In a state where 95 percent of food purchased is imported, food security is of paramount concern for all Alaskans.
It's especially concerning for communities in remote villages not connected to the state's road system that are only accessible by plane or boat. Even the simple process of starting a garden and getting the necessary supplies and equipment to the village is a logistical and expensive challenge. There is extremely limited access to materials; prohibitive shipping costs; and unique environmental challenges like Alaska's short growing season, which is only three to five months long depending on location and elevation. Limited access to education and experience around farming, especially in rural Alaska communities, add to a formidable list of barriers to addressing access to locally grown foods.
Homer SWCD organized a tour of Homer-area farms for a visiting group of NRCS employees and Laurie Stewart, Executive Director of the Tyonek Tribal Conservation District. The tour included a visit with Wayne and Lori Jenkins of Synergy Gardens in Homer, Alaska (pictured) and the Alaska Garlic Project.
Fortunately, the Homer Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) is proactively addressing these concerns by providing guidance, education and resources to Alaska Native villages within their service area. This work is being accomplished thanks to an Equity in Conservation Outreach Cooperative Agreement, awarded to the Homer SWCD in 2023 by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Outreach and Partnerships Division.
The Homer SWCD project is called Expanding Support for Village-Driven Agriculture in Rural Alaska. It aims to meet the needs of tribal and remote villages in Alaska by increasing their food sovereignty and security through small-scale agriculture. The Homer SWCD aims to provide technical assistance, outreach and education to support beginning farmers; expand inclusivity and support for tribal communities in off-road villages; establish relationships with underserved rural communities and Tribal Conservation Districts; and create experiential educational opportunities for rural Alaska farmers.
Monica Kopp (left) and Victoria Monsaint-Queeney (center) of the Homer SWCD Ag Program work with Don McNamara (right) of Oceanside Farms in Homer, Alaska, to build accessible raised strawberry beds.
"Subsistence agriculture is a big part of life off the road system," said Monica Kopp, Agriculture Program Coordinator with Homer SWCD. "There is interest in agriculture in these communities to help with food security. They want to start gardens. Some want to take their existing gardens and scale them up and be able to apply for NRCS financial assistance, which can be significant. Getting their first high tunnel is really the gateway into conservation with NRCS."
Homer SWCD is a grassroots organization based in the world-class halibut fishing town of Homer, Alaska, on the southern tip of the Kenai Peninsula. Traditionally known as a fishing village, Homer also has many small farms, including cut flower operations focused on growing peonies. The town is known as "The City of Peonies" and has an annual peony celebration every summer. There is a thriving community farmers market, a food hub that provides online ordering for local foods; and multiple Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) operations. Homer also has several ranches and livestock operations producing beef, pork and poultry.
"People really value farmers here, and farmers have become successful," said Monica Kopp, Agriculture Program Coordinator with Homer SWCD. "Alaska currently leads the nation in beginning farmers, because so many people are finding how important it is to grow food here and not have to rely on our unstable food transportation chain for food to get here. Agriculture is relatively new in Alaska and interest is growing."
Through the Equity Agreement, Homer SWCD is applying its decades of experience working with farmers in Homer and connecting those farmers and resources to Alaska Native communities off the road system. In 2024, staff visited multiple off-road villages including Tyonek, Seldovia, Port Graham, and the Kodiak Archipelago. They plan to visit more villages such as Igiugig, Sand Point, and the Western Aleutian Islands in 2025 and 2026.
Lori Jenkins of Synergy Gardens and the Alaska Garlic Project teaches a garlic planting workshop at the Kachemak Bay Campus in Homer, Alaska. The campus has a new agriculture program and high tunnel that is used as an outdoor classroom for a variety of workshops and learning opportunities in partnership with the Homer SWCD.
The agreement provided funds for Homer staff to travel to these communities to provide education and assistance to help them maintain or establish new gardens, and work with them one-on-one to address their unique questions and needs.
"We want to foster knowledge, confidence and experience to help them be successful growing food and provide a support network of growers and mentorships with experienced farmers," Monica said.
In 2025 and 2026, Homer SWCD will host small farm workshops and bring community members from remote villages to tour farms in Homer. Some of the participants have never been to a farm before.
"Bringing people together and getting our hands in the soil is the best way to build change and create successful agriculture in these communities," Monica said.