Agriculture in Alaska
Agriculture in Alaska is unique compared to the contiguous United Sates. The history of agriculture in the state is varied and is influenced by many cultures. While the overall growing season in Alaska is shorter than at lower latitudes, long photoperiods (hours of daylight) and generally few pest and pathogens make certain hardy crops and livestock species highly productive in Alaska.
Climate change is also affecting the length of the growing season and what is possible to grow in the state. This reality is reflected in the rapidly growing number of new farms and farmers in Alaska (NASS, 2017). That being said, high-latitude growing conditions and factors associated with supply chains and market access can have the effect of making local food production more costly than importing foodstuffs. |
A Very Brief Agricultural History of Alaska Alaska's agricultural sector is influenced by many cultures and historical events. Prior to European contact, Alaska Native peoples practiced intentional stewardship of many plant and animal species to increase population health and yield. One clear example of pre-contact Indigenous agriculture in Alaska is the still prized Tlingit and Haida potatoes that have origins in traditional Pacific-coast trade routes and long-held traditions of seed saving (Zhang et al., 2010).
Post-contact, Russian settlers, European-based missions and later American homesteaders and federal agencies brought plants, animals and practices familiar to them. Commercial agriculture as it appears in Alaska today was heavily influenced by the work of US special agriculture agent Charles C. Georgeson who was sent to Alaska in the late 1800's to identify whether conventional agriculture and horticulture practices were feasible in the state. This federally-supported agricultural exploration work was established to meet the food needs of an increasing state population. Early agricultural endeavors supported by federal and state agencies were in many ways successful, if not sustainable. By some estimates, in the mid 1950's the state produced 55% of its own food (Hodges Snyder and Meter, 2015). Today, Alaska imports the large majority of purchased foodstuffs, but is experiencing an uptick in the number of producers and new farms. |
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Georgeson was also responsible for establishing the first agricultural research stations throughout the state of Alaska. Two of the eight original stations were un-intentionally developed in areas containing permafrost. One of those original experimental farms is still an active center for high-latitude agricultural research today at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. While the heart of the Fairbanks Experimental Farm was selected largely for the south-facing hillside it's located on - known as Troth Yedda to the Lower Tanana Dene who's homeland the farm is located on - some parts of the farm are also underlain by permafrost. The presence of permafrost on some parts of this farm inadvertently became one of the first places that the permafrost-agroecosystem of Alaska was recorded and researched (Pewe, 1954).
Agricultural Practices on Permafrost
About 80% of Alaska's landmass has permafrost present (Jorgenson et al., 2008). Three prominent agricultural hubs within Alaska are located within different permafrost zones. The interior region which includes the Tanana Valley and Delta Junction is in the discontinuous zone. Anchorage and the Matanuska Valley are located within the sporadic zone. And the Kenai Peninsula is located in the isolated permafrost zone. Permafrost is not found in the southern-most regions of the state except at high-elevations.
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Given the presence of permafrost conditions that underlie many of the farmed areas throughout the state, it may come as no surprise that farmers in Alaska have both encountered challenges, and become highly resourceful in their farming techniques. The presence of permafrost along with other environmental conditions has led to unique challenges and is likely a contributing factor to small farm sizes in parts of the state, and in some cases, has led to farm-abandonment.
Producers have long used season extension, land clearing and grading techniques to aid in soil warming and farm-productivity. While these techniques have resulted in successes in some areas, other producers have found conventional or recommended techniques detrimental to the permafrost foundations of their farms. Presently, we are documenting and investigating new techniques Alaska's producers may use to proactively manage and potentially mitigate permafrost thaw. Farmers today are learning how to operate agricultural practices on permafrost soils in a changing climate (Jones et al., 2022).
Producers have long used season extension, land clearing and grading techniques to aid in soil warming and farm-productivity. While these techniques have resulted in successes in some areas, other producers have found conventional or recommended techniques detrimental to the permafrost foundations of their farms. Presently, we are documenting and investigating new techniques Alaska's producers may use to proactively manage and potentially mitigate permafrost thaw. Farmers today are learning how to operate agricultural practices on permafrost soils in a changing climate (Jones et al., 2022).
To learn more about agriculture in Alaska, please visit the Alaska Farmland Trust's website and the United States Department of Agriculture's National Agriculture Statistics Service.
Page References:
- NASS. 2017. United States Agriculture Census: Alaska Statistics.
- Zhang, L., Brown, C.R., Culley, D., Baker, B., Kunibe, E., Denney, H., Smith, C., Ward, N., Beavert, T., Coburn, J. and Pavek, J.J., (2010). Inferred origin of several Native American potatoes from the Pacific Northwest and Southeast Alaska using SSR markers. Euphytica, 174, pp.15-29. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10681-009-0092-4
- Hodges Snyder, E. and Meter, K., (2015). Food in the Last Frontier: Inside Alaska's Food Security Challenges and Opportunities. Environment: Science and Policy for Sustainable Development, 57:3, 19-33, DOI: 10.1080/00139157.2015.1002685
- Pewe, T. L. 1954. Effect of Permafrost on Cultivated Fields, Fairbanks Area, Alaska. US Government Printing Office
- Jorgenson, T., Yoshikawa, K., Kanevskiy, M., Shur, Y., Romanovsky, V., Marchenko, S., Grosse, G., Brown, J., and Jones, B., (2008) Permafrost Characteristics of Alaska - 2008 Shapefile. North Slope Science Initiative. Access: https://catalog.northslopescience.org/dataset/1725
- Ward Jones, M., Schwoerer, T., Gannon, G., Jones, B.M., Kanevskiy, M.Z., Sutton, I., St. Pierre, B., St. Pierre, C., Russell, J., and Russell, D., (2022) Climate-driven expansion of northern agriculture must consider permafrost. Nature Climate Change 12: 699–703.