Agriculture expo connects growers to resources

Published 8:30 am Friday, March 27, 2026

The Soldotna Regional Sports Complex was lively on Saturday with current and prospective members of Alaska’s agriculture sector attending the first annual Growers’ Expo. Open to anyone interested in growing on the Kenai Peninsula, the event provided resources, education and networking opportunities for farmers, gardeners, livestock raisers and anyone else interested in learning about local food production and environmental conservation.

The event was organized by Kenai Local Food Connection, the Kenai Soil and Water Conservation District and the Alaska Farm Bureau, and included a “resource hall” with multiple tables from various representing organizations; a series of roundtable discussions featuring several local farms; and presentations by speakers from around the state.

Mary May, Resilience Director for Kenai Local Food Connection, said that the agency had put on a farmers’ conference in previous years and were looking to bring something like that back again for today’s agriculturists.

“We renamed it the Growers’ Expo because so many of the people who are contributing to our local food systems are growing food on 10 acres or less, and they don’t self-identify as a farmer,” she said. “Our local food system really depends on these people who consider themselves just hobbyists, and so we wanted to have a name that was more inclusive and programming that would also help meet all the people where they’re at and where they’re practicing.”

She also said that she hoped the expo, which was free and open to the public, would bring in newcomers and ignite interest while simultaneously providing connections and resources that would open doors for growers, both currently operating and prospective.

According to May, the U.S. Department of Agriculture completes an agriculture census in Alaska every five years, and the last two surveys, in the last 10 years, have shown a 48% increase in Alaskans who identify as farmers or growers.

“Part of the intention of this event is to help provide the communication about the resources that are available, because one of the biggest problems is that there’s a resource and then there’s people who need the resource, but there’s no connection in between,” she said.

Some key words shared throughout the expo by multiple vendors included “food security” and “food independence.”

“I think it’s an outsized issue for Alaska, and it’s a hot topic in the Lower 48, but we actually are at the mercy of external forces more than a lot of people in the Lower 48,” May said.

In addition to the event organizers, the resource hall included the Sterling Riders and Livestock 4H and Cooperative Extension Services; the Central Peninsula Garden Club; Alaska Mariculture Alliance; Cad-Re Feeds; the Soldotna Seed Library; Homebound Farm Rescue; Defenders of Wildlife; KPEDD, Kenai Feed; Forest Stewards; Natural Resources Conservation Service and Farm Service Agency; and the Kenai Community Library.

Connor Wilkenson, at the North Kenai Alaska Farm Bureau Table, was providing information on the Alaska Young Farmers and Ranchers program, which supports young agriculturists ages 18-35 and aims to better represent that group within the bureau, which is a nationwide organization with local chapters spread throughout the states.

Briana Murphy, Kenai Peninsula Mariculture Liaison with the Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute, shared a table with representatives from the Alaska Mariculture Alliance and provided information on Sea to Sprout, a kelp-based plant biostimulant made from locally farmed sugar kelp in Kachemak Bay and the lower Cook Inlet and produced in Homer. May said that many farmers are already using something similar but historically have purchased it from outside the state.

“It seems like a great pathway not only to food security for the state and climate resilience, but also bolstering our economy,” she said.

The Soldotna Seed Library, a local community resource housed at The Goods sustainable grocery store, had a table filled with seed packets, including local and commercially-packed flower, herb and vegetable seeds.

The Kenai Community Library provided information about their upcoming summer reading program. This year’s theme is “Plant a Seed, Read,” and the program is free and open to all ages. Registration begins May 18 and the kick-off party will be held May 29.

Spokespersons for sustainability and conservation were also present at the expo. Jordyn Jackson, stewardship forester for the Kenai Peninsula from the State of Alaska Division of Fire and Forestry Protection, had resources on the state’s forest stewardship program, which she said works with private landowners to help them create resilient and sustainable forest landscapes on their property.

“I do this through implementing the Firewise program that basically surveys a landowner’s building and land characteristics to help them mitigate fire risk and create defensible space,” she said. “And then I help cultivate — I write stewardship plans for landowners, that’s a document that gives tangible assistance and resources for them to help meet their goals on their property.”

Roundtable discussion topics continued providing a wide array of information sharing, as per the theme of the day, including floriculture, seed saving, composting, beekeeping, hydroponics, greenhouses, pig production, respectful harvesting, rhodiola, soil, butchering, fruit, young farmers and ranchers, herdshares, poultry and more.

Speakers throughout the day included Casey Matney from the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service, who gave a presentation on low tunnels and plastic mulch; Josh Smith from Bear Mountain Forest Nursery who gave a presentation on native plant germination; and a demonstration and workshop on berry seed extraction.

Upcoming related events include the second annual Southcentral Growers Conference, which will be held April 10-11 at Kachemak Bay Campus in Homer. For more information and to register, visit www.kbcgrows.com/southcentral-growers-conference. The Kenai Peninsula District 4H Ag Expo will be held at the Soldotna Sports Center, July 24-26.

Learn more about the 2026 Growers’ Expo and other events at www.kenailocalfood.org/.