Local foods symposium stresses value of Alaska grown
March 24, 2014
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3-24-2014
A local foods symposium held at the University of Alaska Fairbanks earlier this month demonstrated the value and benefits of local food production.
Hosted by the UAF Chancellor’s Student Food Committee, the workshop included lectures, a barley-cooking demonstration and an abundance of delicious food. Delta Junction farmer and owner of Alaska Flour Co. Bryce Wrigley was the keynote presenter.
“We invited the Wrigleys to Fairbanks to combat the misconception that a robust agricultural system in Alaska is not possible," Azara Mohammadi, a member of the CSFC, said. "He and his family are living evidence that with innovation and dedication, growing the Arctic food system is not only feasible but within reach.”
There was standing room only at Wrigley’s lecture on “Alaskans Feeding Alaska.”
“We’ve been talking about this a long time,” Wrigley said. “We’ve been trying to raise awareness of food insecurity.”
A local food system is simple, he said. “All you need is somebody to eat and somebody to grow food and get them married up. It should be that simple, but the devil is in the details.”
People have become complacent about the food supply because they see it in the stores. “They think we’re good to go,” Wrigley said. “The only time we’re worried is when a barge doesn’t come in.”
Less than 1 percent of the U.S. population names farming as a primary occupation. “America is being fed by 2 million farmers. Each farmer feeds 155 people.” Wrigley lamented that one acre of farmland is lost each minute.
“We can think ourselves out of this,” he said. “We got here somehow and we have to figure out how to get out.”
Because Alaska is an appendage of America, Wrigley said, the state is vulnerable during natural disasters and times of crisis. Recalling freezeups, floods, earthquakes and Sept. 11, 2001, Wrigley recalled how the grocery stores were quickly cleaned out because they typically have a three to seven-day supply of food.
“We need a food system that would provide nutrients to keep us for 90 days,” he said. “I’ve been preaching the need to build a local food system so we can take care of ourselves.”
Alaskans are not strangers to adversity and disaster. “We need to be ready to address concerns. We don’t have reserves.”
A local food system provides food security, economic growth, rural development and social improvement. “No state can have food security without a vibrant local food system,” Wrigley said.
Alaskans spend $3 billion a year on food. If 30 percent of their food dollar went to locally grown food, it would contribute $750 million to Alaska’s economy.
Wrigley sees agriculture as a way for rural residents to reconnect to the land and learn job skills. “I know the feeling that comes from your labors when a crop comes to fruition,” he said.
While Alaska has the ability to produce a balanced diet, it’s not happening on the scale it could. Wrigley called for regulatory balances that would keep food safe but allow flexibility and for UAF to commit to agricultural research and education.
Another key component is a sustained agricultural marketing plan. “We need to raise awareness so people begin to realize the value of local food. We need to showcase local food.” Other needs to be addressed include distribution and production.
“Looking forward we need a goal, a plan, objectives and accountability. I have a vision. I know how to get there. We can do this. By 2030 we should have a 20 percent locally sourced food system.”
Mohammadi declared the symposium a success. “We reached a total of more than 80 people and made some strong connections and alliances toward future projects to further increase the scope of our message,” she said. “By sharing the lessons they learned and the process by which they came to be prominent figures of Alaskan agriculture and well-known advocates for Arctic food security, they demystified and made transparent a process that is popularly considered impossible.”