Tuesday’s Central Peninsula Garden Club meeting will feature special guests Bryce and Jan Wrigley, owners of The Alaska Flour Company.
In their first presentation on the Kenai Peninsula, the Delta Junction couple will talk about the importance of homegrown food.
“Every state needs to be self reliant,” Jan Wrigley said. “We need to be able to have things be grown in the state.”
The couple will also speak about sustainable growing practices in Alaska, barley and how they decided to start a flour mill. A cooking demonstration will be given using some of the company’s food products.
The event, which will be held at the Cook Inlet Aquaculture building on K-Beach Road, is free to the public. Marion Nelson, president of the Garden Club, said she expects the event to be well attended.
“I anticipate a good crowd,” she said. “[Bryce] is well known in the Alaska agricultural circle.”
Nelson said she had been trying to get the couple to give a presentation on the Kenai Peninsula for over a year, but the club’s schedule never aligned with the Wrigley’s schedule until now.
“Finally, it worked out for us and it worked out for them,” she said. “I’m quite delighted.”
Located in Delta Junction, The Alaska Flour Company was founded in 2011. It is the state’s sole commercial flour mill, according to the company’s website. The company offers a variety of products including barley cereal and barley flour. Its products can be purchased at numerous stores across the state, including Three Bears in Kenai.
According to the website, the Wrigley’s want to make Alaska self-sustaining when it comes to growing food. According to the site, the Wrigley’s hope to supply locally grown food to Alaskans, because approximately 95% of the state’s food is imported.
Bryce has many ties to Alaska’s agricultural industry.
Aside from running The Alaska Flour Company, he is the president of the Alaska Farm Bureau, and the district manager of the Salcha-Delta Soil and Water Conservation District.
Marion said she was excited to hear about the Wrigley’s growing method, including how they use no-tillage farming to produce their crops. She said she expects an enthusiastic crowd that is eager to hear about the Wrigley’s farming process.
“His farming methods have evolved over the years, so we’re excited to hear about it,” she said.
Reach Ian Foley at Ian.foley@peninsulaclarion.com
