In My Alaska Garden: Eating Locally
There is no getting around it…Southcentral Alaska’s flora of both the edible and decorative variety is late this summer. My lilacs, though lovely this year, were about three weeks to a month later than usual. Many other folks made the same comment about the famous Anchorage downtown lilacs as well as the beautiful blooming apple and crabapple trees. Today, I received an interesting report. My friends went to their favorite Salmonberry-picking spot this weekend, the same time they do every year. (I cannot reveal the location upon threat of murder.) They were dismayed to discover that the plants are just…
In My Cottage Garden — Happy Earth Day!
By Linda Kellen Biegel How are you celebrating? My Earth Day celebration involves the fact that the snow is gone off of the raised beds! Of course, we can see exactly how trashy we left the place before the snow flew (note the unrolled hose). I haven’t quite ventured out there yet because it’s a total swamp at the moment (you can see a little standing water in the picture). Luckily, this is the south side of the yard which dries up much faster. I’m dying to do get out there and do something, but there isn’t much need at…
In My Cottage Garden: Personal Scale Urban Farming
By Linda Kellen Biegel The ABG Conference session where I received the most personal motivation was on “Urban Farming” and was run by Dohnn Wood. It was motivating because his journey was similar to mine: from he and his family discovering that fresh, Alaska grown produce actually has taste and intoxicating aroma unlike the shipped-in variety to year by year, trying to improve their vegetable gardening and increase their yield. However, his story today is one all home “farmers” would like to achieve: in 2011 he was able to harvest over 1500 lbs of food from his 5000 sq ft…
Is Alaskan Agriculture Ready to Feed Our School Children?
by Linda Kellen Biegel Tim Meyers stands at the front of room 306 at the UAA/APU Consortium Library. He’s the next guest presenter for the session: Sustainable Agriculture in Rural Alaska at the Alaska Botanical Garden’s Spring Conference. The title of the Conference is “Extend the Season, Expand Your Mind” in honor of guest gpeaker, former TV gardener and 40-year organic farming rock star, Eliot Coleman. But if Coleman is a national star, Tim Meyers is the hometown hero. Meyers’ cold-weather farming is being studied by the University of Alaska, who have provided him with interns to train in his…