Tag: Alaska Division of Agriculture

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St. Pierres of Goosefoot Farm Named 2019 Farm Family

2019 Alaska State Fair Farm Family of the Year St. Pierres of Goosefoot Farm from Fairbanks, Alaska
2019 Alaska State Fair Farm Family of the Year St. Pierres of Goosefoot Farm from Fairbanks, Alaska
The St. Pierre family of Goosefoot Farm in Fairbanks has been selected by the Alaska agriculture community as the 2019 Alaska State Fair Farm Family of the Year. They will be honored at the Fair on Thursday, August 22, 2019.

Brad and Christine St. Pierre, along with their children Aviva, 8, and Silas, 3, grow vegetables, fruits, berries, honey and hay on their 25-acre farm in Fairbanks. Christine was born and raised in Ester, while Brad is originally from the lower 48, but now calls Alaska home.

A first-generation farming family, the St. Pierres sell to a diverse array of individuals, schools and businesses, as well as through their CSA (community-supported agriculture) and at the Tanana Valley Farmers Market. “We are surrounded by an amazingly supportive community that values what our farm does. We love working hard together to help bring real food security and healthy fresh food to the people of Fairbanks,” they said.

The St. Pierres are developing a new seven-acre field this year, with plans to cultivate it next year. “We hope to grow and refine our business every year. We will continue to be a part of making family farming and local food security a priority for the Interior and the state,” they said.

In addition to working the farm, Brad volunteered as the vice president of the Ester Community Association for the last five years. He is currently serving as the vice president of the Alaska Farmers Market Association, and is the general manager of the Tanana Valley Farmers Market.

“We love to see our kids growing up on a farm. We love to see the smiles on people’s faces when they see and taste our produce. We love to watch the change of the seasons and we love to eat delicious food,” they said.

The Farm Family of the Year award, sponsored by the Matanuska Valley Federal Credit Union, was established by the Alaska State Fair in 2000 to honor an Alaska farming family and show appreciation for all the hardworking Alaskans committed to agriculture. After reviewing nominations, an awards committee chaired by the Alaska Division of Agriculture selects the winning family based on production of quality Alaska Grown products, community and agricultural organization involvement, and overall image.

Recent Farm Family of the Year winners include the Olson family of Alaska Berries (2018), the McCollum and Pinkleman families of Northwest Land & Livestock and Delta Meat & Sausage, Inc. (2017), and the Plagerman Family of Scott Plagerman Farms (2016).

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Olsons named Farm Family of the Year

(Palmer, AK) – The Olson family of Soldotna has been selected by the Alaska agriculture community as the 2018 Alaska State Fair Farm Family of the Year. They will be honored at the Alaska State Fair on Thursday, August 23, 2018.

Brian and Laurie Olson operate their farm and winery, Alaska Berries, on the Kenai Peninsula. They moved to Alaska from Montana in 1990 and began farming in 2002. Brian and Laurie both came from multi-generational farm families. Brian’s father still lives on their family’s homestead in South Dakota. Laurie’s parents farmed in eastern Montana until the mid-1950s.

The Olsons officially started Alaska Berries in 2007 when they began planting more berry bushes and selling berries at the local farmer’s markets. “… the farm evolved from our enjoyment of growing flowers and vegetables, and then berries, for our own pleasure,” said Laurie Olson. Today, the farm/winery sells plants and handcrafted value-added Alaska Grown products such as wine, jam, syrup, juice and vinaigrette. They also raise bees, chickens and ducks. The winery was licensed in 2012 and their Alaska Grown wines have won ribbons at the Alaska State Fair, in addition to several medals at the NorthWest Wine Summit. Brian and Laurie hire both seasonal and year-round help, from teenagers to grandparents. In the future, the Olsons would like to increase production of their value-added products.

Brian and Laurie are active within their local agriculture community as members of the Alaska Farm Bureau, the Kenai Soil and Water Conservation District and the Kenai Chamber of Commerce. They also support the Kenai Peninsula Food Bank, the Alaska Farmland Trust, and the Kenai Watershed Forum. The family said their favorite thing about farming is watching their plants and animals grow and mature, as well as the “connection to the land” that they have.

The Farm Family of the Year award, sponsored by the Matanuska Valley Federal Credit Union, was established by the Alaska State Fair in 2000 to honor an Alaska farming family and show appreciation for all the hardworking Alaskans committed to agriculture. After reviewing nominations, an awards committee chaired by the Alaska Division of Agriculture selects the winning family based on production of quality Alaska Grown products, community and agricultural organization involvement, and overall image.

Recent Farm Family of the Year winners include the McCollum and Pinkleman families of Northwest Land & Livestock and Delta Meat & Sausage, Inc. (2017), the Plagerman Family of Scott Plagerman Farms (2016) and the Pettit Family of Little Pitchfork Ranch (2015).