January into February has had Alaskans facing exceptional weather events throughout the state, from freezing & thawing to extreme wind events being referred to as "winter hurricanes." In some parts of the state, thousands were without power for several days, and roof collapses happened due to excessive snow loads. Some farmers are concerned about their crop insulation and what the spring will bring for the next production season. While 2022 has been a rough start up North, everyone is looking forward to spring and more daylight as the days are beginning to get noticeably longer.
While waiting for spring, the Alaska AgrAbility (AKAgrAbility) team has been active in doing some outreach and educational events and planning for the coming season. As mentioned previously, the AKAgrAbility program has partnered with the Kenai Peninsula Soil & Water Conservation District (KP-SWCD) Office to offer a seven-part series titled "From the Ground Up," which is currently underway. Extension staff and faculty as well as other partner organization experts from NRCS, FSA, and the Division of Forestry, have come together to bring practical information for those considering growing a business this coming season. This virtual series has been quite popular, showing a demand for information of this kind. Three hundred people registered for the Zoom series, which was the maximum allowed, causing a waitlist to be formed. Those who cannot attend the live session are being sent the recording of the live session the day following.
DeShana participated in two convenings around food systems and food security in Alaska. The first was initiated by a volunteer organization in Anchorage that formed out of the pandemic called "Anchor Gardens," where education and outreach is at the heart of getting resources to people around the city to grow their own food. The second was sponsored by the Alaska Food Policy Council through a grant from USDA that was engaging leaders in food systems work to assist with mapping assets and priorities for the Anchorage area's local food system. Both of these sessions were very engaging and offered a great opportunity for AKAgrAbility to be represented at the table.
Submitted by DeShana York