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Currant Affairs
February 4, 2021
Compiled once a month by Nick Riordan on behalf of Yarducopia / Alaska Community Action on Toxics, the Alaska Food Policy Council, and Alaska Pioneer Fruit Growers Association
**Marks new and updated items in this issue
VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS, WEBINARS, & CONFERENCES
February 11
The Alaska Pioneer Fruit Growers Association have invited Steve Masterman from Fairbanks to present Paper to Plants, 1,300 plants on 2.5 acres: site layout, clearing, soil prep, planning for the varieties, economics, harvest thoughts, and horticulture from 7:00 – 8:00 PM. Masterman maintains the info-rich website Alaska Fruit Trees. This is one of APFGA’s monthly membership meetings that occurs the 3rd Thursday of every month during the winter. Free. Learn more about APFGA and their news and events here.
February 15
The Alaska Master Gardeners Anchorage hosts a monthly membership meeting on the 2nd Monday of each winter month from 6:30-8 PM. Anchorage-based climatologist Brian Brettschneider will be the speaker. Learn more about AMGA and their news and events here.
**February 17
Join “Pesticide Free Anchorage” – Protecting our neighborhoods, parks, watersheds, and health on February 17 at 6:00 PM for a conversation with Pamela Miller, Executive Director of Alaska Community Action on Toxics, Co-Chair of the International Pollutants Elimination Network, and 30+ year resident and gardener in Anchorage. ACAT’s organic gardening coordinator and Miller will be having a conversation about the risks associated with pesticide use, existing ordinances and regulations for Anchorage, and best practices according to current science. Register here.
February 18
Alaska Botanical Garden hosts an online workshop, Making a Garden Journal, from 6:00 – 7:00 PM. Winter is a great time to think about gardens. The seed catalogs are arriving earlier each year, tempting us with new varieties and old favorites. Creating a garden journal is a great way to plan. In this online workshop, join Education Specialist Patrick Ryan in preparing your own garden journal for the new season ahead. Small fee. Learn more/Register here.
**February 23
The Alaska Food Policy Council, Alaska Farm Bureau, and Alaska Farmers’ Market Association are hosting a webinar for Alaska Cottage Food Producers. Alaska Food Code allows the sale of non-potentially hazardous foods sold directly to the consumer without a permit as long as certain conditions are met. Presenters from the Alaska DEC and Municipality of Anchorage Food Safety and Sanitation programs will provide an overview of cottage food regulations and requirements and answer questions. Learn more/Register here.
February 25
Alaska Common Ground’s Climate Action Plan Series continues with Land Use and Transportation. Free. 7:00 – 8:30 PM Learn more about this series and register here.
March 1
Good Earth Garden School, led by Ellen Vande Visse, offers What’s What with Potting Media? an online, hour-long discussion to ‘pool our knowledge and experience’ on the subject. 11:00 AM – 12:30 PM. Learn more/Register here.
March 5 & 6th
Save the date! The annual Spring Garden Conference hosted by the Alaska Botanical Garden will be virtual this year. Details to come.
March 11
Join Sarah Lewis and the Cooperative Extension Service, as part of their Reset, Refocus, and Recharge series, for an hour-long cooking class – Veggie Slam: A Week of Vegetables in One Hour from 6-7:00 PM. Learn more/Register here.
March 11
AK Pioneer Fruit Growers Association has invited UA’s Matt Carlson & Justin Fulkerson to present on Pollinators and Their Habitat at their March membership meeting. 7:00 – 8:00 PM
March 15
Alaska Master Gardeners Anchorage monthly membership meeting 7:00 – 8:00 PM – topic TBA
March 18
Southeast Alaskans can now apply for a workshop to learn how to start their own mariculture farm. Registration priority given to Southeast Alaska Native residents. More info here.
**March 20
Alaska Farmland Trust, Alaska Farm Bureau, Homer Soil & Water Conservation District, Matanuska Experiment Farm & Extension Center & UAF CES Anchorage are bringing you a VIRTUAL Alaska Women in Ag Conference in March. Registration opens on February 1.
Save the date & stay tuned for more details.
March 25
Alaska Common Ground’s Climate Action Plan Series continues with Food Systems. The Muni Climate Action Plan goal is to ‘support local, sustainable food systems’, and the event will consist of 10+ speakers giving short presentations on this topic. 7-8:30 PM Learn more/Register here.
SIGNUPS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
Anchorage Community Garden signups will open at the end of March or Early April. Keep a look out on their website for updates (Currently it has outdated 2020 information).
WIC and Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program will have open enrollment for farmers, farms, farm stands & farmers’ markets interested in participating starting ~ February 15. Applications to receive WIC Farmers’ Market Nutrition coupons close May 15. More info here.
Arctic Harvest – Winter orders ongoing; Summer subscriptions start back up in April. More info
GRANT OPPORTUNITIES
**Alaska Division of Agriculture 2021 Mini Grants – $1.8 million to distribute state-wide – Due on February 15. Recent press release and link to their grants page: http://dnr.alaska.gov/ag/ag_grants.htm. Write up on the Sitka Local Foods Network website.
POSITIONS, INTERNSHIPS, & VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
**Local Foods Coordinator for the Alaska Food Hub – Cook Inlet Keeper – Read more here.
**Application period opens for APU Farm Internship at Spring Creek Farm – Read on!
**Alaska Botanical Gardens is advertising for several 2021 garden positions. Read more here.
To RECEIVE Currant Affairs, suggest items to ADD, CHANGE EMAIL ADDRESS or UNSUBSCRIBE, contact Nick Riordan at riordannk@gmail.com.
