Meet 17 year old Liam Wade.  A senior in North Pole High School in Interior Alaska. He is self proclaimed Agriculturist, in fact he believes we are all Agriculturists in one form or another. His passion for Agriculture, Food Security and being a change leader in the agriculture revolution in Alaska is infectious and very inspiring.

He is bright, articulate, opinionated, has a great sense of humor, gives presentations all over the state and country about Agriculture in Alaska, he is also very knowledgeable about hydroponics, he grows Kale, Swiss Chard, Lettuce and all kinds of herbs in his school Hydroponic lab.

He is on the school’s cross-country ski and running teams, sits on Kids Voting board, represents the Fairbanks students on the Association of Student Government, active in Future Farmers of America, and he is a student representative on Fairbanks North Star Borough School Board. Somehow he finds time to even play video games. 

He strongly believes that Agricultural farming in Alaska is the future of farming in America. Such passion can only mean good things for Agriculture in Alaska. 

Take a listen!  You too will become a believer and be inspired. 

Chef George Easter not only creates magical cuisine that generates comments like, "he's a culinary genius", "his menus emulate the arctic skies", he is a strong food system leader. His focus is on being all that and also in creating upscale elegance in his restaurant where every plate tells a story. 

And what a story it is!  He deliberately and thoughtfully chooses local ingredients in every dish he prepares, this not only makes his menus unique and unexpected, it also creates a strong connection to the local Farmers, Ranchers and Alaskan Fisherman. 

George is Executive Chef at Latitude 65, a restaurant for the Borealis Base Camp in Fairbanks, Alaska.  George is also one of the top five chefs in Pacific Northwest. 

George is a strong supporter of local food systems, strong believer in sustainability and supports the community by holding charity dinners where all proceeds are distributed to agencies like Meals on Wheels and Soup Kitchen. 

He is a unique person that is strongly motivated and intrinsically inspired to give back to the community and believes that by supporting local farmers and ranchers he would strengthen their work efforts and inspire others to procure more, thus creating a demand so farmers can grow more. 

His dedication is extraordinary!  Please take a listen and if you are inspired by his story, please nominate him for the James Beard Award at... https://www.jamesbeard.org/awards/how-to-enter

It's a success story of creating a food and community focused market where community and vendors come together to provide locally produced and crafted food to the most insecure area in our city.   

Vendors line up every Tuesday to offer abundance of produce, eggs, baked goods, preserves, flowers, mushrooms, salsa, meat and seafood to the community.  There are discounts available to those who need to use them, no questions asked.  There is a free community meal every week, free to all, no questions asked. Last summer 4000 meals were served.

While this neighborhood is the most food insecure in our city, it is also a vibrant & active community with many members who participate in & support the Market.  

Along with the neighborhood steering committee, Calypso Farm, and Breadline, the Southside Market is coming into its TENTH summer. 

The Southside Market is dedicated to making quality, local food accessible to everyone. In their commitment to food justice, the Southside Market accepts SNAP (food stamps), WIC, Senior Farmers Market Coupons & offers “Pay What You Can” discounts – up to 50% off – to anyone in need.

A greenhouse rooted in tradition, Risse shows pride in what they sell. Their ongoing commitment and  focus on building relationships and education is exemplary.  Come meet this amazing family, listen to their story and aspirations.

Risse Greenhouse was started 65 years ago in Fairbanks, AK by Lee and Greta Risse.  They were both homesteaders and evolved from growing vegetables and flowers for themselves, then for neighbors, then supplying to other greenhouses to transitioning into being a wholesaler for Fred Meyers, a retail store. That relationship, became burdensome as Fred Meyer's corporate started to dictate and create policies that Lee did not subscribe to.  He went his separate way and the greenhouse became more of a retailer, selling to the people in the community. Or to "anyone that would drive out to the farm"

Lee and Greta's son Glen and his wife Crystal took the helm of the family business and it has evolved into what you see now as a large sprawling enterprise growing flowers, vegetables, as well as having a presence weekly at the Tanana Valley Farmers market. 

Its a wonderful history and story of a family that is rooted in tradition, and pride in what they do.  You will be inspired.

visit them at rissegreenhouse.com 

Meet Jodie Anderson, Director of Institute of Agriculture at UAF.  Don't let her laughing, bubbly and fun personality fool you, She is the force behind all good things that are happening at the IANRE.  She oversees the statewide complex IANRE, which is Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Extension.

Do you care?  You should!  All great things happening at IANRE we are familiar with. Like, Georgeson Botanical Gardens, experimental farms in Fairbanks and Matanuska Valley, 300 plus classes on everything gardening and preservation,  youth development through 4H programs, Nanook Gardens, Music in the Gardens, Currant Festival, THE recognized and honored Peony Research garden. 

What we don't see is the myriad of research that is going on behind the scenes in soils, forestry, crop management, root research, lighting research to grow better produce and plants, Its mind boggling.  UAF tomatoes and peppers anyone?

All this work supports the ultimate recipient of this work, the producers, or the farmers or people who garden at small or large scale.  Her mission is to help families grow more food, farmers produce more crops, and all citizens live a healthier lives.

Take a listen.  You'll fall in love with her and learn so much what's happening right here at UAF.  Visit, https://www.uaf.edu/ianre/

Georgeson Botanical Garden is the the farthest north accredited Botanical garden in the United States. Thousands of people from around the world have visited Georgeson Botanical Garden to look at the beautiful peonies that bloom 120 miles south of the Arctic Circle.  

Display Gardens include Alaska’s famous giant cabbages, A spectacular children’s garden that boasts a hedge maze that spans two acres, a collection of peonies that showcase 118 plus cultivars and a food demonstration garden that showcases variety trial research of food plants that are most easily adaptive to climate of interior Alaska.  Thus answering the question, "what grows well here" ?

Take a listen to the wonderful story of the original experimental farm in Fairbanks that started in 1906, and then transitioned in to the botanical gardens that started evolving in 1989.

If you time it right, every Thursday evening there is Music in the garden from mid May to mid August.  Its free.  Bring your family, friends, a blanket and a picnic and enjoy some of the best music in Interior Alaska.  

On this episode I speak with Callen Christensen about his work with the AFFECT program. What started as a grant to teach hydroponics, evolved into a three year curriculum to teach farming to interested and upcoming farmers who want to start their own farm, or work on a farm.  Tuition free, this program selects students, age range 18+, to enroll in a 15 week program that blends classroom as well as hands on experience on farms. The focus is on unique challenges and opportunities in Alaska climate and geography.

AFFECT provides an avenue for individuals interested in farming to gain the experience and knowledge needed to successfully start a farm business in interior Alaska. Being tuition-free, the AFFECT program is accessible to any and all individuals who are interested in farming, regardless of their background, socioeconomic status, etc. Students visit a multitude of local farms and receive hands on training from our local farmers. Additionally, students receive classroom training on business skills, and grow their own crops at various satellite farms. Students receive a Farm Pre-Apprentice Certification by the Fairbanks Soil and Water Conservation District upon successful completion of the program

AFFECT program has demonstrated many successes, lets keep the momentum going.

visit https://affectfarm.com

On this episode I sit down with Megan Schulze to learn about her small but diversified farm in Interior Alaska, called Frontieress Farm

She farms only one and a half acre of land and grows the full gamut of vegetables and over 30 varieties of flowers including tulips. TULIPS! Yes, and they are ready for Mother's Day no less. There is no mechanization on her farm, its all done by hand. Seven years into working on her farm, she is making a satisfying and viable career on her organic small farm.  Megan is a huge proponent of small, diversified farming. Take a listen to her story and her settling in Fairbanks, Alaska after traveling all over the world. Her produce and flowers are wildly popular and gone within a couple hours of market opening. She says, this is fun! and listening to her, I don't doubt it at all.

On this episode, I sit down with Ron and Margi Illingworth of North Pole Peonies, a commercial peony farm that has been successfully growing and exporting peonies for twenty years. They started this venture after retirement.  They are in their 80's now. Impressive!

Why Peonies? Because it turns out Alaska can grow peonies during June July and August when the rest of the world cannot.  There are no peonies to be found in the world except in Alaska.  This presented a huge opportunity for Illingworth family to grow and export peonies to lower 48 states and overseas.  

This is a family business, Ron and Margi’s daughter, son-in-law and grandkids are all engaged in this enterprise.  It’s a wonderful story of focused farming, niche marketing and perfecting distribution and shipments of a very perishable commodity. 

Hawks Greenhouse is celebrating its 65th year of operation this year, It’s three generations working together to continue the greenhouse that was started by Angie’s in laws, Elaine and Charles Hawks in 1960.

This podcast is the third in the Greenhouse series.  It's the inspirational story of Chuck and Elaine Hawks who traveled the ALCAN highway with three kids to Alaska in search for a better life for their family.  Chuck and Elaine were homesteaders and procured 160 acres of land where they lived, raised seven kids and embarked on establishing the ever growing, evolving the beautiful Hawks Greenhouse. Now in its 65th years, the greenhouse is going through another iteration. A new location, bigger greenhouses, bigger storefront and ability to keep expanding and supporting the community as only they can.