Food Security and Independence Priority for Alaska

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What happens if something catastrophic happens to the Port of Seattle of the Port of Alaska? One late ship from Tote or Matson causes disruptions, but compound that by two or three or four late ships—it would be devastating. With only about a 2-week supply on our store shelves, our full dependence on food being brought in-state is not wise. Having a reliable outside supply chain is critical for Alaska but what if it were to fail at some point? How can we encourage increased production of Alaskan foods? We won’t ever be 100% self-reliant, but shouldn’t we improve our status? Shouldn’t we work to remove barriers that will encourage and expand existing and future agricultural businesses?

Growing more fresh foods in-state will help Alaska economically and nutritionally—but it won’t happen overnight. Now is the time to learn from past mistakes (no more ag boondoggles by the government!), understand the challenges those in the ag industry face in Alaska, and be patient and persistent in our pursuit of food security and independence.

I was appointed this past week to the Alaska Food Strategy Task Force along with Senator Click Bishop, Representative George Rauscher, and Representative Donna Mears. The Task Force is picking up where the earlier task force is leaving off. The Alaska Food Security and Independence Task Force was created at the beginning of 2022 by Governor Mike Dunleavy under Executive Order 331 and 334 and expires February 27, 2023. The new legislative task force kicked off last Thursday, February 16, 2023.

Alaska Food Strategy Task Force

I am one of the 9-member executive board which will be working with 27 other stakeholders. We are purposed with increasing food security, strengthening local economies, and lessening Alaska’s dependence on external foods and supply chains.

A sufficient food supply is one of the highest needs of Alaska. We currently rely on more than 95% of imports for our food supply, costing approximately $2.5 billion on an annual basis. That means less than 5%—despite the vast amount of land and resources available—is grown in our beautiful state. We have 365 MILLION acres across Alaska with only 850,000 acres in farmland, a startling small amount. The good news is that we have access to unused farmable acres in Pt. MacKenzie and Delta as well as many more acres of excellent soils for agriculture in Alaska where we don’t yet have the roads and power infrastructure. Much work is ahead!

The Alaska Food Strategy Task Force will take advantage of our strengths and provide sound, data-driven policy recommendations to grow our food system by providing policy, legislation, and implementation strategy recommendations for strengthening Alaska’s food systems in seven integrated focus areas:

• ① sustainably growing the agriculture industry;
• ② sustainably growing markets for locally grown, locally harvested, and locally processed foods;
• ③ enhancing the climate for food and beverage processing or distribution businesses;
• ④ minimizing food waste and diverting it from the waste stream;
• ⑤ improving connectivity, efficiencies, and outcomes in state-run programs affecting food availability and access;
• ⑥ ensuring food security in all communities in the state, including those that are and are not connected to the main road system of the state; and
• ⑦ improving transportation and infrastructure to transfer and deliver food in the state.

A Real Live Alaskan Farmer

My guest speaker for Facebook Live last week and at a recent Lunch & Learn in the State Capitol building was Scott Mugrage, a local farm owner from Delta Junction and the President of the Alaska Farm Bureau. His cattle operation provides local beef to multiple communities in Alaska.

Interesting to note, Scott produces the majority of the feed required for his cattle. Excellent soils in Alaska produce a quality of barley, according to Scott, that you won’t see elsewhere. He believes there is a plethora of opportunity in Alaska that we need to harness, but it will require more farmers, access to slaughter facilities, and an understanding that we will need an export market if we want Alaskan farms and ranches to fill our own store shelves within the state.

He believes it is necessary for Alaska to develop a marketing campaign to promote what we have (much like was done with salmon and seafood). He is confident that our pristine environment will help sell our farm products. He pointed out there are challenges to overcome but those in the ag industry persist until they figure out solutions. Members of the Alaska Farm Bureau are advocating that the University of Alaska ramp up their ag research to help farmers avoid pitfalls and find solutions.

Food Production Lunch and Learn

There were three separate Lunch and Learn events last week pertaining to Food Security Week 2023. It began with Local Food and Local Retailers, hosted by Rep. Rauscher, followed by Improving Access to Food in Alaska, hosted by Rep. Mears, and finally Food Production in Alaska hosted by yours truly. It was a great turnout with presentations by the Alaska Farm Bureau and the Alaska Farmland Trust and included a discussion of innovative farms across Alaska who are leading the way in enhancing Alaska’s food security. Speakers included the following:

• Amy Seitz, the Executive Director for the Alaska Farm Bureau and third-generation farmer.
• Amy O’Connor, the Executive Director of the Alaska Farmland Trust Corporation and owner/operator of Crooked Fence Farm.
• Phoebe Autry, the Farmland Conservation Director of the Alaska Farmland Trust Corporation and local vegetable farmer.
• Scott Mugrage, President of Alaska Farm Bureau and owner of Mugrage Hay & Cattle in Delta Junction.

Did You Know?

• ✓ The number of Alaska farms grew 44% over the past 5 years. The national trend is just 3%.
• ✓ Alaska continues to be #1 in the nation for new farmers. (Note that 46% of Alaskan farmers have less than 10 years of experience.).
• ✓ Alaska is #1 in the nation for beginning farmers
• ✓ The value of food sold directly to consumers in Alaska grew from $2.2M in 2012 to $6.1M in 2022
• ✓ Agricultural workforce is projected to be the highest growth occupation over the next decade – 89.4% between 2019-2030.

We’re beginning to take steps in the right direction, and that is good news. Yes, it certainly is, but there’s much more to do. With rising costs, regulations, and an aging agricultural workforce, we could find ourselves going backward if we aren’t careful. We need to reduce barriers for agricultural businesses, be a farm-friendly state, ensure access to existing ag lands and also to new areas over time, and along the way, see that needed infrastructure is provided for and in place. It’s not inexpensive starting up or maintaining a farm. It’s not easy to turn a profit. It takes grit, determination, and hard work — and when you think about it, that pretty much describes farming and a farmer in a nutshell!

Welcome to Our New Division of Agriculture Director Bryan Scoresby

Congratulations to Bryan Scoresby, the new Division of Agricultural Director. Scoresby and his wife, Mary, reside in Palmer. (Woohoo! Let’s hear it for Palmer!) They have five children and seven grandchildren. They raise steers and have a large garden every year. He enjoys hunting, fishing, and has served as a Cub Scout Den Leader in his church, working with Webelo Scouts.

Bryan brings a wealth of knowledge and background experience to the position which is important as we look to the agricultural community to expand production in order to increase food security and decrease our dependence on the lower 48 – as well as to diversify our economy.

The Department of Natural Resources put out the following press release.

Food Security: Children and Hunger

My reference to food security and independence not only includes the availability of food produced in Alaska but also applies to children and households. Children sadly can be in poor situations through no fault of their own in which their access to food is limited. Childhood hunger affects every part of the nation and Alaska isn’t immune. Juneau, for example, ranks #30 in the state with the lowest child food insecurity rate, while Anchorage is #21 and the Mat-Su is #19. The nonprofit, Feeding America, describes food insecurity as “a lack of consistent access to enough food for every person in a household to live an active, healthy life.” The USDA estimates that more than 5.5 million children lived in a food-insecure household in 2021.

In last week’s Facebook Live I touched on the old adage: Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. I suggested a similar concept in relation to food banks in Alaska. Viewers expressed overwhelming support. (Some even sent emails with suggestions afterward—keep ‘em coming!)

My ideas included giving a portion of a community garden to each food bank recipient for which they will be responsible. Teach recipients to garden, raise livestock, make jam, grow herbs on their windowsill. Help them give back to their community. It would provide a sense of ownership and productivity, an opportunity to learn valuable skills and improve their circumstances.

We need to foster food security not only as a state but for households. Every one of us can hit hard times and need help but for those who aren’t disabled and elderly to the point where they’re physically unable, the help needs to be “attached to a fishing pole” so the person can begin to secure food on their own.

“Let’s foster fishing poles instead of dependency.”
Senator Shelley Hughes

There are certainly details to iron out, but this is not an impossible feat. What do you think? Should we work toward this goal?