Alaska growers school registration opens

Heidi Rader teaches a session of the Alaska Growers School by distance delivery.

Registration is open for the next session of the Alaska Growers School, which begins Sept. 24.

The 12-week farm training by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service will be offered across Alaska by webinar or teleconference Wednesdays at 5:30 p.m. through Dec. 17.

Alaska Growers School project director Heidi Rader said the school is ideal for Alaskans who wish to start a farm or expand an existing one for profit or subsistence.

“It’s for anyone in Alaska regardless of production goals,” she said.

Training will emphasize farm planning and risk management but will include the basics of growing vegetables, berries and fruit, raising poultry and livestock, and using season extension techniques. Resources for financial and technical expertise and loan programs also will be covered.

Instructors will include Extension agents and staff, agriculture professionals and farmers from across the state. The fee is $95, and tuition waivers are available. The waiver deadline is Sept. 8. Register and see details about the waivers and the course here.

The school is supported by the Washington State University Western Extension Risk Management Education Center and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. For more information, contact Glenna Gannon, the Alaska Growers School coordinator, at 907-452-8251, ext. 3281, or growers.school@alaska.edu.