Agriculture meetings to jumpstart summer season

By Steve Seefeldt
The last half of winter has started, the holidays are over, and even though it seems like we will never see growing green plants out our windows again, this is the time to meet to discuss future plans.

Fairbanks seems to be the place to be for agriculture meetings these first few months of the new year. Three statewide and three local meetings will be held in Fairbanks.

The first statewide meeting is the Alaska Greenhouse and Nursery Conference, Jan. 24-25 at Pike’s Waterfront Lodge in Fairbanks. The conference will feature speakers who will talk about vegetable grafting, mycorrhiza, pest control, hydroponics, LED lights, new plant development, and starting and selling businesses. More information is located here.

The second statewide meeting is the Alaska Peony Growers Winter Conference, Feb. 14-15 at the Westmark Fairbanks Hotel and Conference Center. This conference will feature six out-of-state and 32 in-state speakers and will cover all aspects of the expanding Alaska peony business. On Feb. 13, new and intermediate growers' schools will be offered as well as a tour of the Arctic Health Research Greenhouse on West Ridge and peony tissue culture research that SNRAS horticulture professor Patricia Holloway is organizing. See details here.

The third gathering is our annual Sustainable Agriculture Conference, March 13-14, at the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge. A preconference on March 12 will feature talks on rainwater catchment systems and low-cost methods of sustainable agriculture. There will be several speakers with national reputations and many speakers who are growing food sustainably in Alaska. Topics will include composting, pest control, food safety, fiber production, tourism and statewide updates.

All three meetings come with registration fees, which cover the costs of the meeting space, outside speakers, and meals and snacks. Register online.

Not to be left out in this flurry of statewide meetings, there are three more local meetings at the Tanana District Cooperative Extension Service office at 724 27th Ave. (in the southwest corner of the Fairbanks Community Food Bank building). These free meetings are meant to be meet-and-greet affairs with little in the way of an agenda.

The first will be a grain growers' meeting at 6 p.m. Jan. 29. This is for anyone who is interested in growing grains in the Fairbanks area. There will be Sunshine hulless barley for sale ($1 per pound; payable by cash or check). The second will be a hay growers' meeting at 6 p.m. Jan. 31. There are quite a few hay growers in the Fairbanks area, many I have not met, and it will be good to meet and discuss issues related to growing hay for sale. Fruit growers will meet at 6 p.m. Feb. 5 to discuss this coming year’s plans and an upcoming set of workshops on grafting. Contact Steven Seefeldt at 474-2423 or Ronda Boswell at 474-2450 and let us know if you are coming to these local meetings.

This new year could see a continued expansion in all things agriculture. Several groups are actively working to increase the local food supply and access to local foods. Many more people are making commitments to buy more locally produced foods, while others are attempting to start their own farms or expand their gardens. Regardless of your plans, the UAF Cooperative Extension Service is here to provide information.

Steven Seefeldt is the Tanana District agriculture and horticulture agent for the Cooperative Extension Service, a part of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, working in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. He can be reached at 907-474-2423.