Fairbanks hosts sustainable agriculture conference

The sixth annual Sustainable Agriculture Conference and Organic Growers' School is scheduled for March 17 at the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge in Fairbanks. Last year, more than 200 people from across the state attended. This year’s keynote speaker is Chris Blanchard of Rock Spring Farm (farm pictured at right) in Highlandville, Iowa.

The Blanchard farm has grown organic produce and raised a diverse array of livestock on 80 acres north of Highlandville, Iowa, since 1999. Part of one of the original homesteads in the area, the farm has a rich diversity of landscapes, including fertile bottomlands, forest, pastures, oak savanna, and a clear running stream.

The Blanchards follow strict organic guidelines to grow their produce without the use of chemical fertilizers or pesticides. They take the practice one step further by using composts, beneficial insect habitat, and organic minerals to buffer the effects of pests, diseases, and weather. Blanchard explains the philosophy behind Rock Spring Farm: “Wherever we have gone, we have found that food is the glue that holds relationships together. Whether it's the gleam in a customer's eye when she returns for more of "the best green beans I've ever eaten" or the grace that's said before a meal, food is often how we connect to something deeper in ourselves and others. At Rock Spring Farm, we strive to produce healthy, delicious food that people can build a meal – and a relationship – around. At every turn, we work to ensure that this food is produced in harmony with nature, keeping the creeks and rivers clean, the hawks flying, and the wildflowers blooming.”

The Sustainable Agriculture Conference will feature presenters from communities around Alaska speaking on topics such as energy efficient insulated panel greenhouses, tropic breeze wind machines, season extensions, funding opportunities, chicken ranching, farm soil fertility, and weed suppression. A panel discussion on food security is also planned. SNRAS Professor Meriam Karlsson will give a presentation on fruit and berry crop research results in Alaska.

Commercial growers are invited to a special preconference growers' school March 16 with Blanchard. The workshop will focus on financial and production methods. Preregistration is required.

The conference is sponsored by the Fairbanks Soil and Water Conservation District, USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Western Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, and UAF Cooperative Extension Service-Tanana District. For information, contact Michele Hébert. For a conference brochure and registration form, contact Ronda Halvarson or call 907-474-2450.