Sustainable Alaska by Common Ground Alaska Farmstead

Today we had the opportunity to talk with Bob Van Veldhuizen from the Mat Su Experiment Farm about soil testing. Everyone knows that if you want to have a successful garden, you have to have good soil. But for many of us, we have no clue how to make that happen. Although this talk is public, it is part of a series of talks that is being made available to Alaska Homestead Expo ticket holders only. Upcoming talks for ticketholders only include: What is HAM Radio, Baking with Whole Grains, Homesteading when disabled or elderly, The cost of having a family milk cow, Gardening in Alaska, how to pick a breed of chickens (meat or egg layers), What is orienteering, and so many more! Get your Expo tickets here to join these talks: https://commongroundalaska.com/alaska-homestead-expo/ Important info Bob referred to in the talk are as follows: Brookside Lab in Ohio Mehlich 3 test - S001AN Soil Health - S019 Happy Gardening!

We can grow some BIG veggies (and incredible fruits) in Alaska but how can we possibly use them all up and preserve them in a way that will feed our family and save us money at the grocery store? This is SUCH a fun topic to talk about and over the years, we've learned to embrace our climate and we've learned to preserve all that Alaska provides us in nutrient dense and creative ways that are so tasty! I'm excited to share what I've learned and to help you brainstorm different ways to preserve and utilize all that Alaska offers. Also, we have several classes coming up like Canning, Fermenting, and Gardening in Alaska. You can check out the classes here: https://commongroundalaska.com/product-category/classes/ Plus, be sure to check out the upcoming Alaska Homestead Expo: https://commongroundalaska.com/alaska-homestead-expo/

If you are new to egg laying chickens or are thinking about getting some but aren't sure where to start, Don Dyer of Polaris Farm shares his best tips from setting up a brooder, picking chicks, and caring for babies all the way to how to care for them once they are laying. Lots to learn here. Grab a notebook and listen in!

If you're just getting started or are curious about the homestead lifestyle, I have some words of wisdom to avoid overwhelm and to help you find your passion. We are so honored to have the opportunity to work with people from all walks of life who are curious how to get started with this more self-sufficient lifestyle but aren't sure where to start. Or sometimes they take on way too much and they get overwhelmed. Check out our first of this series "GETTING STARTED HOMESTEADING". I hope it's a great encouragement to you!

Today I had the honor of interviewing Jeff Chon from Genesis Coffee Lab and let me tell you, it was one of my favorite conversations EVER! If you're in a weird place and you're wondering where God is taking you. - you MUST give this show a listen. What an incredible testimony they have of following the Lord, even when it doesn't exactly fit with what you have planned. This isn't our usual show but it is such an encouraging story and that's also part of what we want to do - encourage every single listener to see where God is working and leading and jump in with both feet!

We have some changes coming as we begin season 2 of the show. Many of you likely know that I am now also the host of Ag Matters Radio which is a huge honor! It's been so fun to interview folks in Alaska agriculture! However, the messaging is the same as our podcast, and we are interviewing many of the same people. Because of that, we are changing up the show to be heavier on teaching. Our tagline is that we are A Teaching Farm that Feeds Alaskans so this is right in line with what we do and where our passion lies. We hope you enjoy this new season!

In this podcast episode, we talk with Michele Deering of Palmer, AK about raising meat rabbits in Alaska. She digs into details like cost, sustainability, breeds, and so much more!

If you're considering raising meat rabbits or if you're just curious about why they are so popular here (hint: sustainability), this is a great episode to listen in on.

Oh, the possibilities we have with food preservation in Alaska! Good golly, there are so many things we can grow and source to preserve for our family to fill our larders and prepare for winter!

But it can seem overwhelming, I know! This episode is a recorded class that we offered this week. In this episode we discuss the very basics of food preservation and what we can do with our Alaska bounty. There are some pretty good ideas in this one, if I do say so myself! :)

Let us know your thoughts and be sure to subscribe so you don't miss another episode!

Okay, so we can't exactly GROW coffee in Alaska but we CAN roast it and drink it fresh. And let me tell you - drinking a cup of fresh roasted coffee is like eating a cantaloupe fresh off the vine. It'll ruin you for the old, mass-produced stuff - the flavor and aroma just don't compare! I got to talk with Zoe from Farm Loop Coffee - what a fun chat! Zoe is a soil scientist turned coffee roaster which gives her a super fun edge in her business because she understands how soil impacts everything about the harvested product, including flavor! What does this have to do with homesteading? I'm glad you asked! What homesteader do you know who doesn't drink coffee (besides me?). So, there's your connection. :) Besides, I thought it was just fun to learn about. Check it out! You can find Farm Loop Coffee at https://www.farmloopcoffee.com/ Farm Loop Coffee is also on Facebook and Instagram. Curious what we use to make amazing cups of coffee here on the farm? Grinder: https://amzn.to/41r0P85 Coffee Maker: https://amzn.to/43ubHE7 Aeropress: https://amzn.to/3L8vged And of course ... Farm Loop Coffee

Having a root cellar is like the holy grail of homesteading. We all want one but few of us have actually figured out how to build it where we are at. If you need inspiration, wisdom, or even encouragement to think outside the box to get a root cellar at your Alaska homestead, then you definitely want to tune in to this interview with Andria Bond. Their journey to a root cellar certainly wasn't conventional (heck, it's partially above ground!) but it WORKS! If you want to learn more about root cellars, here are a few books we have enjoyed as we are learning more and planning our own root cellar: Root Cellaring: Natural Cold Storage for Fruits and Vegetables https://amzn.to/3GCKzJ5 Build your own Underground Root Cellar https://amzn.to/3mxdO9E The Joy of Keeping a Root Cellar: Canning, Freezing, Drying, Smoking, and Preserving the Harvest https://amzn.to/3MMtFfj The Complete Guide to your New Root Cellar https://amzn.to/41oA1p9 Andria owns Arctic Apothecary - what a tremendous resource that is! Be sure to check it out! www.arcticapothecaryherbs.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArcticApothecaryHerbs Also, Andria runs a super informative Facebook group called Roots & Shoots Gardening group. She's based in the interior but I've learned many things that are applicable to us in South Central, too. Just say you heard about it here and she will gladly approve you! Enjoy the show!

Most often, when we talk about homesteading, we talk to young, healthy people who are all-in in this lifestyle. But there's an entire demographic we're missing. There are many, many elderly and physically challenged people who are also living this lifestyle - and thriving! I had the opportunity to chat today with Louetta Robinson - talk about an inspiring story! Not only is she ((ahem)) no spring chicken, she also has some pretty difficult health issues leaving her very physically challenged. However, when she was at her unhealthiest, she KNEW that her lifestyle had to change if her health was going to change so she moved back out to her off-grid homestead and dug in! Her story is inspirational and super informative. If you would love to homestead but wonder if you can physically manage it, she has some excellent tips and wisdom that might be of tremendous benefit. Anyone who has ever struggled in this homestead lifestyle is SURE to be encouraged through her story!

Boy did we ever dig deep today! Rayne Reynolds gave us the lowdown on many different aspects of animal nutrition. We talked about things like: - What are the nutritional requirements for cows, pigs, and chickens? - What are some cost-effective ways to feed them? - Can you feed Alaska-grown? - What about spent grains? - Plus we chatted about fermenting feed and growing (and feeding) Alfalfa in AK ... Plus so much more!

I had the incredible opportunity to interview Kelly Fishler about her Aeroponic system - it's incredible what you can grow! Way beyond a few herbs, she has eggplants, tomatoes, edible flowers, the list goes on and on! You can grow things like pumpkins, squash, full-size cabbage, beans, watermelon, and so much more! I had no idea what you can do with these systems. If you're looking into any of the aeroponic systems, you certainly will want to tune into this show. There are many different aeroponic systems - this show will answer many questions no matter which system you're interested in purchasing. Note from Kelly: If you would like to know more about Tower Gardens, including how to purchase one, please contact me directly at kellygrace.fishler@gmail.com, or go to kfishler.towergarden.com. Tower Garden offers shipping to Alaska, but this is a new development so the website is still getting updated, please contact me directly if you’re interested. Thank you!

Today I spoke with Lisa Kristy about all things vermicompost, including how to get set up, what to feed, how to care for your worms, what to do with the compost, and so much more!

I am relatively squeamish, so the idea of worms in my house didn't really appeal to me until this chat with Lisa - now I'm super excited to get started!

OH! One thing I learned - it oftentimes isn't worth the money to get bags of worm castings at the store - she explains why ...

Thank you, Lisa, for taking the time to chat with us and share your knowledge of all things worms and composting. What a FASCINATING TOPIC!

If you are interested in getting worms or castings from Lisa - OR if you just have questions, you're welcome to contact her here:

Email: lnkristy@yahoo.com

FB: https://www.facebook.com/lkristy

Also, in the show, we referred to the following resources:

Captain Matt making Wheatgrass Mats: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vC2UAbgpTV0

Also, she highly recommends the book "Worms Eat My Garbage" which can be found on Amazon: https://amzn.to/40fyMZm

Okay, off to research compost tea. Enjoy the show!

Today we had the opportunity to talk with Sierra Hammond of Hammond Urban Homestead.

Sierra raises rabbits for meat as she also loves to show rabbits.

She has so much knowledge about raising rabbits in Alaska - I'm really glad we got to chat!

I really enjoyed this chat with Ashley Waligura. She originally reached out to me to talk on the show about creative composting - which certainly piqued my interest! Then when she shared that she considers herself an accidental composter, I knew this would be a fun story to hear. This show is pretty laid back - there are some things that maybe should have been edited but in reality, it just goes along with the theme which is to do the thing, no matter how imperfect because you'll learn along the way - and what you end up with will still be useful! The moral of this story is that, if you're new to composting and using it in your garden, just do it. Do it imperfect and learn as you go. It's a worthwhile cause for sure! Enjoy the show!

In this interview with Ben Adams of 4T% Ranch, we dive deep into several subjects having to do with ranching, raising beef in Alaska, and even important things to consider if you're planning to buy a side of beef from an Alaskan rancher this year.   

PACKED with information, this podcast is for anyone wanting to gain a better understanding of Alaska-grown food, where your food comes from, and ideas on how we can all do better to bring our state to a place of true food independence.   

Here's how you can follow 4T% Ranch:  
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fourtpct
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julianne.adams78/  
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@4tfarmandranchalaska577

We've been studying permaculture for several years but the way most permaculture books are written, the concepts either don't apply to Alaska or they take some serious tweaking to apply.   

Today, I had the opportunity to interview Triffawna Witt of Alaska Traditional Preservation to learn what permaculture is, why it's such a beneficial way to garden (and live), and a few tweaks to make it work for Alaska.   

We even got to chat for a minute about hugelkultur beds which are my newest obsession!   

We do reference our classes coming up this week. You can find those at commongroundalaska.com/shop. We'd love to see you there!   I hope this video is inspiring and super helpful if you're interested in gardening sustainably in Alaska.

We had the opportunity to talk with Rachel from Abundant Life Farm, and she got very real about the challenges and rewards of having a family milk cow in Alaska.   

If you're considering a cow yourself, there is so much to consider. I hope this conversation with Rachel will help you make a decision that you will LOVE!   

As always, we appreciate your follows - it sure helps our farm!   

You can follow Rachel at:  
IG: @abundantlifefarm   
Website: Abundantlifefarm.us   
Books she recommends are:  
The Independent Farmstead: https://www.amazon.com/Independent-Farmstead-Biodiversity-Nutrient-Dense-Management
Natural Farming: https://www.amazon.com/Natural-Farming-Practical-Pat-Coleby

Enjoy! As always, we welcome your questions!

Homesteading, food security, and self-sufficiency; these are all hot topics in Alaska. But what if there we can have a better conversation? One that will actually move the needle forward for all of us?   

Let's talk about it!

If you love the idea of preserving food you've grown in your garden, you might be wondering how much you should plant!

How many plants do you need to reach your goals?   

It can seem a bit tricky at first, so we've created a simple formula for you to determine just what you should plant based on your preservation goals.   

Now that you know how much to plant in your garden, let's get planting!

Figuring out the cost to raise meat birds can seem a bit daunting, but it's actually really simple with our easy formula. And we know we can't use lower 48 pricing because things just cost more here in general.   

It can be a pricy project, so it's important to know your total cost ahead of time. It's no fun to run into surprises once you're into the project!   

So, let's dig in!   Also included in this video are some ways we are saving money and feeding our chicks incredibly well, and creating a premium meat bird on the cheap.   

Enjoy! As always, we appreciate your comments, shares, and follows. Thank you for supporting our little farm!

Today I had the opportunity to talk with Elijah Lockwood, a farmer in the northern Matanusaka Valley.

In our talk he explains the legalities of Raw Milk Shares and how they work exactly. Spoiler alert: They are perfectly legal; it's not skirting the law.   

Also, he shares his thoughts on having a family milk cow. What to expect, etc.   

It was a great talk - super informative! I hope you'll give it a listen!   

In the talk he mentioned a book called The Family Milk Cow. That book can be found here: https://www.amazon.com/Family-Cow-Garden-Publishing-Book/dp/0882660667