Kenai Resilience

Many thanks to Jeff Babitt, the local farmer who runs Alaskan HomeGrown, for speaking about the business of farming on the Central Peninsula! Jeff discussed his experience with farming and starting up a local food business, food law and how it affects his practice, and what drew him to the vocation of farming.  According to Jeff’s research, the proportion of locally produced or harvested food in Alaska has dropped from 80% in the 1960′s to less that 10% today.  He’s a strong advocate for increasing food security with locally grown food and he encouraged everyone in the room to plant a large garden.  For helpful information on growing in our cold climate, Jeff and other gardeners in the room highly recommended books by Maine farmer, Eliot Coleman, including The Winter Harvest Handbook.  Jeff’s vision is to make his storefront on K-Beach Road in front of Save-U-More a place where local farmers and gardeners can easily market their surplus produce.   If you missed Jeff’s speech, you might enjoy watching Michael Pollan’s presentation at the Bioneers in 2009  (Part 1, Part 2, & Part 3).