You can help protect the Matanuska Valley’s rural character and agricultural heritage by becoming a Farmland Partner to the Alaska Farmland Trust.

The Importance: Matanuska Valley farms truly define the area’s character.  Our farmers and the land they work are an important economic engine not only for our local communities but for our state.  Farmers and ranchers produce food, feed, and fiber that other businesses use themselves or resell.  They generate jobs, work with restaurants and grocers to market their products, and rely on other businesses for equipment, supplies, and services.  When surveyed in August 2011, over 1100 Alaskans and visitors requested more access to Alaska Grown produce in their favorite grocery stores.  They also increase public awareness of the importance of buying locally grown products and seeking out other Alaskan businesses.

Our Work: There is something that we can do to help keep the economic engine of agriculture running.  The Alaska Farmland Trust has been working since 2005 to protect Agricultural Lands across Alaska.  Recently we received a $500,000 appropriation from the State of Alaska for direct land protection.  Because of these funds, we are in an improved position to meet our mission of protecting and preserving Alaska’s farmland.  However, this money is slated only to directly protect land.  The Alaska Farmland Trust has a four-part approach to land protection:

• Working with landowners to take private action to protect their farmland.
• Aiding farmers in developing farm succession planning.
• Facilitating relationships between current and future landowners.
• Building public awareness and community partnerships in support of agricultural land protection.

Your Partnership: As a business owner in Anchorage, you can play an important role in helping us assist landowners in transitioning their farms to the next generation of farmers.   As a Farmland Partner your contribution would go towards our new Alaska Farm Link Program.  This program will connect beginning farmers with current agricultural landowners to make the most of their agricultural lands. For many beginning farmers, access to agricultural lands is a huge hurdle to starting their agricultural business.    By creating the connection between a landowner and land user, we help to eliminate that hurdle.   Your contribution will go towards the start up costs for this program, including developing a database, program marketing, and staff time for developing this program.   Our current fundraising goal is $5,000.00.

We would be honored to have you as a partner in our efforts to protect the asset that farmland is to our state.  Your participation as a Farmland Partner will help to maintain our farmland, reduce our local tax burden by lessening the number of government supported services required, increase our state’s independence from outside food, and keep our communities healthy and strong.

As part of your $100 partnership, you will receive recognition in our quarterly newsletter distributed to 700 individuals, on our website sponsor page, and an annual thank you advertisement in the daily news.  You will also receive a Farmland Funder insignia for use at your business.

We would be delighted to stop by at your convenience to discuss what we do, how we do it, and how you can help by becoming a business partner to our efforts.  In return, we will help your customers grow to appreciate all you do for them and their community.

I look forward to hearing from you!  Thank you for your support!

Sincerely,

Margaret Adsit, Executive Director