Meet Jodie Anderson, Director of Institute of Agriculture at UAF. Don't let her laughing, bubbly and fun personality fool you, She is the force behind all good things that are happening at the IANRE. She oversees the statewide complex IANRE, which is Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Extension.

Do you care? You should! All great things happening at IANRE we are familiar with. Like, Georgeson Botanical Gardens, experimental farms in Fairbanks and Matanuska Valley, 300 plus classes on everything gardening and preservation, youth development through 4H programs, Nanook Gardens, Music in the Gardens, Currant Festival, THE recognized and honored Peony Research garden.

What we don't see is the myriad of research that is going on behind the scenes in soils, forestry, crop management, root research, lighting research to grow better produce and plants, Its mind boggling. UAF tomatoes and peppers anyone?

All this work supports the ultimate recipient of this work, the producers, or the farmers or people who garden at small or large scale. Her mission is to help families grow more food, farmers produce more crops, and all citizens live a healthier lives.

Take a listen. You'll fall in love with her and learn so much what's happening right here at UAF. Visit, https://www.uaf.edu/ianre/

Georgeson Botanical Garden is the the farthest north accredited Botanical garden in the United States. Thousands of people from around the world have visited Georgeson Botanical Garden to look at the beautiful peonies that bloom 120 miles south of the Arctic Circle.

Display Gardens include Alaska’s famous giant cabbages, A spectacular children’s garden that boasts a hedge maze that spans two acres, a collection of peonies that showcase 118 plus cultivars and a food demonstration garden that showcases variety trial research of food plants that are most easily adaptive to climate of interior Alaska. Thus answering the question, "what grows well here" ?

Take a listen to the wonderful story of the original experimental farm in Fairbanks that started in 1906, and then transitioned in to the botanical gardens that started evolving in 1989.

If you time it right, every Thursday evening there is Music in the garden from mid May to mid August. Its free. Bring your family, friends, a blanket and a picnic and enjoy some of the best music in Interior Alaska.

On this episode I speak with Callen Christensen about his work with the AFFECT program. What started as a grant to teach hydroponics, evolved into a three year curriculum to teach farming to interested and upcoming farmers who want to start their own farm, or work on a farm. Tuition free, this program selects students, age range 18+, to enroll in a 15 week program that blends classroom as well as hands on experience on farms. The focus is on unique challenges and opportunities in Alaska climate and geography.

AFFECT provides an avenue for individuals interested in farming to gain the experience and knowledge needed to successfully start a farm business in interior Alaska. Being tuition-free, the AFFECT program is accessible to any and all individuals who are interested in farming, regardless of their background, socioeconomic status, etc. Students visit a multitude of local farms and receive hands on training from our local farmers. Additionally, students receive classroom training on business skills, and grow their own crops at various satellite farms. Students receive a Farm Pre-Apprentice Certification by the Fairbanks Soil and Water Conservation District upon successful completion of the program

AFFECT program has demonstrated many successes, lets keep the momentum going.

visit https://affectfarm.com

On this episode I sit down with Megan Schulze to learn about her small but diversified farm in Interior Alaska, called Frontieress Farm

She farms only one and a half acre of land and grows the full gamut of vegetables and over 30 varieties of flowers including tulips. TULIPS! Yes, and they are ready for Mother's Day no less. There is no mechanization on her farm, its all done by hand. Seven years into working on her farm, she is making a satisfying and viable career on her organic small farm. Megan is a huge proponent of small, diversified farming. Take a listen to her story and her settling in Fairbanks, Alaska after traveling all over the world. Her produce and flowers are wildly popular and gone within a couple hours of market opening. She says, this is fun! and listening to her, I don't doubt it at all.

On this episode, I sit down with Ron and Margi Illingworth of North Pole Peonies, a commercial peony farm that has been successfully growing and exporting peonies for twenty years. They started this venture after retirement. They are in their 80's now. Impressive!

Why Peonies? Because it turns out Alaska can grow peonies during June July and August when the rest of the world cannot. There are no peonies to be found in the world except in Alaska. This presented a huge opportunity for Illingworth family to grow and export peonies to lower 48 states and overseas.

This is a family business, Ron and Margi’s daughter, son-in-law and grandkids are all engaged in this enterprise. It’s a wonderful story of focused farming, niche marketing and perfecting distribution and shipments of a very perishable commodity.

Hawks Greenhouse is celebrating its 65th year of operation this year, It’s three generations working together to continue the greenhouse that was started by Angie’s in laws, Elaine and Charles Hawks in 1960.

This podcast is the third in the Greenhouse series. It's the inspirational story of Chuck and Elaine Hawks who traveled the ALCAN highway with three kids to Alaska in search for a better life for their family. Chuck and Elaine were homesteaders and procured 160 acres of land where they lived, raised seven kids and embarked on establishing the ever growing, evolving the beautiful Hawks Greenhouse. Now in its 65th years, the greenhouse is going through another iteration. A new location, bigger greenhouses, bigger storefront and ability to keep expanding and supporting the community as only they can.

Putting Animals first. That's the philosophy embraced by the young and energetic couple who along with their five kids have started a farm in Fairbanks, Alaska.

In this episode I sit down with Michael and Jessica Shaffstall, to talk about their journey in starting a farm in this very cold climate. It was a dream of theirs for many years. Mike is Active Duty military and was stationed in Fairbanks where he and his family fell in love with Fairbanks and wanted to make it their forever home. They finally realized their dream in fall of 2021.

Their farm is on six and a half acres, where they have utilized creative ways to build, heat and outfit shelters for the chicks and hens. Adequate space is super important. The nurturing and care for all their animals is of great importance to them. They raise pigs, chickens, turkeys and have egg laying hens. They also bring Jessica's bread to the market which has become a best seller for them.

However, it’s not just what they bring to the market, but their happy, joyful personality that is so endearing.

The farm name comes from Robert Frost's poem "The Road Not Taken." The phrase "yellow wood" symbolizes a time of change or transition, representing a critical juncture in life where a significant decision needs to be made, often signifying the weight of choices and their consequences on one's life journey.

Isn’t it a happy consequence that the Shaffstall’s choice in deciding their life’s journey and choices brought them to Fairbanks? It’s is indeed a positive choice for them, and we benefit as well.

You can find them at yellowwoodak.com or follow them on Facebook

You can find this episode wherever you get your podcasts, and also on jostablealaska.com

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As the year 2024 ends, I'm reflecting back to when I started this podcast, my reasons, my challenges, my journey. The insights I gained. If not for this podcast, I would not have met the wonderful people who took time to speak with me and share their stories. If not for them, we would not know their journey and learn about this community of people who work hard to address food security and provide healthy food to the community.

I learned so much! And I continue to learn. Join me as I travel back a year and a half to see how far I have come. And how much is ahead for me to learn. Thanks for supporting Jo's Table Alaska. Happy Holidays!