alaska Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting – Alaska Girl Eats

Sockeye Salmon Bahn Mi – Alaska Girl Eats

Alaska’s Latino community has roots stretching back long before statehood. In fact, according to Gabriela Olmos Rosas, a doctoral student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Alaska’s Latino roots can be traced back to Ketchikan in the 1910s.

“Alaska was having an attractive economy back then based on gold, and later on oil,” explains Rosas. “[Alaska] had a male workforce for a long time and there are many immigration documents for men. Not long ago, I found an immigration document for a woman dating back to 1945, and I think it's remarkable to start seeing women's presence in early Alaska.”

Rosas’ passion for telling the story of Alaska’s rich Latino history led her to partner with Itzel Zagal, Alaskan nonprofit Enlaces and the Anchorage Museum to curate the exhibit Nuestra Huella, or “Our Footprint” in English.

The exhibit features photographs, community stories, historical research, artworks and cultural belongings from museum collections.

“I feel like as Latinos, we have often felt unseen. We have often felt invisible. Our stories have been told from a third a third a person perspective,” says Rosas.

For Rosas and Zagal, the exhibit is a celebration of Alaska's Latinx history and culture told by the people who lived it.

“[Nuestra Huella] brought a sense of recognition that I think our community deserves and was needing. And that should not stop here. I feel like the recognition of all the communities in Alaska is an ongoing process. I mean, we Latinos and all different communities need to keep opening spaces for our stories to be heard,” says Rosa.

Nuestra Huella will be on display at the Anchorage Museum through April 13, 2025.

To learn more about the project, visit nuestrahuellaak.com.

Sit back, relax and listen to these eerie stories to get you in the mood for Halloween. The first segment features local authors reading their works. We hear from Jamey Bradbury, Kellie Doherty and Lindsay Belle Sobolik, who writes as LB Blackburne. The second segment features local actors from the Midnight Summit Ensemble—Kalli Denali Randall, Elyssa Loughlin and Shanice Lawton—performing "Imaginary Friends" by Jeffrey James Keyes.

HOSTS: Dave Waldron/Ammon Swenson

GUESTS:

Jamey Bradbury, author

Kellie Doherty, author

Lindsay Belle Sobolik as LB Blackburne, author

Kalli Denali Randall, theater director/actor

Shanice Lawton, stage manager/actor

Elyssa Loughlin, actor

LINKS:

Jamey Bradbury website

Kellie Doherty website

LB Blackburne website

What is one part improv, one part concert, and one part musical game show? The answer is the concert series Parlor in the Round. The eclectic group will be debuting their 10th season on Thursday, October 17 at the Bear Tooth Theater. Host Dave Waldron sits down with Parlor in the Round founder and producer Kevin Worrell and musician Selma Casagranda, who will be performing at the upcoming event. They discuss the history of the program, how it works and give us a taste of what to expect.

GUESTS:

Kevin Worrell, founder and producer, Parlor in the Round

Selma Casagranda, musician

LINKS:

Parlor in the Round website

Tickets

PITR Facebook

PITR Instagram

Join us for an interview with Alaska legend and Anchorage birder, Mr. Whitekeys. We dive into the best birdwatching spots around the city and explore the incredible variety of bird species that call Alaska home. From bald eagles soaring overhead to the rare sightings of migratory birds, Anchorage offers birders a unique experience. We’ll also talk about how you can get involved in local birdwatching events and discover the hidden world of birds in your own backyard.

HOST: Kim Sherry

GUEST: Mr. Whitekeys, President, Anchorage Audubon Society/Alaska legend

LINKS:

Anchorage Audubon Society

Anchorage Audubon Facebook

Alaska Department of Fish and Game: Bird Species of Alaska

ADFG: Birding Checklists and Resources

This week on Hometown Alaska we’re diving deep into the fascinating world of fungi! From foraging wild mushrooms in Alaska’s untamed wilderness to cultivating them right here in the Anchorage—we explore the magic of mushrooms with a local expert from Far North Fungi, Gabe DeGange. He gives host Kim Sherry mushroom cooking tips, discusses health benefits and lays out other helpful fungi facts.

HOST: Kim Sherry

GUEST: Gabe DeGange, co-owner, Far North Fungi

LINKS:

Far North Fungi website

US Forest Service: Mushrooms of the National Forests in Alaska

iNaturalist: Mushrooms of the National Forests in Alaska

This week we’re getting up close and personal with some of the smallest, but most important residents of Alaska—the insects! Whether they’re buzzing around in the midnight sun or helping to keep our wild spaces thriving, Alaska’s bugs have fascinating stories to tell. Host Kim Sherry is joined by entomologist Alex Wenninger to find out about the diverse species of insects in the state, how to plan your garden for bug success and citizen science projects.

HOST: Kim Sherry

GUEST: Alex Wenninger, Entomologist, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Cooperative Extension Services

LINKS:

UAF Cooperative Extension Service

State of Alaska epidemiology bulletin about ticks and tick-vectored diseases in AK

"Alaska beetles survive unearthly temperatures" - Ned Rozell

Alaska Integrated Pest Management program: weeds/insects submission portal

Alaska Bee Atlas

Submit-a-tick

iNaturalist - Non-Marine Arthropods of AK

iNaturalist - Alaska Lady Beetles

iNaturalist - Alaska Forest Health Observation

Join host Kim Sherry on a tour of the Alaska Zoo with Education Director Rich Capitan. On the walking tour, we hear the sounds, smell the scents and talk about the zoo’s animal residents. We hear about the unique history of how our zoo got started and learn some interesting facts about the local fauna that we share this great state with.

HOST: Kim Sherry

GUEST: Rich Capitan, Education Director, Alaska Zoo

LINKS:

Alaska Zoo website

Facebook

Instagram

True-crime podcasts and television are popular, but why exactly is that? What is it about the seedy underbelly of society that draws us in? On this Hometown, Alaska we learn about the earliest criminals of Anchorage and why their stories are still filled with intrigue 100 years later. We're joined by historian and columnist David Reamer who discusses his recent article in the Anchorage Daily News.

Reamer will be giving a talk about Alaska representation in film in the Bear Tooth theater on Saturday, September 14 at 11 a.m.

HOST: Dave Waldron

GUEST: David Reamer, historian, Anchorage Daily News Columnist

LINKS:

"An up-close look at Anchorage’s earliest criminals" - Anchorage Daily News

David Reamer's "Histories of Alaska" column

There is nothing quite like the state fair whether it be the food, the performers or the fact that Alaskans from all over the state are drawn to it no matter their ages or interests. On this next Hometown, Alaska host Dave Waldron and producer Ammon Swenson talk with some of the people that make the fair such a treat, whether it's the workers or those in attendance.

HOSTS:

Dave Waldron

Ammon Swenson

LINKS:

Alaska State Fair website

State Fair daily schedule

State Fair calendar