Agriculture Appreciation Day at the Farm set for Aug. 4

July 27, 2016

Photo by Stephen Brown. Kids dig for potatoes at the Matanuska Experiment Farm during the 2015 Alaska Agriculture Appreciation Day.

The Matanuska Experiment Farm in Palmer will host Alaska Agriculture Appreciation Day at the farm from noon to 5 p.m. Aug. 4.

The free annual event has the atmosphere of a country fair with educational presentations, hayrides and a number of kids’ and family activities. The event will also include presentations on eliminating hornet and wasp nests, improving soils, beekeeping and trail etiquette. The Cooperative Extension Service will offer cooking demonstrations that feature local Alaska produce.

Demonstrations will feature the MAT+SAR K9 dog rescue, spinning and weaving wool, goat milking and more. Kids’ activities will include vegetable bobbing and searching for “gold nuggets” in a haystack. Digging for potatoes, which was popular last year, has been expanded to become “Kids Read and Dig Veggies.” Extension staff will read a book about making vegetable soup at 2 p.m., then the kids can harvest and dig for several vegetables, including potatoes, beets and broccoli.

Also new is a Dress as Produce or Farm Animal Contest to be judged at 4 p.m. New and returning vendors this year will showcase a variety of food and nonfood products.

The farm, at 1509 S. Georgeson Road, provides research facilities, classroom space and offices for University of Alaska Fairbanks research and Extension. Call Theresa Isaac at 907-746-9450 for more information.

ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Marmian Grimes, 907-474-7902, mlgrimes@alaska.edu.

NOTE TO EDITORS: A photo of kids digging potatoes from last year's Agriculture Appreciation Day may be downloaded from //news.uaf.edu/agriculture-appreciation2016/.