Last Frontier Locavores - Recently Updated Pages

Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs)

estereditor — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:16:44 CDT

CSAs are a program whereby you, the consumer, buy a subscription or "share" at the outset of or before the growing season, and then get a weekly delivery of veggies and other products during the growing season. This section is organized by location and then by farm.

An Alaska CSA producers' and small farmers' association is in the process of forming. They have a web community at http://akcommunityag.ning.com. Contact Anne-Corinne Kell of Spring Creek Farm or Mike Emers of Rosie Creek Farm for more information.

Bethel

Meyers Farm - Tim Meyers, PO Box 30, Bethel, AK 99559; (907) 543-1270, meyersfarm@gmail.com

Fairbanks

Arctic Roots Farm - Chris Dubois and Nancy Davidian, 1293 Esro Road, Fairbanks, AK 99712; (907) 488-9800, arcticrootsfarm@alaska.net

Basically Basil - PO Box 83271, Fairbanks, AK 99708; (907) 479-2089; basbasil@mosquitonet.com

Calypso Farm & Ecology Center - PO Box 106, Ester, AK 99725; 451-0691; info@calypsofarm.org

DogWood Gardens - Cheryl & Bill Wood, Ester AK 99725; 451-0061

Feedback Farm - Theo DeLaca, 585 Henry Hahn Court, Fairbanks, AK 99712; (907) 488-5993

Grey Owl Garden - Matt Springer, Ester AK 99725, aegolius@gmail.com

Pingo Farms -Kurt Wold,Goldstream Valley,Fairbanks, AK 99709; 479-7997

Rosie Creek Farm - Mike Emers & Joan Hornig; P.O. Box 181, Ester, AK 99725;Tel. 907-479-3642; www.rosiecreekfarm.com;rosie-ck@mosquitonet.com.

Spinach Creek Farm - 5181 Murphy Dome Road, Fairbanks, AK 99709. Phone: 455-6043. Pete and Lynn Mayo, proprietors.

Wild Rose Farm - Eric Mayo & Susan Kerndt; 2431 Lawlor Road; PO Box 83271, Fairbanks, AK 99708; (907) 479-6363.

Homer

Twitter Creek Garden - Emily Garrity, 60831 Andrey Lane, Homer, AK 99603; (907) 235-2621; twittercreekgardens@gmail.com

Palmer

Arctic Organics - Sarah and River Bean, 1305 North Smith Road, Palmer, AK 99645, (907) 746-1087, info@arcticorganics.com

Glacier Valley Farm - Arthur Keyes and Alison Arians, customerservice@glaciervalleycsa.com

Spring Creek Farm - Anne-Corinne Kell, 6404 N. Lossing Road, Palmer, AK 99645, (907) 746-2795, fieldschool@alaskapacific.edu

Skagway

Jewell Gardens - Charlotte Jewell, PO Box 535 Skagway, AK 99840, (907) 983-2111, info@jewellgardens.com

Restaurants

JNUcycle — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 01:10:51 CDT

While restaurants serving Alaska wild salmon are pretty easy to find, other types of local food are rare. Here's where to list any places serving other local foods. Organized by location. Please include which menu items contain local foods.

Fairbanks

Alaska Coffee Roasting Company - Geist Road. Uses Alaska Grown produce in season.

Alaska Salmon Bake - Pioneer Park. Uses Alaska salmon, Alaska Grown produce.

Bamboo Panda - Alaska Grown produce.

Brewsters - Alaska Grown products.

Bun on the Run - Alaska Grown products.

Chena Hot Springs Resort uses geothermal power to heat its greenhouses and produces vegetables for its restaurant. Read about it here.

El Sombrero Mexican Restaurant--downtown. Uses Delta Meat's breakfast sausage.

Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge - Alaska Grown produce and products.

Hot Licks - Alaska berries, Alaska Grown products

Ivory Jacks - Alaska Grown products

L'assiette de Pomegranate - Alaska Grown produce

LaVelle's Bistro - Alaska Grown products

Lemon Grass Thai Cuisine - Chena Pump Plaza. Uses local herbs and vegetables in its dishes, in season.

Pike's Landing - Alaska Grown products and produce

The Pump House - Chena Pump Road. Alaska Grown produce, wild meats, alternative livestock

Sam's Sourdough Cafe--University Ave. Serves reindeer sausage. I'm assuming it's Alaska grown. Anyone know for sure?

Two Rivers Lodge - Alaska Grown produce

Juneau

Thane Ore House - salmon and halibut (bought off the local boats); http://thaneorehouse.com/

Local Foods Direct

JNUcycle — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 01:06:48 CDT

Where to buy local foods directly from the farmer or maker. Organized by food type and then location.

Alcoholic Beverages

Glacier Creek Distillery - PO Box 1433, Palmer AK 99645; 382-6250; makes Permafrost Vodka, produced with Alaska potatoes

Butter

Interior

Papa's Greenhouse--PO Box 56604, North Pole, AK 99705; 907/488-7326. Delivers to Fairbanks weekly.

Dairy (Milk, Cheese)

Interior

Northern Lights Dairy--Hc 60 Box 3300, Delta Junction, AK 99737-9333. See Local Foods Retail page for sources.

Southcentral

Cheese Futures Campaign--907-746-0044. New dairy in Wasilla (name?) is selling cheese in a manner similar to a CSA: pay now, cheese later. Intended to help the farmers affected by the Mat Maid closure. Dairy will eventually have other dairy products, too. See Resources page for ADN article on this.

Eggs

Interior

Papa's Greenhouse--PO Box 56604, North Pole, AK 99705; 907/488-7326. Delivers to Fairbanks weekly.

Chickenlips Farm - 4185 Kallenberg road FBK 99709 Drop off or pick up, due to demand please call about 1 week ahead. 907457.3950. Duck, goose, and chicken eggs.

Honey

Lance Gillette--Local Alaskan Honey in Fairbanks. 451-0109 or lancegillette@alaska.net

Ice Cream

Interior

Hot Licks Ice Cream--P.O. Box 82963,Fairbanks, Alaska 99708; (907) 479-7813. Available yearround in restaurants and grocery stores and summers at direct outlets on College Rd. and So. Cushman.

Jams & Jellies

Interior

Lilyvale Farm -- PO Box 57402, North Pole, Ak 99705; (907) 488-0446 or lilyvale@awcable.com Saskatoon, blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, black and red currant, lowbush cranberry, & pepper jelly. Available at Tanana Valley Farmers Market, local bazaars, and by request.

Meat

Interior

Delta Meat & Sausage Co.--P.O.Box 350, Mile 1413 Alaska Highway, Delta Junction, AK 99737, 1-800-794-4206 or
(907) 895-4006; www.deltameat.com; deltameat@wildak.net. Delivers to Fairbanks weekly.

Raspberries

Lance Gillette. Fairbanks. Located near the bottom of Ester Dome Road. Upick sometimes available. Tel. 451-0109 or lancegillette@alaska.net

Salmon

Taku Smokeries--550 South Franklin Street, Juneau, AK 99801 Mail Orders; store at the cruise ship docks; 1-800-582-5122

Farmer's Markets

estereditor — Thu, 14 May 2009 12:24:54 CDT

Where to buy locally farmed or produced goods in a market setting. A new farmers' markets association has formed, Alaska Farmers Markets Association. Organized by location and then by market.

Anchorage

Anchorage Downtown Market & Festival - 3rd Avenue between C & E streets, Anchorage. Contact Bill Webb, (907) 272-5634, info@anchoragemarkets.com. May - September, Saturday & Sundays, 10 am to 6 pm.

Anchorage Farmers Market - 1420 Cordova Street, Anchorage. Contact River Bean, (907) 746-1087, beans@alaska.com. May - October, Saturdays 9 am to 2 pm.

Northway Mall Wednesday Market - 3101 Penland Blvd. at the Northway Mall, Anchorage. Contact Bill Webb, (907) 272-5634, info@anchoragemarkets.com. July - October, Wednesdays 9 am - 4 pm.

South Anchorage Farmers' Market - two locations: Saturdays, May 9 - October 3, 9 am - 2 pm, Subway/Celluar One Sports Centre at the corner of Old Seward and O'Malley; Wednesdays, July 1 - September 30, 10 am - 4 pm, behind the Dimond Center, in front of the Dimond Center Hotel. Contact Alison Arians and Arthur Keyes (use webform).

Copper Center

Copper Valley Community Farmers Market--MM 101 Richardson Hwy Loop Rd, between post office and Copper Center Lodge. Phone 907 822-5608, contact Doug Vollman, vollman@cvinternet.net. Saturdays every other week June-Sept. 9 am to 12 noon

Dillingham

Dillingham Farmers Market, by the hockey rink in Dillingham. Mark & Toni Hermann. June-September, Saturdays 11 am to 1 pm.

Delta Junction

Highway's End Farmers Market -- behind Visitors Center. Ph 907 895-4215, contact Lynn Bundy, (907) 895-4752, deltariver48@yahoo.com. Wednesdays & Saturdays May - September, 10 am - 3 pm.

Eagle River

Eagle River Farmers Market - Eagle River VFW Post parking lot. Contact Lynn Mattison, (907) 696-4839, mattison@ak.net. May - September, Tuesdays, 3 to 7 pm.

Ester

Ester Village Farmers' & Craft Market, at the Ester Community Park. Contact the market manager, market@esteralaska.com, or Monique Musick for more info, photosynthesisak@yahoo.com or 457-3279, www.esteralaska.com. June - August (possibly September also), Thursdays 4 - 8 pm.

Fairbanks

Tanana Valley Farmer's Market--College Rd. & Caribou Way -2600 College Road Fairbanks, AK Phone/Fax 907 456-3276 farmersmarket@mosquitonet.com

Glennallen

Kenny Lake Harvest - Corner of Glenn and Richardson highways at Glennallen. Contact Matt Lorenz, (907) 320-1067, matt@loveofgardening.net. June - September, Fridays 3 - 7 pm. (see also Valdez)

Haines

Haines Farmer Market - Payson's Pavilion in the fairgrounds. Contact Sid Moffatt, (907) 766-2696, sidmoffatt@hotmail.com. May - September: 5/30, 6/27, 7/11, 7/25, 8/8, 8/22, 9/12, 10 am to 1 pm.

Homer

Homer Farmers Market - Ocean Drive, Homer. Contact Paul Castellani, (907) 235-0703, fourcasta@yahoo.com. June - September, Wednesdays 3 - 6 pm & Saturdays 10 am to 3 pm.

Juneau

Juneau Farmers Market - Juneau Arts and Culture Center. Contact Eva Bornstein, (907) 523-2330, sustainablejuneau@gmail.com. Once only: August 29, 9 am to 2 pm.

Kenai

Kenai's Saturday Market - Kenai Visitor & Cultural Center. Contact Harold Piland, (907) 283-1991, harold@visitkenai.com. May - September, Saturdays 10 am - 5 pm.

Nenana

Nenana Open Air Market, Parks Highway and Main Street. Contact Miles Martin at (907) 832-5239 or miles@mtaonline.net. May-September, Saturdays, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Nikiski

Nikiski Senior Center market - Nikiski Senior Center, 50810 Island Lake Road. Contact Leigh Hagstrom-Sanger, (907) 776-7654, leigh@nikiskiseniorcenter.org. May - September, Wednesdays 11 am - 1 pm.

Palmer

Palmer Friday Flings - pavilion across from the Visitor's Center. Contact Stacie Stigar, (907) 746-6245, fridayfling@mtaonline.net. May - August, Fridays (except July 3rd) 11 am to 6 pm.

Sitka

Sitka Farmers Market - ANB Hall, 235 Katilian Street. Contact Kerry MacLane, (907) 752-0654, maclanekerry@yahoo.com. July - September, Saturday 10 am - 1 pm: 7/18, 8/1, 8/15, 8/29, 9/12.

Soldotna

Soldotna Wednesday Market - Soldotna Creek Park, behind Don José's. Contact Annette Villa, (907) 252-7264, akvilla9@yahoo.com. June - September, Wednesdays 10 am - 4 pm.

Trapper Creek

Trapper Creek Farmers Market - post office parking lot. Contact Diane McCown, (907) 733-2790, ddmccown@gci.net. June - September, Saturday 11 am - 5 pm. Wednesdays later in the season.

Wasilla

Wasilla Farmers Market - behind Wasilla Public Library. Contact LeRoi Heaven, (907) 376-5679, lemarhea@hotmail.com. June - September, Wednesdays 11 am - 6 pm.

Willow

Willow Farmers Market - Willow Community Center parking lot, Parks Highway. Contact Dean Davidson, (907) 495-1112, ninadean@mtaonline.net. July - September, Fridays 2 - 7 pm.

Resources

estereditor — Thu, 07 May 2009 15:51:02 CDT

Need help identifying mushrooms, learning to properly can salmon, or applying for a fishing license? Or maybe you just want to read more about it? This is the place for listing classes, articles, and other useful links. Organized by resource type.

Classes and workshops

UAF's Cooperative Extension Service offers a wide variety of classes in gardening in Alaska, food preservation, and building a small business. Courses are offered in several locations throughout the state and year round.

Interested in growing your own food? Check out the Master Gardening course offered by the Cooperative Extension Service. The Master Gardeners course is a twelve week class that, contrary to its title, assumes that you know absolutely nothing about gardening. The class starts from square one and the students are usually a mix of novice and experienced gardeners. Students have the option of paying a large fee and doing no volunteer time or paying a relatively small fee and putting in 40 garden-related volunteer hours. The Extension Service is very flexible about when and how you do your volunteer time.

UAF's Department of Plant, Animal and Soil Sciences and Georgeson Botanical Garden has credit classes in soils, plant culture, plant propagation, greenhouse management and provides workshops on request on a variety of garden-related topics. Check out what's available at 474-6921.

Fairbanks

UAF Summer Sessions includes classes in mushroom identification by Prof. Gary Laursen.

Calypso Farm and Ecology Center offers evening and weekend workshops ecological gardening throughout the year.

Organizations and groups

The Fairbanks Community Cooperative Market is a group trying to develop a local coop market for organic and natural foods. Hopefully, this will include local products. Their blog is regularly updated.

Don't have space for a garden where you live? Contact the Fairbanks Community Garden. For a small fee ($30.00 a year plus a refundable $20.00 deposit) you can rent a plot. The Community Garden supplies the dirt, water, some basic tools, a big fence, and a port-a-potty. You supply the seeds and manual labor. Very nice site at the very end of A Street (back in the woods) in Hamilton Acres, a stone's throw from the river. The deposit is refundable if you participate in their annual clean-up day or do other work for the garden.

Of course, you're going to need compost for your garden and the nice folks at Golden Heart Utilities have got plenty for you. Check out their compost page here. It's safe to garden in and smells nice and clean. The price is right, too--$15.00 per standard pickup load or $5.00 per cubic yard for dump truck loads. Be forewarned, however--the black gold goes fast especially in the spring so be ready to move when the GHU announces its availability.

The Georgeson Botanical Garden Society supports all activities at the UAF Georgeson Botanical Garden including volunteer, educational and fundraising activities. Check it out athttp://gbgsociety.org.

Publications

Articles and Newsletters

New article on Fairbanks locavores by Glenn BurnSilver in April 5, 2009 issues of Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. Article is entitled "More Alaskans Trying to Keep Food Source Local: Locavore Living Growing Movement in Fairbanks" and quotes our own AnnieLou among others.

Read this article by Eric Troyer of the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner for a compilation of local food sources in Fairbanks.

Anchorage Daily News' four part series by reporter S. J. Komarnitsky on trying to eat completely locally for one week.

Here's an article about a new program for Cheese Futures to help support the dairies affected by the Matanuska Maid closure. Local cheese, finally!

Outpost Agriculture is a monthly column about local agriculture and food ethics by anthropologist Phil Loring, appearing in The Ester Republic.

Linden Staciokas, a local writer and gardener, has two articles on-line that may be of interest: eating your garden weeds and clever ways with left-overs.

Books

Like a Tree to the Soil: a history of farming in the Tanana Valley, 1903 to 1940. Josephine Papp & Josie Phillips, published 2008. This book has biographies of farmers, gardeners, greenhouse operators, dairy farmers, and poultry ranchers, as well as discussions of what they grew, the organizations they formed, and generally giving a good overview of how the Tanana Valley was almost self-sufficient agriculturally for its early history.

Movies

Alaska Far Away: The New Deal Pioneers of the Matanuska Colony, Justerhill Productions, 2008. Documentary. This film is a history of the Matanuska Colony's founding.

Eating Alaska, by Frankenstein Productions, 2009. Documentary. This movie is about and made by a vegetarian and former city dweller now living on an island in Alaska and married to fisherman and deer hunter. It is a journey into regional food traditions, our connection to the wilderness and to what we put into our mouths.

Website resources

Alaska Grown is the official source for Alaska products certified by the State of Alaska. The site includes a directories of Farmer's Markets and Alaska Grown producers.

The Ethicurean blog, while not Alaska specific, includes essays on food ethics and eating locally, and has great recipes, too.

UAF's School of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences has numerous publications on local food production.

Check out a variety of publications at the Georgeson Botanical Garden athttp://www.uaf.edu/snras/gbg/pubs/publications.html

Kim Sollien publishes a blog through the Anchorage Daily News website called AK Root Cellar. It's focused on eating locally efforts in Southcentral Alaska, but also includes information on national and international food issues.

Michael Pollan had a provocative and interesting essay in the NY Times entitled: "The Food Issue: Farmer in Chief", an open letter to the President-elect, noting how eating locally is closely tied to other national issues such as energy independence, health care, and climate change. I was particularly struck by how similar Alaska's agricultural situation is to the Third World countries he talks about.

Besides being a great seed company, Fedco http://www.fedcoseeds.com/seeds.htm has an interesting discussion of the state of the seed industry. Check out the link on the right side of the page labeled Monsanto buys Seminis.

Other Locally Made Products

coldspotfeeds — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 19:24:39 CDT

Where to find locally made non-food items such as lotions, yarns, and traditional crafts. Organized by product.

Lotions

Alaska Feed Company--1600 College Road, Fairbanks, AK; 451-5570 (carries "Far Above Rubies" brand).

Cold Spot Feeds, Inc. -- 910 A Old Steese Highway, Fairbanks, Alaska, 457-8555 (carries "Far Above Rubies" brand).
www.coldspotfeeds.com - TOLL FREE # (AK ONLY) 1-800-478-7768

Soaps

Alaska Feed Company--1600 College Road, Fairbanks, AK; 451-5570 (carries "Far Above Rubies" brand).

Cold Spot Feeds, Inc. -- 910 A Old Steese Highway, Fairbanks, Alaska, 907-457-8555 (carries "Far Above Rubies" brand).
www.coldspotfeeds.com - TOLL FREE # (AK ONLY) 1-800-478-7768

Clothing

Blueberry Baby--Chena Pump Plaza, Fairbanks, AK; 374-2772 (focus on organic baby items, but also carries local and Alaskan made items for the whole family including slippers, hats and other hand made dry goods on consignment)

Local Foods Retail

estereditor — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 18:20:17 CDT

Where to buy local foods in stores or other retail outlets. Organized by location and then by store. Please include what types of local goods may be found in the store.

Fairbanks

Gold Hill Store--3040 Parks Highway, Fairbanks, AK; 479-2333. Eggs, milk, meat, mead, potato chips.

Alaska Feed Company--1600 College Road, Fairbanks, AK; 451-5570. Eggs, milk, meat, honey.

Last Frontier Locavores Home

annielou — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 20:47:22 CST

Search the terms locavore and Alaska and you get snarky comments like this: "This [eating locally] is all well and good for people living in California, but how’s the local produce in Alaska?" from You Are What You Don't Eat, or, plaintive cries such as this woman who says she can find "no fruit within 100 miles but strawberries and for protein: only salmon, if they're running, and if one has a car to get to a fishing spot (from Locavores and 100 Mile Dieters)." Apparently, most people think of us a giant frozen wasteland, all the time. So, okay, Monday's high was -37 and this morning we woke up to nearly a foot of snow. It is January, after all--it's supposed to be wintry (I know, you non-Alaskans are thinking there is wintry and then there is hell, frozen over). But, it's still moose hunting season and my blue potatoes have only just started sending out ghostly fingers. I also have plenty of frozen carrots, purple cauliflower, and wild blueberries--and it's not as if freezer space is a problem--there's alwaysoutdoors!

So we only have three months of growing season--it's three months of 24-hour growth. None of that wimpy stuff like, say, night to interfere with all the photosynthetic goodness. This is the land of Giant Cabbages and 1,000 pound pumpkins, 55 pound squash, etc. (Don't believe me? Check out the Alaska State Fair). All it takes is a bit of planning--and a lot of canning jars--to get you through the winter. This wiki is designed to help with that.

Once you've become a member of the wiki, you can add your own resources or comments. I hope many will do so. Please share this new site with those you think might be interested. Anyone can use the wiki to read up on local choices.

It's taken me a long time to do the research needed to become more of a locavore. Information is scattered, out of date, and a lot of the local producers do not have an online presence. This wiki is intended to help with that. Besides, I'm a librarian. Compiling resources and making them available to others is what I do.