Sustainable Agriculture Conference registration open

Registration is open for the 15th annual Alaska Sustainable Agriculture Conference, which will take place in Anchorage Feb. 20-22.

Livestock production is a special focus on the Sustainable Agriculture
Conference. These cattle are at the Matanuska Experiment Farm
and Extension Center. Edwin Remsberg photo

More than 50 presentations will cover diverse agricultural topics. They include farm management, potato production, food businesses and issues to consider before starting a peony farm. Special focus areas are raising livestock, creating sustainable agriculture in rural and off-road Alaska, and producing Rhodiola rosea, an herb valued for its medicinal qualities.

Researchers will talk about soil health, the nutritional quality of locally grown produce, vegetable variety trials and rhodiola diseases.

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service will host the conference at the BP Energy Center at 1014 Energy Court. The Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program sponsors the conference.

The conference will also feature an eight-hour training for farmers and business owners who are interested in value-added food processing. The certification course requires online coursework beforehand and a separate registration. Two additional longer trainings will be offered on Feb. 22. An eight-hour produce safety training will meet between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. and Mental Health First Aid will run from 8:30 to 5 p.m. Trainees are taught how to respond appropriately to mental health problems in a variety of situations. This training also requires a separate registration but is free.

The conference registration fee is $100 for three days or $50 for students. More information and a draft agenda at are available at http://bit.ly/AKsareconf. Soldotna agriculture and horticulture agent Casey Matney is coordinating the conference and may be reached at camatney@alaska.edu or 907-262-5824.

ON THE WEB: http://bit.ly/AKsareconf