June 2024 issue

Volume 69, Issue 6

The largest state in the U.S., Alaska has only 1% of it's land devoted to agriculture. Yet, there's a strong need for and interest in increasing local production to help fortify food security in the state. The Alaska Collaborative Food Production Systems Project develops research projects and supports agricultural producers in the state. At the 2023 ASA, CSSA, and SSSA Annual Meeting, researchers from the team talked about the project's objectives and progress. With one growing season under their belts, they've made headway on breeding trials, gathered novel data on soil health and quality, finished a year of cover crop trials, and interviewed producers and consumers about food agency in the state. Cover photo shows a cover crop mixture being planted at the University of Alaska Fairbanks' Matanuska Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station in Palmer, AK. Photo courtesy of Caley Gasch.