Long-range plan developed for Experiment Farm

The U.S. Department of Agriculture developed a federal experiment station in Fairbanks in 1906,  years before the territory founded a university there. 

Since its beginnings, the Fairbanks Experiment Farm's primary mission has been to develop reliable, research-based information for farmers and gardeners. Its agricultural and forestry research and educational outreach continue. A long-range plan for the farm, which includes the Georgeson Botanical Garden, has been developed and posted on the Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station website. 

The plan includes an introduction from the chancellor and describes the farm’s history and its current research and outreach. It outlines the farm’s challenges, opportunities and possibilities for its future, which include increased collaborations for research, teaching and outreach, including farmer education programs. The plan also describes long-range objectives and recommended short-, mid- and long-term actions. 

The project took more than a year to complete and was developed by a committee led by Katie DiCristina, the manager of the Georgeson Botanical Garden. Other members were Alan Tonne, Mingchu Zhang, Heidi Rader, Glenna Gannon and Debbie Carter from the Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Extension (IANRE) and Karl Petterson and Jennifer Campbell from UAF Facilities Services. Milan Shipka, the acting director of IANRE, provided guidance.

This is a companion to the long-range plan for the Matanuska Experiment Farm and Extension Center, also on the AFES website. Milan Shipka said, "It is my hope that these plans will be used to guide changes and developments at both facilities for the coming decade or so." 

Bob Van Veldhuizen harvests wheat at the farm.