The Kenai Peninsula District area includes 21 myriad communities with a total population of just over 60,000. The district serves communities from across Cook Inlet in Tyonek and throughout the peninsula, which is just south of Anchorage. Larger communities include Kenai, Soldotna, Homer and Seward.
Many of the communities are accessible by road, but others can only be reached by air or boat. Oil, tourism and fisheries drive the economy, and the Kenai Peninsula is also the fastest-growing agricultural region in Alaska, with the number of farms increasing at almost three times the rate of the rest of the state.
Outreach includes agriculture and horticulture; home, health and family development; integrated pest management; nutrition; and 4-H and youth development.
Soil Testing and Interpretation
Visit our soil testing page for all the information you need to test your soil and interpret how much fertilizer you need (plus free online calculators).
Spruce Bark Beetles: What you need to know
Spruce Bark Beetles are making an impact on spruce trees across the Kenai Peninsula. Visit the Alaska Spruce Beetle website then type "bark beetle" in the search box in order to:
- learn what bark beetles are and how they damage trees.
- learn bark beetle groups in Alaska.
- learn signs and symptoms of bark beetle activity.
- learn potential bark beetle threats to Alaska.
- become familiar with the vocabulary of bark beetles.
For even more information, view this Spruce Beetle publication.
Upcoming events
Events
Apr 14
Contact organizer
Tuesday, April 14, 2026, 12 – 1pm
The UAF Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Extension will host a series of hourlong lunch seminars. Presentations will focus on engaging people in a conversation about the issues their research surrounds, and will be relatively informal and friendly. Talks will be about 30 minutes long, with plenty of time for questions and conversations. Register using the online form or visit https://bit.ly/CircumpolarConnections.
During these seminars, researchers will present ideas to inspire interdisciplinary collaboration and build relationships around Alaska's food systems.
Researchers and students at University of Alaska, other circumpolar institutions, and land-grant university Experiment Stations are invited to listen to IANRE researchers present ideas that spark curiosity and inspire new pathways forward.
While the seminars will focus on agriculture in the sub-Arctic and Arctic, the broader aim is to create a space for connection and dialogue, ultimately strengthening research across disciplines to support the circumpolar food system.
For more information, contact Laura Weingartner at lgweingartner@alaska.edu or 907-474-6009.
Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made five business days in advance to Alda Norris amnorris2@alaska.edu or 907-474-7120. Language access services, such as interpretation or translation of vital information, will be provided free of charge to individuals with limited English proficiency upon request to amnorris2@alaska.edu.
This work is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Categories: Public events calendar - Fairbanks, Cooperative Extension calendar, Anchorage CES calendar, Bethel CES calendar, Bristol Bay/Dillingham CES calendar, Delta Junction CES calendar, Southeast CES calendar, Kenai/Soldotna CES calendar, Kodiak CES calendar, Mat-Su/Copper River CES calendar, Northwest/Nome CES calendar, Sitka CES calendar, Fairbanks/Tanana CES calendar
Could this event have 200 or more attendees? There are campus considerations for large events.: FALSE
Apr 15
UAF online/virtual event, Contact organizer
Wednesday, April 15, 2026, 12 – 1pm
Mariculture — the cultivation of marine life such as shellfish and seaweeds — is an emerging and expanding sector in Alaska.
In this free presentation, Melissa “Missy” Good, a mariculture specialist with Alaska Sea Grant, will provide an overview of Alaska’s mariculture industry and its role in strengthening coastal economies and food security. She will highlight which species are being cultivated, including kelp and shellfish, and explore how these products move from sea to table. In addition to being nutritious foods, kelp and other seaweeds are used in a wide range of products, including fertilizers, animal feeds, biostimulants, food ingredients, and emerging biomaterials — creating new economic opportunities beyond direct consumption.
Missy is based in Kodiak at the Kodiak Seafood and Marine Science Center and also serves in a leadership role for the Alaska Mariculture Research and Training Center. Through this work, she advances statewide initiatives and collaborates with community members, industry partners, Alaska Native tribes and corporations, seafood processors, community leaders, and regulators to support sustainable mariculture development in Alaska.
Where: Zoom. Register using the online form or visit https://bit.ly/AlaskaMariculture.
For more information, contact Molly Johansson at 907-786-6313 or mjohansson@alaska.edu
Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made five business days in advance to Alda Norris at amnorris2@alaska.edu or 907-474-7120. Language access services, such as interpretation or translation of vital information, will be provided free of charge to individuals with limited English proficiency upon request to amnorris2@alaska.edu.
This work is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Categories: Public events calendar - Fairbanks, Cooperative Extension calendar, Anchorage CES calendar, Bethel CES calendar, Bristol Bay/Dillingham CES calendar, Delta Junction CES calendar, Southeast CES calendar, Kenai/Soldotna CES calendar, Kodiak CES calendar, Mat-Su/Copper River CES calendar, Northwest/Nome CES calendar, Sitka CES calendar, Fairbanks/Tanana CES calendar
Could this event have 200 or more attendees? There are campus considerations for large events.: FALSE
Apr 16
Matanuska Experiment Farm & Extension Center Kerttula Hall 206
Thursday, April 16, 2026, 12 – 1pm
Brandi Jo Nyberg will discuss methods, systems and tools used for biointensive, diversified vegetable production in a lunchtime presentation.
Biointensive farming involves maximizing small acreage to produce large amounts of food, with care for the soil at its core. Methods discussed will include bed sizing and spacing, essential tools, interplanting, and soil/plant health.
Brandi Jo Nyberg is the owner of Sauntering Roots Farm, a diversified vegetable operation that grows more than 30 varieties with less than an acre in production.
This class will be held in person at the UAF Matanuska Experiment Farm and Extension Center, 1509 S. Georgeson Drive, Palmer, as well as via Zoom.
Register using the online form or visit https://bit.ly/NybergTalk.
For more information, contact the Matanuska Experiment Farm front desk at 907-745-3360.
Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made five business days in advance to Alda Norris at amnorris2@alaska.edu or 907-474-7120. Language access services, such as interpretation or translation of vital information, will be provided free of charge to individuals with limited English proficiency upon request to amnorris2@alaska.edu.
This work is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Categories: Public events calendar - Fairbanks, Cooperative Extension calendar, Anchorage CES calendar, Bethel CES calendar, Bristol Bay/Dillingham CES calendar, Delta Junction CES calendar, Southeast CES calendar, Kenai/Soldotna CES calendar, Kodiak CES calendar, Mat-Su/Copper River CES calendar, Northwest/Nome CES calendar, Sitka CES calendar, Fairbanks/Tanana CES calendar
Could this event have 200 or more attendees? There are campus considerations for large events.: FALSE
Events
Monday - Thur., 9 am - 2 pm
Phone: 907-262-5824
Email: soldotna.ces@alaska.edu
