History of the Alaska Harvest Collaborative

In 2020, the Alaska Harvest Collaborative (AHC) was established through a partnership between the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Georgeson Botanical Garden (GBG), the UAF Office of Sustainability, and the Institute of Agriculture Natural Resources and Extension Vegetable Variety Trials program. This initiative was made possible by generous funding from the American Public Garden Association (APGA) and the US Botanic Garden (USBG). The program aimed to enhance local food system resilience by offering experiential education, cultivating and distributing food to local centers, and fostering community engagement.

Within its first two years, the Harvest Project (as it was initially known) graduated over 15 new gardener/farmer trainees and donated more than 10,000 lbs of produce to community food distribution centers.

In 2022, the Fairbanks Soil and Water Conservation District’s Alternative Fairbanks Farm and Educational and Cooperative Training Program (AFFECT) joined as a new partner. This expansion prompted a rebranding to the Harvest Project Collaborative, reflecting the program's evolving partnerships and shared goals.

That same year, additional funding from APGA and USBG facilitated the relocation of the experiential learning garden to its current site within the historic reindeer pens at the Fairbanks Experiment Farm. The inaugural growing season in the 'Reindeer Garden' commenced in 2023, marked by the establishment of more raised beds and the construction of a pavilion as a gathering space for participants.

In 2024, another significant award from APGA and USBG facilitated the hiring of a program assistant and the construction of an outdoor kitchen. Calypso Farm's Indigenous Farmer Training program also joined as a new partner.  The program was rebranded as the Alaska Harvest Collaborative (AHC) and formalized its mission, vision, and values.  The AHC is actively exploring avenues to sustain and expand its impact within the community, nurturing both participants and the local food ecosystem.

Vision

Our vision is to cultivate food, community and resilience through shared knowledge and hands-on experience.

Mission

The Alaska Harvest Collaborative (AHC) is a cooperative effort between different community-oriented groups and organizations that seek to provide experiential learning opportunities designed to empower people to participate in their local food system and to make healthy life choices. Programming is focused on teaching participants how to grow and prepare fresh food while building community.

Rooted in Community: Growing food, harvesting knowledge, sharing abundance

Core Values

• Respect - We respect ourselves, others and our ecosystem. Respect cultivates trust and a safe space for program participants and our staff.
• Compassion - Our work is grounded in compassion. We are empathic and kind.
• Collaboration - We work cooperatively rather than competitively at all levels, building relationships and partnerships that are mutually beneficial. We
  communicate frequently and openly with community members, neighbors, partners and each other.
• Trust - From our open gardens to our open hearts and minds, we trust in our community members. Community and togetherness are only possible when based on trust.
• Stewardship - We are caretakers of the land. In everything we do, we consider the impact on our environment. We respect and honor the ground that grows our food, the water that keeps it alive, and the air we breathe while farming, gardening and living.
• Sustainability - We are committed to investing in the longevity and sustainability of the Alaska Harvest Collaborative by valuing and investing in its current and future partners, participants and the community at large.

Strategies:

• Learning through experience
• Growing community
• Developing the local food systems: production, processing and distribution
• Collaborative teaching