October 2025 Outlook
Note from IANRE Director Jodie Anderson
Last month, a team of IANRE researchers and Extension faculty traveled to Troms酶, Norway, to represent Alaska at the International Circumpolar Agriculture Conference. It was an amazing opportunity for all of us who work to support farmers in the Far North to connect with our international colleagues 鈥 folks who are facing many of the same challenges we face here in Alaska.
As we spent time learning from our peers, it was apparent that something we need to continue to consider is that our national policy doesn鈥檛 regard the Arctic because the reality is that the Arctic, and Arctic agriculture, are only a small part of who we are as a nation. This means that we have to raise our voices and join others who share our path to ensure that the research, information and investment we need to strengthen Alaska鈥檚 food system continue to grow. As Alaskans, we know the importance of the Arctic to our nation, and it is our responsibility to ensure that our national leadership knows that as well.
For this reason, we will be hosting the next Circumpolar Agriculture conference here at the 四虎影院 in 2028. Leading up to that, we have launched a monthly seminar series to spark conversation and interdisciplinary collaboration around northern food systems for students, researchers and community members. Join us and bring a friend to participate with an invited international audience and on-campus colleagues to learn more about the work we are doing to support and improve Arctic agriculture.
I also want to give a HUGE shout-out to Sen. Cathy Giessel of Anchorage, who joined us in Norway. Her perspectives on local and national issues and policy brought depth to our visit. And thank you to all of our team for representing the University of Alaska and our Institute so well: Glenna Gannon, Caley Gasch, Jakir Hasan, Kristin Haney, Sarah Lewis, Marisa McKasson, Heidi Rader, Chelsea San Roman and Jim Vinyard.
All the best,
Jodie
Circumpolar Connections: IANRE seminar series
鈥 Laura Weingartner
Our new monthly seminar series, Circumpolar Connections: A Dialogue on Arctic Food
Systems, kicked off on Tuesday, Oct. 14. IANRE director Jodie Anderson shared insights
from her recent visit to Norway, where she met with agricultural researchers and toured
northern farms. Her talk highlighted how the Agricultural and Forestry Experiment
Station contributes to global conversations around northern agriculture.
The lunch seminars are designed to engage researchers, students and community members. Each session will feature a 30-minute presentation followed by open discussion, encouraging audience participation and interdisciplinary connection. These seminars will also be streamed on Zoom. Register to attend at .
Upcoming seminars:
- Nov. 11: Glenna Gannon, assistant professor of sustainable food systems
- Dec. 9: Jan Dawe, assistant professor of natural resource education and community engagement
- Jan. 13: Meriam Karlsson, professor of horticulture
- Feb. 10: Lacey Higham, directing manager of the Georgeson Botanical Garden
- March 3: Jakir Hasan, research assistant professor of plant genetics
- March 31: Jessie Young-Robertson, research associate professor of forest ecology
- April 14: Caley Gasch, research assistant professor of soil science
- April 28: Jim Vinyard, research assistant professor of livestock nutrition and Melissa Good, mariculture specialist
2025 growing season one of the longest in 四虎影院 history
鈥 Julie Stricker
The 2025 四虎影院 growing season officially ended on Sept. 24, according to measurements
taken at the 四虎影院 Experiment Farm on the 四虎影院 Troth
Yeddha鈥 Campus.
The freeze on Sept. 24 ended a 129-day growing season, defined as the number of days between freezing temperatures, said Rick Thoman, a climate specialist with the UAF Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Preparedness. May 17 was the final spring freeze at the farm.
That freeze-free length ties with several other recent years as the fourth longest.
Thoman said the Sept. 24 date is tied with 2001 for the fourth latest in the past 114 years. The farm's weather station is Alaska鈥檚 longest-operating climate station in the same place, recording measurements since the summer of 1911.
鈥淣ote that all 10 of the latest first freezes have been since 2001, as have nine of the 10 longest seasons,鈥 Thoman said. The 1993 season is the only pre-21st century in the top 10.
The growing season has expanded by 38 days or 47 percent since a century ago, with the 1912 growing season clocking in at 89 days. The shortest growing seasons were in 1933 (39 days from June 10-July 19) and 1934 (40 days from May 31-July 10).
A passel of potatoes picked in Palmer
鈥 Aimee Young
It's been a busy fall at the farm in Palmer!
We lucked out with a beautiful sunny day in September to host our Community Potato Harvest. In total, we harvested 1,328.74 pounds of potatoes from our field between community members, staff and gleaned potatoes (which were donated to a local nonprofit, Kids Kupboard).
We're incredibly thankful for all the staff at MEFEC who worked hard to make this harvest so successful, and to the Plant Materials Center, which partnered with us on this project and supplied our seed potatoes. (See details and photos on.)
Anchorage CES outreach office joins Free Farm Stand
鈥 Molly Johansson
It is a joy to be part of a community that works for each other, and we are grateful
for the partnerships we are building with amazingly passionate people. For six weeks
this fall, a Free Farm Stand offered free produce to Anchorage residents on Tuesdays
and Wednesdays. The Alaska Community Action on Toxics, Yarducopia, Anchor Gardens
and Neighborworks Alaska created the stand. (Read the.)
The Anchorage Cooperative Extension office joined in October to help, provide recipes and food preservation know-how.
Read more on .
Variety Trials, Agrivoltaics harvest wraps up
鈥擥lenna Gannon
September brought rain, sun and an abundance of vegetables harvested for the Variety
Trials program at the 四虎影院 and Palmer farms, as well as the Alaska Agrivoltaics
Project in Houston, Alaska.
Highlights from this year's trials included the very successful strawberry trials 鈥 in partnership with the University of California, Davis 鈥 which may give us new everbearing varieties to recommend to our stakeholders, particularly Mojo and Eclipse.
The Agrivoltaics project successfully wrapped up the season. Team members Jessie Young-Robertson, Michelle Wilber and I are all still working on analyzing data from the season.
The initial review of data indicates that PV (photovoltaic) energy generation is likely to increase with the co-location of vegetable crops. While potato yields were about 20% less than in the control areas, the quality of produce 鈥 especially kale 鈥 was high in the PV plots. More on these results will be shared as analysis continues this winter.
Glenna discussed the Agrivoltaics project on the Energy in the North radio series on Wednesday, Oct. 15. Also, see this Oct. 21 New York Times story on the project: .
Research profile: Dennis Fielding
鈥 Laura Weingartner
One of entomologist Dennis Fielding's favorite things about his job was getting to
know insect species like the root maggot. He studied not just their phenology 鈥 the
timing of important life events 鈥 but also their biology and behavior. By unearthing
the intricacies of the lives of the root maggot and other pests, Fielding's work can
provide information on how to manage these insects to help farmers grow successful
crops.
Learn more on the AFES website about root maggots and grasshoppers and how Fielding went about studying these farm pests.
Art as a horticulture aid at Georgeson Botanical Garden
Registration open for workshop and conferences
Alaska Invasive Species Workshop
The annual Alaska Invasive Species Workshop is scheduled for Oct. 28-30 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Clarion Suites Downtown, 1110 W. 8th Ave., Anchorage. In-person and virtual options are offered. The in-person cost is $160 and registration for the virtual option is $60. Zoom links will be available in October.
For updates and to register for the workshop, visit the . For more information, contact Gino Graziano at gagraziano@alaska.edu or 907-786-6315.
2025 Alaska Agriculture Conference and Grazing Lands Symposium
The 2025 Alaska Agriculture Conference brings together some of the state's most active agriculture advocacy organizations to deliver education, resources, and networking opportunities to producers, industry leaders, agriculture professionals, agency representatives, land stewards, small farmers and new farmers alike.
The conference is Nov. 13-15 at the Sheraton Anchorage, 401 E 6th Ave.
To register, visit the .
Level Up virtual conference
Level Up 2025: Communicating the Science in Agriculture, is the Association for Communication Excellence鈥檚 mid-year virtual conference, Nov. 12-13. This year鈥檚 theme focuses on the power and purpose of science communication. In today鈥檚 noisy world, our ability to share meaningful, evidence-based stories is more important than ever. Register at .
Check out what's happening at IANRE
Looking for informative workshops and events around the state? You can keep up-to-date with what鈥檚 happening on the IANRE online calendar. Scroll to the bottom of the page and check out what's happening statewide.
In the News
- The 四虎影院 Daily News-Miner featured IANRE Director Jodie Anderson in their Oct. 16 Women in Business special issue: .
- Read this KNBA story , which quotes Greg Finstad, UAF emeritus associate professor of reindeer research.
- Alaska News Source's story on weather statistics at 四虎影院 Experiment Farm .
- KUAC interviewed Alex Wenninger for a story about the in Alaska.
- Adrian Kohrt's Cooperative Extension column in the Oct. 19 News-Miner:
- Matthew Anderson鈥檚 Cooperative Extension column in the Oct. 5 News-Miner:
(Note, if you don't subscribe to the News-Miner, you can read Extension columns on the )