Debbie Carter
907-474-5406
1/19/12

Back-to-back conferences in Girdwood Jan. 25-27 will provide support for the Alaska horticulture industry.

The Alaska Greenhouse and Nursery Conference, Jan. 25–26, and the Alaska Peony Growers Conference, Jan. 26-27, will take place at Alyeska Resort. The University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service will host both conferences.

Stephen Brown, agriculture and horticulture agent for the Mat-Su/Copper River District, said the 31st annual Greenhouse and Nursery Conference is geared to everything from large greenhouse and landscape operations to small mom-and-pop horticulture businesses. Presentations will cover fertilizer calibration, new technologies, Rhodiola rosea production, flowers and marketing. Guest speaker John Gaydos of Proven Winners, an international cooperative of plant breeders, will talk about growing tips and selecting the right plants to grow. Colorado Extension agent Mary Small will discuss horticultural marketing ideas.

The sixth annual Peony Growers Conference will have a business focus, said Julie Riley, Extension horticulture agent for the Anchorage District. Topics will include collaborative marketing, selling to different market segments, and business plans and models. Diane Szukovathy from Jello Mold Farm in Washington state will talk about growing perennial flowers for the cut-flower market, and a panel of soils experts will discuss what growers need to know.

Riley said peonies have generated great interest among Alaska producers because the flowers bloom in Alaska when they are not available elsewhere in the world. Alaska production is estimated to grow to more than $1 million a year by 2015, according to the Alaska Peony Growers Association winter 2012 newsletter.

Agendas and registration information for both conferences are linked from www.uaf.edu/ces.

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Greenhouse conference: Steve Brown at [email protected] or 907-745-3360. Peony conference: Julie Riley, at [email protected] or 907-786-6300.

ON THE WEB: www.uaf.edu/ces

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Debbie Carter
907-474-5406
1/19/11

Registration is now under way for master gardener training that begins Feb. 20 in Fairbanks.

The class will meet Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 to 9 p.m. through April 11 at the Cooperative Extension Service Tanana District office at 724 27th Ave., on the south side of the Fairbanks Community Food Bank building.

Extension program assistant Taylor Maida, Extension agents and local experts will lead the class. Participants will receive 40 hours of instruction on horticultural subjects. Topics include plant botany and physiology, soils, plant taxonomy, outdoor and greenhouse gardening, lawns, houseplants, pests, landscaping and ornamentals.

Master gardeners are required to give 40 hours of volunteer service to the community within two years of completing the class. Participants also pay a $125 fee and receive a copy of “Sustainable Gardening: The Alaska Master Gardener Manual.”

The class is limited to 25 students and sessions tend to fill up quickly. Registration is requested by Feb. 13. To register online or download a registration form and pay by check, go to www.uaf.edu/ces/districts/tanana/mg. For more information, contact class coordinator Taylor Maida at [email protected] or 907-474-2422.

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Ronda Boswell, administrative assistant, at [email protected] or 474-2450.

ON THE WEB: www.uaf.edu/ces/districts/tanana/mg

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Becky Osimowicz

A Fairbanks 4-H leader has received one of two top volunteer awards presented by 4-H in the western United States.

Becky Osimowicz was recognized Jan. 15 as the Western Region 4-H Salute to Excellence Volunteer of the Year. She received the award, which is presented to one leader with less than 10 years of service, during a 4-H leaders’ forum in Cheyenne, Wyo.

Osimowicz serves as co-leader of the Amour de Cheval 4-H Club, which is devoted to all things horses. Members raise and show horses, and compete in trail rides and a Jeopardy-style horse bowl. They also volunteer for a multitude of community service projects. Her teenage daughters, Emma and Cora, are members of the horse club. Cora also raises pigs.

Osimowicz says she likes 4-H because it provides good activities for young people. “I just like seeing the kids having fun and succeeding.”

Tanana District 4-H agent Marla Lowder credits the leader for broadening the horse program for young people who want to improve their skills but do not want to show their horses. Osimowicz organized a community play day, which turned into a weekly gymkhana summer skills event that raises enough money to rent an arena for practice. Osimowicz also serves on the district 4-H Horse and Leaders councils and on the Tanana Valley State Fair Board. She also works part-time as a school district reading tutor.

Lowder said Osimowicz is very organized and committed to 4-H. While the 4-H framework helps volunteers to offer activities, Lowder said, “they step out and they make it happen.”

Two other Tanana District 4-H leaders have also won the award in the past three years.

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Becky Osimowicz at [email protected] or 479-0358 or Marla Lowder, Tanana District 4-H and youth development agent, at [email protected] or 474-2427.

ON THE WEB: www.uaf.edu/ces

Debbie Carter
907-474-5406
12/8/11

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service will offer a workshop next month on the legislative process.

The workshop, which will be held Jan 9-10 in Anchorage and Jan. 12-13 in Bethel, will help attendees learn how the Legislature operates and become a more effective advocate.

Clive Thomas, a former University of Alaska Southeast political science professor, will present the workshop. He has led more than 20 lobbying workshops in Alaska for local governments, businesses and other organizations.

Thomas will offer insight on the psychology of public officials and how the Legislature, budget process, governor’s office and state agencies work. He will also discuss the role of lobbyists and the press and will review current issues and the Juneau political scene. A panel will offer practical perspectives on the Alaska legislative process.

The registration fee for either workshop is $250. The workshop will be offered in Anchorage at Extension’s Anchorage District office at 1675 C St. and at the Kuskokwim Campus in Bethel. See more details about the workshop and register at www.uaf.edu/ces. For more information, contact Extension economist Tony Nakazawa at 907-786-6300 or 907-460-0825.

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Clive Thomas, writer, teacher and consultant, at 907-586-2964 or via email at [email protected].

ON THE WEB: www.uaf.edu/ces

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Photo by Mara Bacsujlaky
Three chickens roost in Mara Bacsujlaky's chicken coop near Fairbanks.

Individuals interested in keeping a flock of laying chickens through the winter will benefit from a new DVD released by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service.

Community development agent Mara Bacsujlaky [botch-uh-LOCK-ee], who has raised chickens in the Interior for 10 years, developed the DVD, “Winter Chickens: The Down and Dirty of Keeping Laying Hens Through an Alaska Winter.”

The DVD, which is filmed in Bacsujlaky’s chicken coop near Fairbanks, is a visual illustration of what one can expect and is not intended as a comprehensive how-to guide. It contains information about housing and equipment, feed and costs, as well as thoughts about the challenges and benefits of keeping a laying flock through the winter. The DVD is geared to the cold and dry conditions of the Interior and northern Alaska.

While home-raised eggs are delicious, keeping winter chickens can get expensive, Bacsujlaky said, especially in areas with high utility costs.

Copies of the DVD may be ordered through Extension for $5 by calling 1-877-520-5211.

 MEDIA CONTACT: Mara Bacsujlaky, Extension community development agent, at 907-474-5741 or [email protected].

ON THE WEB: www.uaf.edu/ces

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Photo courtesy of UAF Cooperative Extension Service
Erin McGroarty, right, poses with Yuuka Inoue, during a hike in McCarthy. Erin's family hosted the teen from Tokyo as part of a 4-H exchange from Japan.

Alaska youths who are interested in Japanese culture may participate in a 4-H exchange to Japan this coming July or host a Japanese teen in their home.

The 4-H youth program is accepting applications for its July 11-Aug. 9 exchange program to Japan and is also seeking host families for Japanese youths who are coming to Alaska with the program the same month.

Participants in the outbound exchange learn about Japanese culture before they travel, then enjoy a one-month homestay with a Japanese family, hosted by a boy or girl the same age and gender as themselves.

Applicants must be ages 13–18 and do not need to be a 4-H member, but they will be enrolled in 4-H through the program. Outbound exchange coordinator Jill Holmgren said that applicants do not have to speak Japanese because youth in Japan want to practice their English. She said parents of exchange participants report that their teens return from Japan with confidence, a global perspective and many new friends.

Host families are sought in the Anchorage, Kenai and Mat-Su areas for the incoming Japanese youth, who will be in Alaska July 21-Aug. 19. Each family must have a child ages 10-16 who is willing to be the host brother or sister. The family will be matched with a Japanese delegate of the same gender and similar age and interests as the hosting youth.

The exchange between 4-H and Japan has been ongoing for more than 40 years. For more information about the exchange, e-mail [email protected] or call Holmgren at 907-455-6987. For details about hosting a Japanese youth, contact your local 4-H office or Tony Nakazawa at [email protected] or 907-460-0825 or Marianne Kerr at [email protected] Exchange information is also available at www.uaf.edu/ces/4h/exchange.

4-H is a national youth development program administered in Alaska by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service.

ON THE WEB: www.uaf.edu/ces

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Rich Seifert
907-474-7201
10/24/11

Cooperative Extension Service community sustainability coordinator Rich Seifert [SIGH-fert] will teach his Cold Climate Homebuilding Techniques workshop Saturday, Oct. 29, in Schaible Auditorium on the UAF campus. The free workshop will run from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and includes a manual and a CD.

The workshop will focus on insulating homes and will cover options for retrofit, ventilation, indoor air quality and permafrost and foundations. It is also designed to help homeowners who plan to participate in the state’s home energy rebate program.

Call 907-474-7201 to register or sign up online at http://bit.ly/coldclimate102911

MEDIA CONTACT: Cooperative Extension community sustainability coordinator Rich Seifert at 907-474-7201 or [email protected]. Debbie Carter, Extension public information officer, at 907-474-5406 or [email protected].

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Debbie Carter
907-474-5406
10/11/11

The Alaska Invasive Species Conference Oct. 19–21 in Anchorage will highlight concerns about plant and animal intruders to the state.

The annual conference will feature the Committee for Noxious and Invasive Plants Management Workshop Oct. 19-20 at the Millennium Hotel and the Alaska Invasive Species Working Group Workshop Oct. 21 at the Coast International Inn.

Conference coordinator Michael Rasy of the UAF Cooperative Extension Service said the conference will focus on invasive species research and prevention efforts. Rasy said other states spend millions of dollars trying to control the spread of invasive species and that prevention efforts are key to avoiding these same challenges in Alaska.

Not all nonnative species are considered invasive — just those that pose a threat to natural resources, ecosystems and agriculture. A focus session on Oct. 21 will highlight Elodea cadensis, an invasive plant that is popularly used in aquariums but has turned up in Fairbanks and in Southcentral waterways. Rasy said the dense vegetation can change water quality, degrade salmon habitat and act as a barrier to float plane and boat travel.

A free public lecture with Richard Lee will begin at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 18 at Gorsuch Commons. Lee, an integrated pest management specialist with the Bureau of Land Management in Denver, will talk about the role of herbicides in integrated pest management. The Invasive Plants of Alaska Educators Workshop also will take place prior to the conference, from 12:30-4:30 p.m. Oct. 18, also at the Gorsuch Commons.

Conference sponsors include Extension, the Fairbanks Soil and Water Conservation District, the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Alaska Department of Transportation and Public Facilities. Preregistration is requested. A registration form and agenda may be downloaded from www.uaf.edu/ces.

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Michael Rasy at 907-786-6309.

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Debbie Carter
907-474-5406
10/4/11

A free workshop on developing cooperatives will be offered Oct. 13 in Anchorage.

The workshop will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the University of Alaska Anchorage Gorsuch Commons. Co-sponsors include the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service, the University of Alaska Center for Economic Development and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Meredith Rafferty of the Northwest Cooperative Development Center in Olympia, Wash., will be the featured speaker. She is known for her work with online cooperatives and is the author of “Starting an Online, Local Food Co-op” and “Idaho’s Bounty — Online Local Food Co-op.”

A representative from the Fairbanks Community Cooperative Market and Beth Rhoads from the Alaskans Own community supported fishery program also will discuss their businesses. The Fairbanks Community Cooperative Market is a grocery store that is being established by member-owners to serve the Fairbanks area. Alaskans Own is a subscription program that offers locally caught seafood to Sitka residents and hopes to expand.

Workshop organizer Andrew Crow, cooperative program manager for the University of Alaska Center for Economic Development, said a cooperative is a business owned and controlled by the people who use its services. Some operate as nonprofits and others as for-profit organizations, with any profit going back to the membership.

The Gorsuch Commons is located at 3700 Sharon Gagnon Lane. Workshop preregistration is requested. For registration information or questions, contact Andrew Crow at 907-786-5447 or [email protected] or Tony Nakazawa at 907-460-0825 or [email protected].

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Debbie Carter
907-474-5406
10/4/11

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service is challenging Alaskans to live off the weekly food stamp budget Oct. 9-15.

The food stamp challenge aims to raise awareness of the difficulty of eating well on the food stamp budget. Participants limit their food purchases to the amount of the weekly food stamp benefit, which is $55 for a single Alaska adult who lives on the road system and up to $85 for residents of remote, rural communities. That works out to $8 to $12 a day.

Challenge organizer Helen Idzorek, of the UAF Cooperative Extension Service, coordinates two nutrition education programs that work with low-income Alaskans. She said other states and members of Congress have participated in the challenge.

And it is a challenge, Idzorek said, especially since food stamps are intended to be a supplemental program and bolstered by contributions from wages, food banks and other programs. “Unfortunately, for a lot of people, that’s not the case.”

As of February 2011, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that 76,488 Alaskans received food stamps, or about one in nine residents. Participation in the program has increased substantially in recent years. According to the Division of Public Assistance, Alaska food stamp usage was up by 72 percent for the five-year period that ended July 2011.

All food purchased and eaten during the challenge week must be included in the total. Participants may not eat food from their pantry or freezer and must avoid accepting free food. Idzorek and other Extension nutrition educators are participating in the challenge. She hopes participants will send her their week’s food diary, recipes and strategies they used, as well as comments about the experience, at [email protected] These will be used anonymously in a display as part of an Oct. 24 celebration of National Food Day on the UAF campus.

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Helen Idzorek, state coordinator of the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program and Alaska Nutrition Education Program, at 907-474-7930.

ON THE WEB: www.uaf.edu/ces

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