June 2024 Outlook
From Director Jodie Anderson:
We鈥檙e about to hit summer solstice already! The long days and summer weather are resulting in a great growing season and our researchers and staff are deep in field work and outreach activities.
June is a wonderful month to reflect on equity in our work and in our outreach (think Pride Month and Juneteenth!). Much of the work we do at the Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Extension is funded through support from the United States Department of Agriculture. This funding comes with the expectation that as an institute, all of our programs are delivered through the lens of equity. We work hard to ensure our reach is broad, to all Alaskans, and that each of you can access our programs in a way that is meaningful to you.
Next week, we will host the Western Region land-grant leadership in Fairbanks. We are excited for the opportunity to host our national colleagues on the Troth Yeddha鈥 campus, and share with them some of the wonderful aspects of Ag in Alaska. Later in July and early August we invite all of you to join us for one (or both!) of our Field Days to be held at the Fairbanks Farm on July 30 and the Palmer Farm on Aug. 1. Both events will be an opportunity for us to welcome you to the farms, allow you to hear presentations from some of our researchers and learn about how the work we do is supporting all Alaskans.
I want to shout out to several folks in our unit who exemplify equity in their work. Sarah Lewis will embark on her summer maritime tour to reach remote communities around Prince of Wales Island. Casey Matney has now reached nearly 2,500 Alaskans with his spring gardening series, and Heidi Rader has hired a new term faculty member, Marisa McKasson, who will be working with the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association (APIA) as a tribal extension agent.
This month, I hope you get time to walk in the sunshine, find something that captures your imagination, and have a chance to laugh so hard your head hurts. Know I am working to support IANRE as we work to improve the lives of Alaskans.
Be well,
Jodie
A perfect setting for Arctic Research Open House
鈥 Laura Weingartner
Buoyed by a perfect summer afternoon, hundreds of participants gathered at 黑料黑历史鈥檚 Troth
Yeddha鈥 campus to be 鈥渢undra struck鈥 at 黑料黑历史鈥檚 Arctic Research Open House.
The family-friendly event included researchers across campus studying everything from potatoes to volcanoes. Visitors toured the buildings, stopping to engage in the many activities researchers had prepared to share their science with the public.
IANRE researchers set up near AFES West Ridge Greenhouse. Trays of sunflower seedlings grown in the greenhouse and the results of Glenna Gannon鈥檚 potato storage experiment ushered people into the greenhouse's garage and classroom, which buzzed with activity.
A young boy practiced drawing birch bark while a couple spoke with Jan Dawe about birch tree phenology and tree sap. A Girl Scout troop worked on their Girls in STEM badge and learned how environmental factors affect tree ring growth. A group of people worked to put the pieces of our state back together in Santosh Panda鈥檚 giant Alaska puzzle created using satellite imagery (middle photo).
A group listened to how Art Nash detects radon, a colorless and odorless gas that can be harmful to humans. A family listened to Anushree Badola, a postdoctoral fellow, demonstrate how she uses remote sensing technology in her research (bottom photo). Another tasted samples of microgreens Meriam Karlsson and Eric Cook grew in the greenhouse. Jakir Hasan showed off a couple of barley plants, and Jodie Anderson handed out pots of dwarf sunflower seedlings (top photo). And this was just one building!
There were so many activities that three hours was not quite enough time to do them all. Participants were left wanting more and already excited for next year's event.
Lasers may keep birds out of Fairbanks grain plots
This summer, a green laser beam has been flashing across the University of Alaska Fairbanks鈥 farm fields to scare off the cranes and other birds.
Cranes have a taste for the grains and seeds that researchers plant in the fields, said Kieran Gleason, manager of 黑料黑历史鈥檚 Fairbanks Experiment Farm. The fields this year have rows of barley, canola, sunflower, oat and wheat, all part of varietal trials, breeding programs and cover crop research.
To deter any birds looking for a snack, Gleason recently installed the laser. Shining from the top of a 25-foot tower, the beam moves on a preprogrammed path around the fields.
Food preservation, healthy living classes planned in Southeast
A University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service agent will travel by boat to nine communities in Southeast Alaska to teach classes on healthy living, food safety and food preservation.
Sarah Lewis, the service鈥檚 Juneau-based health, home and family development agent, will head out on her family鈥檚 boat, the Pacific Sapphire, in July.
She will visit Whale Pass on July 6; Thorne Bay on July 8; Ketchikan from July 12-14; Metlakatla from July 16-18; Meyers Chuck on July 20; Wrangell on July 28-29; Petersburg on July 31-Aug. 1; Kake on Aug. 3-4; and Tenakee Springs on Aug. 8.
Morel foraging class messy, but fruitful
Eve Karczmarczyk set up a morel foraging class in the Delta Junction area in early June. 鈥淚t could not have been a better day. There were more than enough morels for everyone,鈥 Eve said. Summer Nay from Salcha Delta Soil and Water Conservation District had everyone scrub their boots before going on-site to prevent invasive species from entering sensitive post-burn areas.
Ellie Mason of Alaska Fish & Game gave a 10-minute bear safety and behavior talk, as several bears had been sighted near the target area. Michael Goyette, fire coordinator for the DNR Forest Service, went over some safety pointers for working in a recently burned area.
Gary Laursen, mycologist and 黑料黑历史 faculty emeritus, and his assistant Christin Swearingen, who leads the West Coast Rare Fungi Challenge, led the foray. They talked not only about morels but also about other fungi and flora found throughout the burn area.
Eve said, 鈥淥ne of the biggest takeaways (aside from the morels themselves) was 鈥榙o not wear white if you plan to forage in an area that recently burned.鈥 We got totally filthy. And loved every minute of it.鈥
Firewood collecting and drying survey
Jessie Young-Robertson's USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture firewood project is asking people to take a survey about their . Check it out for more information!
Meet the staff at Georgeson Botanical Garden
Lacey Higham
We鈥檙e sad to see managing director Katie DiCristina leave after 15 years with the garden. She reflected on what her role at GBG meant: 鈥淚 love the diversity and creativity that the position requires. I love collaborating with groups and individuals to be something bigger and better than we are alone. I love observing the ecology of the garden 鈥 how the plants, insects, birds, soils, humans, and other organisms interact in this tiny spot in the world. And of course, I love the plants 鈥 watching them through the season and over the years, learning about who they thrive with and who they struggle with and then trying to create a community of plants that thrive together.鈥 Favorite Alaska-grown plant? 鈥淐urrants!鈥
Lacey Higham, who has been at GBG since 2018, will be taking over as managing director.
Joining her this summer are Susan Glade, seasonal crew lead; Carl Deloof, assistant crew lead; Sarah Shinstine, summer crew member; Morgan Griffeth, summer crew member; Hannah Kerven, summer crew member.
In addition to Music in the Garden on Thursdays, GBG is also hosting Wine and Peonies on July 17 and the Far North Currant Festival on Aug. 24.
SNAP-Ed update
Alaska SNAP-Ed had its first in-person state training in Fairbanks May 20-22. It started out with a social get-together at the Alaska Salmon Bake at Pioneer Park on Monday night, followed by two full days of training at the Tanana District Office. In attendance were Reina Hasting, Leif Albertson; Krista Jordan, state of Alaska SNAP-Ed/CSFP assistant manager; Katy Thompson, Fairbanks nutrition educator; Patricia Kohart, Anchorage nutrition educator; Adair Harman, Mat-Su nutrition educator; Dana Davis, program assistant; Alda Norris, evaluation specialist and Danielle Craven, Bethel nutrition educator.
Thank you to our guest presenters: Deb Etheridge, Alaska Department of Health Division of Public Assistance director; Liz Walsh, Alaska Department of Health Family Nutrition Program manager; Madalyn Talmage, Canopy PEARS; and Andrea Bersamin, 黑料黑历史 Center for Alaska Native Health Research.
All SNAP-Ed sites are beginning their summer program activities. The SNAP-Ed Bethel program kicked off the summer providing nutrition education at the Yukon-Kuskokwim Health Corporation & Lower Kuskokwim School District Healthcare Summer Camp. Participants are from outlying villages who traveled to Bethel for the camp. At the end of each lesson, all the participants pledged to practice a healthy step they learned by writing it on a sticky note and sharing it. Reina Hasting joined in the fun by team-teaching the first lesson with Danielle Craven.
SNAP-Ed is hiring staff positions in and . Help us spread the word!
NextGen program seeking applicants for scholarships
The Cooperative Extension Service received substantial grant funding from the USDA to be part of a nationwide effort to launch a new workforce development program at 黑料黑历史. This project is working in partnership with Hawaii Pacific University, Arizona State University, University of Guam, and FoodCorps. 黑料黑历史 is the lead institution and is also offering scholarships, internships, and other educational opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students at 黑料黑历史.
The USDA funded NextGen program is now accepting applications for undergraduate and graduate scholarship applications. A website has been created () to educate students and faculty about the purpose of the USDA NextGen grant program.
Over the last few weeks, the NextGen team, made up of Jay Clapeck and DeShana York, has met with different departments across the university, including Rural Student Services, the Honors College, and the team at the Georgeson Botanical Garden. There is increasing interest in engaging students, both undergraduate and graduate, in offering internships and other opportunities.
Please inform students of this scholarship and internship opportunity. If you have any questions, leads on potential internship opportunities, or leads, please email Jay (jjclapeck@alaska.edu) or DeShana (ddyork@alaska.edu).
Alaska Harvest Collaborative gets rolling
鈥 Cathy Turner
The Alaska Harvest Collaborative is off to a great start for the 2024 growing season, with many cooperative projects
taking place in the garden spaces.
The 黑料黑历史 Office of Sustainability鈥檚 Nanook Grown students planted vegetable starts and direct-seeded quick-growing vegetables such as radishes and beets in the Reindeer Garden at the Fairbanks Experiment Farm. Come say hi to these hard-working students at their information tables at Music in the Garden and Ice Cream Thursdays outside the Wood Center.
students are planting seed potatoes and carrots in Fox Garden in the farm fields. These crops will be sold to Chartwells, serving students on campus.
is leading an indigenous-led agriculture training program and has partnered with the Alaska Harvest Collaborative to bring students and trainers into our gardens to learn about our growing techniques, including composting, raised beds and high tunnels.
The Alaska Harvest Collaborative, in its efforts to expand its collaborative efforts and grow its impact in the community, has a new , which goes directly to funding future AHC projects. Check out more Alaska Harvest Collaborative鈥檚 activities by following their and pages.
Upcoming classes and workshops
Yardwork with CES
The Anchorage Outreach Office is hosting a series of four Wednesday webinars focusing on lawns and yards. The series is free and available statewide. is required.
- Weed Management with Natural and Synthetic Herbicides: July 10, noon-1 p.m.
- How to Turn Your Lawn into a Meadow: July 17, noon-1p.m.
- Soil Management and Biochar: July 24, noon-1 p.m.
- Lawn Establishment and Maintenance: July 31, noon-1 p.m.
Alaska's Seaweed: From the Seafloor to the Kitchen
Melissa Good, a mariculture specialist with the University of Alaska Fairbanks Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program, will talk about seaweed you can find in Alaska and what you can do with it in a free online presentation, available statewide. Registration is required at .
Alaska Lumber Grading training
The goal of the Alaska Lumber Grading Program (ALG) is to provide more opportunities for Alaskans to use locally harvested and milled lumber for homebuilding by training millers to grade their own lumber. Lumber graded by producers certified under ALG may be compliant with building code requirements for structural applications in residential light-frame wood construction.
The training includes a classroom portion and hands-on lumber grading activity, covering Standardized criteria such as knots and defects to assign a grade, an explanation of the Alaska grading system and application, and program rules and requirements.
- Klawock, Prince of Wales Island: July 17. (This class is full. Let us know if you are interested in training on another date with .)
For more information on the Alaska Lumber Grading Program, contact Matt Labrenz, mtlabrenz@alaska.edu or visit
In the News
- Phil Kaspari and Jodie Anderson are featured in a June 12 .
- The News-Miner wrote a (subscription required)
- Adrian Kohrt's June 16 column in the News-Miner:
- KTUU talked to in Alaska on June 13.
- A discusses the 鈥嬧婣laska Collaborative Food Production Systems Project, featuring Caley Gasch, Jakir Hasan and Claire Friedrichsen.
- Ned Rozell鈥檚 May 30 column, 鈥The Gardening Potential of the Last Frontier,鈥 talks about Charles C. Georgeson and the establishment of experiment farms in Alaska.
- Marla Lowder鈥檚 June 2 column in the News-Miner:
- Heidi Rader鈥檚 May 26 gardening column in the News-Miner:
- Leslie Shallcross鈥 May 19 column in the News-Miner:
- Heidi Rader鈥檚 May 12 gardening column in the News-Miner:
(Note, if you don't subscribe to the News-Miner, you can read Extension columns on the )
Events
Check out the rolling calendar on the for the most up-to-date schedule of events.
Find out more about AFES and Extension and keep up with Extension news by "liking" us on .
Check out the Extension Blog at or the AFES Science & News blog at .