Ag Happenings Around Homer
Tuesday April 2: Non-Credit Class At the Kachemak Bay Campus- Create a Haven for Birds, Bees and Other Pollinators, 5:30- 8:30 pm, $45. A thoughtfully designed, pesticide-free garden can become a wonderful haven for wildlife. Discover the many and often simple ways in which we can create a welcoming, safe, and healthy habitat for butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds, including which hardy plants and colors are most attractive to each, the best way to provide water for them, and what they need for nesting and rearing their young. Whether your interests include food crops, native plants or ornamentals, or all of these, and regardless of how small or large your garden might be, this seminar will offer helpful information for your success in drawing a range of pollinators to your location. Register at the college or via the KBC website.
Thursday, Apr. 4: Kenai Peninsula Farm Bureau Meeting, 6 pm at Homer Public Library.
The Farm Bureau is also seeking a media coordinator to promote agriculture and the Bureau locally on a variety of forums, including facebook, newspapers and radio. For more on that or to participate in the meeting using Zoom online access, email kpchapterfb@gmail.com.
Saturday April 6: Alaska Food Hub Information & Vendor Training (Homer session #1). 10:30 am - 12:00 pm at the Kachemak Conservation Center (Cook Inletlkeeper building) 3734 Ben Walters Ln. Alaska Food Hub is an online farmers market in operation since 2016 with distribution points in Soldotna, Homer and Seldovia. Learn about the first three seasons of the Alaska Food Hub, find out what it takes to become a vendor, and share your ideas for improvements and expansion. This session is for new and returning vendors.
Monday, Apr. 8: New Farmer Expo, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm at BP Energy Center, Anchorage. A one-day introduction to all the non-profit, private and government resources available for beginning farmers, including panel discussions with experienced farmers and buyers of local products. Registration: $40, includes light breakfast and lunch. Advance registration is required by April 7. Register at https://anchoragefarmerexpo2019.eventbrite.com or contact AgriLogic at 844-221-5982 (toll-free).
Tuesday April 9: Non-Credit Class at the Kachemak Bay Campus- Truly Compelling Combinations, 5:30-8:30 pm, $45. Learn how and why plant combinations work to create more beautiful and compelling spaces. Discover new ways to use foliage, color, texture, form,and other plant attributes to create combinations that far exceed the beauty of each individual plant. Taking the notion of combination planting to a refreshing new level, this seminar uses examples of gardens to offer a unique perspective on how to achieve results that set an exceptional mood and ambiance. Learn techniques to design upbeat, dazzling, and exciting combinations as well as those with a calm, more subtle, but still very memorable presence. Register at the college or via the KBC website.
Thursday April 11: Alaska Food Hub Information and Vendor Training (Homer session #2), 5:30- 7:00 pm at Homer Public Library. Learn about the first three seasons of the Alaska Food Hub, find out what it takes to become a vendor, and share your ideas for improvements and expansion.
Thursday April 18: Get to Know Your Soils Workshop, 4:00- 5:30 pm at the Homer Public Library Conference Room. Brad Casar with Homer Soil & Water Conservation district will lead a group discussion about getting to know your soils. Topics will include organic matter in your soil, soil structure and drainage, and maintaining healthy and nutritious soil, with all topics open to discussion. Free event. Bring your questions!
Sunday April 21: Homer Garden Club April Meeting, 2:00- 4:00 pm at the Best Western Bidarka. April's guest speaker will be Paul Marmora, topic is Bonsai.
Tuesday April 30: Alaska Food Hub Information & Vendor Training (Homer session #3). 5:30- 7:00 pm at the Kachemak Conservation Center (Cook Inletlkeeper building) 3734 Ben Walters Ln. Learn about the first three seasons of the Alaska Food Hub, find out what it takes to become a vendor, and share your ideas for improvements and expansion.
Tuesday, May 7: Alaska Ag Day! Celebrate with your friends and family.
Other Cool Things to Know About
In case you haven't seen it, the Kenai Peninsula Borough is drafting a pilot project for a new Agricultural Lands Lease Plan. In an effort to best craft this plan to meet local user needs, KPB Land Management Officer Marcus Mueller is actively seeking input, encouraging residents to view the draft plan and provide input, along with letters of interest.To view the draft plan, parcel maps and more visit https://www.kpb.us/landmgt/kpb-agriculture-initiative
2019 Alaska Farm Bureau Agriculture Mini-Grant. Application period opens 3/22/19 and closes 5/15/19. The Alaska Farm Bureau is accepting applications for small agriculture education projects to increase awareness, knowledge, and appreciation of Alaska agriculture in our youth. The Alaska Farm Bureau intends to award up to $11,500.00 in grants to individuals or organizations across the state. Applicants notified June 1, 2019. For more visit the Farm Bureau webpage.
2019 Bruce Willard Scholarship. Application period opens 3/22/19 and closes 4/26/19. Alaska Farm Bureau will award one $2,000 scholarship to a student pursuing an agricultural or natural resource field through college, trade school or vocational training. The program is available to students already enrolled in a college, trade school or in vocational training, as well as graduating high school seniors. This is a one-time scholarship. Visit the Farm Bureau webpage for more on the scholarship and on Bruce Willard himself.
Spruce For Salmon
Did you know that small spruce trees make great habitat for juvenile salmon? Kenai Soil & Water Conservation District is part of a local-state-federal partnership that will take spruce trees harvested to reduce wildfire risk and provide them to private property owners for use in streambank protection projects starting April 2019. If you are clearing forested land, the trees you don’t want may be put to good use protecting salmon habitat. The Kenai River Center serves as the clearinghouse to connect interested landowners. Call River Center Manager Tom Dearlove at (907) 714-2462.
UP The Road
Wednesday, Apr. 10: Alaska Food Hub Information and Vendor Training, 6 - 8 pm at Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association Building, 40610 K-Beach Road. Alaska Food Hub is an online farmers market in operation since 2016 with distribution points in Soldotna, Homer and Seldovia. This session is for new and returning vendors. Additional sessions will be held in Homer Apr. 6, 11 and 30. For more information, visit www.alaskafoodhub.org.
Wednesday, Apr. 17: Keep Alaska Wild! Invasive Species Workshop, 3 - 7 pm at Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association Building, 40610 K-Beach Road. Join us for the 2019 KP-CWMA Invasive Species Workshop to learn why you - as an outdoor enthusiast, trail-user, and sport-fisher - should care about invasive plants. Wed, April 17th from 3pm - 7pm.
Free, food and beverages included. Stop by anytime! Presentations starting at 5:30pm. Learn more at http://www.kenaiweeds.org/
Friday, April 19: Farm & Food Friday, 8:30 - 9:30 am at Odie's Deli, 44315 Sterling Hwy, Soldotna. An informal opportunity to connect with farmers and farm-supporting organizations, third Fridays through May. There's lots going on in the Central Peninsula when it comes to farms and local food and relatively few opportunities to share ideas, exchange information and build partnerships. Whether you grow flowers, forage, food or fiber, whether you farm or support those who do, whether you're into local food, or you're just curious, you're invited.
Thursday, May 2: Kenai Peninsula Farm Bureau Meeting, 6 pm at Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association Building, 40610 K-Beach Road and on-line. For updates, email kpchapterfb@gmail.com.
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