State of Alaska, Division of Agriculture Director Arthur Keyes is a quarterly guest on Ag Matters Radio; in this edition, Arthur catches us up on recent happenings in Alaska agriculture including the potential for a new Livestock position at the Division of Ag, the recent Alaska Peony Growers Association meeting, the Governor’s Alaska Grown reception and the upcoming Delta Farm Forum.
https://www.radiofreepalmer.org/2018/02/16/ag-matters-02-14-2018/
AUTHOR | Kerry Nelson
Arthur Keyes is entering his third year as State Division of Agriculture Director. He calls in from Juneau for his quarterly check-in with Amy, where he is in the midst of a legislative session. He’s also preparing for the upcoming reception dinner at the Governor’s Mansion, where he was named Director two years ago. The cheerleader of Alaska Agriculture, Arthur has had some pretty big success over the last two years. He’s quick to give praise to his staff for “working their tails off” to tremendously raise awareness of agriculture in the state. While he celebrates their successes, he also laments over how much work there is still to be done.
Major change always involves a revolving door of hard work. As a long-time farmer himself, Arthur has never seen such high level of industry participation from the State until recently. In February 2016, Governor Walker hosted the very first Alaska Grown reception dinner at the People’s House. The meal is composed entirely of products grown from across the state; this year’s dinner featuring chicken from Mat Su Farm Co-Op. Guests include lawmakers and legislators, kids from 4H and FFA, and others who put in hard work to boost Alaska’s food system and security.
Livestock Is The New Black
If you ask Arthur what the latest agricultural trend is in the state, his answer without a doubt will be livestock. There is a whole lot of interest right now in growing livestock production in Alaska. Raising livestock in Alaska is not for the faint of heart. Feed is extremely expensive, and local supply often runs short of demand. Providing adequate animal housing over the state’s long winters poses an additional financial challenge. Those who face these challenges have to jump the next big hurdle; processing. Historically, Alaska does not have a good track record of providing or maintaining meat processing facilities. The good news is, there’s change in the air.
Mt. McKinley Meat and Sausage went into private ownership in 2017 after a long run of State ownership. As Southcentral Alaska’s only USDA-certified slaughterhouse, livestock producers in the Valley rely heavily on it. Without a certified plant, they would not be able to sell their product to restaurants or grocery stores. Arthur has heard good feedback on the facility, though there’s plenty of room for opportunity and improvement.
The plant is operating at a capacity it never has before. To achieve this, livestock is imported from out of state to keep the operation up to speed. There simply isn’t enough livestock being raised yet in Alaska for the facility to solely rely on. This points to a huge need for more livestock producers in the state. Every animal processed at McKinley Meat and Sausage may not be grown in Alaska, but the increased production at the plant means no more delay of services. Producers can call and bring in the number of animals they need processed within a day or two.
More Producers Means More Voices
Though Alaska’s livestock numbers aren’t where they need to be, production is at a record $40M high. Arthur hopes to see that number climb even higher once the most recent USDA agriculture census is reported. He uses a lot of USDA data to get a full picture of what’s happening in the state. The current data he’s working with is from the last census in 2012. The latest census circulated in 2017, so the anticipated numbers are right around the corner.
The Division of Agriculture just held its second Livestock Producers Meeting. The goal of the meeting was to get input from producers on a potential new position. The Governor’s 2019 budget takes two vacant positions focused on different tasks and refocuses them towards livestock. Seeing a sore need for a State Veterinarian to provide scientific support for the industry, Arthur proposed the idea to area producers. He found the right pulse.
Sixty people attended the meeting with outstanding reception and good input on moving forward with a State Vet position. This was mind-blowing to Arthur. In all fifteen of his years involved in agriculture, he hasn’t seen participation like this before. He’s looking forward to working with these enthusiastic producers to see where they can take Alaska agriculture together.
Livestock Growth Is A Gain For Alaska Grain
Arthur sees livestock as the cornerstone of the ag industry. When livestock numbers go up, grain numbers go up. All of the supporting segments rise with livestock. Nowhere is there a better example of this than what’s happening in Delta Junction. Delta grain production is expanding in response to the state’s livestock growth. In 2016 there were over 120,000 laying and meat birds – a staggering increase from the previous year’s 30-40,000.
All of these new animals need to eat. The grain production in Delta is currently feeding the entire state. Arthur recently visited a 17,000 acre barley farm, a scale of agriculture that is not often thought to exist in Alaska. He encourages anyone to take a Delta Farm Tour, because it will change your perception of what the state is capable of. Tours are typically hosted by the Salcha-Delta Soil & Water Conservation District and Delta Junction Farm Bureau Chapter each summer.
Never Underestimate A Suitcase Full Of Carrots
Arthur sees a bright future in all corners of the ag industry in Alaska. The state is one of the lucky few to be growing farms rather than losing them. It’s also on the radar of being the top peony producer in the country, and there’s a big resurgence in eggs and poultry production. Arthur recalls this past summer to be the first time in decades that you could walk into a grocery store and buy local eggs.
To keep this momentum going, the official cheerleaders need to keep adding to the squad. A common question the Division of Ag gets from people is how they can help the state succeed. The answer is simple: talk, Shout, CHEER Alaska Grown. When you go to a restaurant, ask what menu items are Alaska Grown. If you don’t see any, tell them you would prefer to. When you’re checking out at the grocery store and the cashier asks if you’ve found what you are looking for – tell them what Alaska Grown products you haven’t found.
Arthur’s preferred method of cheerleading is ambassadorship. His chosen ambassador: Alaska Grown carrots. Their sweet, rich flavor profile makes them such a great example of what’s unique to Alaska agriculture. He has a general rule that he doesn’t go anywhere without a rolling suitcase full of carrots. It’s gotten to the point where people he meets out of state request them, and he happily pulls out a few sticks to hand over. You certainly don’t need to drag around a bag of carrots everywhere you go (though Arthur would never tell you not to). Next time you dust off your suitcase for that wedding or family holiday though, consider throwing in your favorite Alaska Grown product to brag about and share!