Alaska

The Alaska AgrAbility project participated in the 2022 Alaska Farm Convention & Trade Show, which was held at the Egan Center. The event started on Friday, November 11, Veterans Day, with a presentation of the colors by the UAA Army Color Guard in recognition of those with military service.

More than 25 vendors attended the trade show, with the CES-Anchorage Outreach Center, Anchorage 4-H, AKAgrAbility, and the Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program represented. In addition, there were more than 23 faculty and staff in attendance from the Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources & Extension (IANRE); 11 of them also presenting on a variety of topics.

Filipe Leite, "The Long Rider", presented the keynote speech at Friday's banquet. He talked about how he made the journey from Calgary, Canada all the way to his family's home in Brazil via horseback. He discussed the trials he faced as well as the beauty of humanity. People who had nothing gave him the shirt off their back literally or food they really couldn't afford to give away but did anyway. It was his life's goal to complete this trip and he ended up being one of the youngest to ever make the journey. He made a point to say that if you write something down, it is more likely you will follow through and make it happen.

The Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Extension (IANRE) participated in many fun and interactive ways. Faculty presented talks ranging from the health of plants to the soil and the slugs that eat them. Floriculture and rhodiola were topics that got lots of foot traffic. The AKAgrAbility team staffed a vendor booth at the trade show. DeShana York and Art Nash did a presentation on AgrAbility and showcased some clients on the trade show stage educating and informing the ag community of the resources available to them.

Another highlight from the event was that Roger Tormoehlen, Professor of Agricultural & Biological Engineering at Purdue University, was in attendance as a vendor at the trade show. Roger has been affiliated with the Indiana AgrAbility project over the years and it was great to chat with him about his work. Thanks to Roger for attending this statewide event and sharing information on production agriculture safety training for youth.

Submitted by DeShana York