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Discussion: how to encourage local growers
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storyknife |
how to encourage local growers
Mar 18 2009, 3:41 PM EDT
There's a guy here in Homer, kind of a one-horse operation, who grows produce locally and sells at the local farmer's market in the summer. He's out there until October, sometimes selling rutabegas in the snow. Evidently he's got quite the greenhouse. I've been trying to encourage him to grow and sell year round, and talking to other people to do the same. What else can we do to convince him? Are there programs, grants, anything?
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Keyword tags:
local growers
year round produce
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estereditor |
1. RE: how to encourage local growers
May 14 2009, 1:35 PM EDT
There are several farmers' associations that might be able to help, and the state Division of Agriculture may also have some grants or be able to point him in the right direction. He could ask people like Amy Pettit, Div. of Ag, amy.pettit@alaska.gov, 907.761.3864, or contact other farmers who've been successful at obtaining grants, like Rosie Creek Farm, Spring Creek Farm, or Calypso Farm. Chickaloon built a community greenhouse and I think obtained grants for that--
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Tracy@chickenlipsfar |
2. RE: how to encourage local growers
May 14 2009, 2:39 PM EDT
As a local farm and a BS in plant science from UAF (local) I can tell you it would be VERY expensive to grow vegetables in the winter here. There are a few items that can be done, but generally a greenhouse is an un-insulated, needing to have heat, not just any heat source and the type of light to "complete" a vegetable is very costly. You generally can start or finish a plant but the complete cycle would a large amount of energy and be very expensive. I do believe there is a difference in quality of the product also. My thought is in preserving the harvest, maintaining the nutrient quality along with cold storage of locally produced veggies. The University of Colorado has some neat studies on drying foods. Very little upfront costs and the storage of this item does not require a freezer or electricity of any kind. It's been fun and I've dried all kinds of food without adding any chemical at all. Dried cabbage when dropped in soup looks like fresh sliced and is still crunchy, not so if it is frozen. Celery the same way. Just a thought, none of the above local farms run greenhouses all winter, fuel would be hundred of thousands of $$. Not very encouraging I guess Sorry
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