Agriculture

Assistance to Local Farmers
FSWCD provides technical assistance to farmers including: answering questions, visiting fields to identify and address problems, preparing soil maps, and much more.

Farm Plans
Our Board of Supervisors reviews all Alaska Division of Agriculture Farm Plans within our district. Additionally, our staff can help farmers by reviewing their draft plans and providing advice.

Hydroponic Grow Towers

We have free plans for a 16 plant site grow tower that is easy to build, not expensive with supplies, and a great way to grow food year round. Click below for the directions:

Modified Grow Tower Directions

Care and Maintenance Instructions

Click below to watch a video made with the Silent Springs FFA Chapter explaining how to build the tower step by step:

Video Instructions on Building the Modified Tower

Equipment Lending
We have several herbicide sprayers and an aerator that are available to borrow for cooperators within our district.

Weed Free Forage Certification and Weed Cost Share
For more information about these programs, click here.

Soil Testing Program
The soil testing program provides timely soil data and recommendations to local farmers and gardeners. Click here for more info.

Agricultural Trials and Demonstration Projects
From 2010-2011, FSWCD conducted a Forage Renovation Demonstration investigating the benefits of aeration and urease inhibitor use on hay fields in interior Alaska. To view the brochure, click here. We plan to conduct more agricultural demonstrations in the future as funding allows.

Public Education

Outreach at the Tanana Valley State Fair:
FSWCD sponsors the Giant Cabbage Contest, the Farm and Garden Display, and Bucks for Bales (a hay bale competition). We also have informational booths in both the Agricultural Hall and the Largen Barn. In collaboration with the Interior Alaska Food Network, we sponsor a "Taste of Alaska Grown" event at the fair, where we hand out free samples of Interior Alaska grown produce and inform the public about where to buy locally grown products. In 2021, we helped hold a Taste of Golden Heart Grown event where visitors got to sample many local foods and products from the Tanana Valley Farmer's Market and other local producers.

Alaska Agriculture Day:
To celebrate Alaska Agriculture Day, FSWCD staff and volunteers support local Ag Day events throughout interior Alaska. We have supported this event by holding Alaska Agriculture Day events at the Georgeson Botanical Garden as well as providing local teachers with lesson plans to use on this special day. We also organize a Chamber of Commerce lunch with speakers from the local agriculture industry, displays, free handouts, and educational materials (and sometimes local 4H kids with their petting zoo animals!).

Fairbanks Visitor's Industry Charity Walk:
Alaska Grown food has been served by FSWCD staff at the charity walk for the past several years, connecting hundreds of participants with local farmers and products.