Art Nash taught "Extending the Growing Season with Sustainable Heat," which covered how growers cost-effectively meet energy needs with germinating and matured plants of different varieties. Different types of heat and fuels were explored that can be used to get extra months of growth before breakup and after first frost. Classes were taught the evenings of March 25 and 30.
DeShana York was on the planning committee to assist with coordinating the first- ever Alaska Women in Agriculture virtual conference. As a follow-up to the Alaska Women in Ag Conference, registration closed more than two weeks early after 300 people (the maximum number) signed up. The largest number of people who attended the Zoom conference at one time was around 185. At the end of the conference, 160 people were still online. The morning started with a yoga session. A video was shown of the Kenley family, a four-generation farming family in Palmer. A powerful and empowering message was delivered from spoken word artist Dasha Kelly Hamilton. There were three 20-minute "Flash Four" presentations, each having four women in agriculture from across the state. The topics were industry leaders, homesteaders and innovation, and youth in agriculture. A farmer's co-op panel presented on ways to work together differently. Two breakout sessions with approximately 40 rooms with facilitators allowed for networking in various topic or region groups. Senator Lisa Murkowski recorded a video that was played - defining and supporting all of the wonderful things women in Alaska are doing in agriculture. Throughout the conference, chat questions and Zoom polls provided interaction for participants. A video, "Remembering our Roots," was played during the lunch break and the conference ended with giveaways. Feedback from participants has been amazing with 92 completing the post-conference survey. Expectations were surpassed for networking and gathering of information that female farmers are most interested in learning more about through sharing and training. The data shared and collected will be a huge benefit for the AK AgrAbility project to assist with programming needs.
Submitted by DeShana York