Robert Gibson of Cooper Landing picks barley by hand at a small barley field planted by the Kenai Peninsula Borough in a vacant gravel pit on Friday, Aug. 31, 2018, in Cooper Landing, Alaska. Gibson uses three different methods to pick the barley, including using a scythe and a hand sickle. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)

Robert Gibson of Cooper Landing picks barley by hand at a small barley field planted by the Kenai Peninsula Borough in a vacant gravel pit on Friday, Aug. 31, 2018, in Cooper Landing, Alaska. Gibson uses three different methods to pick the barley, including using a scythe and a hand sickle. (Photo by Victoria Petersen/Peninsula Clarion)

Borough seeks to grow local agriculture

Borough forming agricultural land program, seeking letters

The Kenai Peninsula Borough is working on a new agricultural land program, which will turn locally owned spaces into productive agricultural land, according to a Jan. 30 media release from the borough’s land management division. This new effort has been coined the Kenai Peninsula Agricultural Initiative.

“In short, the borough is looking to connect its good Ag land with the people who will be doing agricultural production into the future,” Marcus Mueller, the borough’s land manager, writes in the media release.

On the Kenai Peninsula, agriculture is a growing industry, which the borough is working to further progress with its agricultural initiative. The release said the borough has seen an increase in public interest for the quality of local products, the use of locally grown foods in area restaurants and farmers markets. As the need for more locally grown food increases, the need for affordable and effective farmland will also grow.

“The borough is seeing this emergence of activity as a new era in agricultural system development, which may in ways be unique to the Kenai and our growing state,” the release said. “Several new terms are becoming part of common conversations. Words like peonies, Rhodiola, hemp, and high tunnels expand the vocabulary on the Kenai and with those are created new opportunities. Access to local vegetables are talked about as the ingredients to healthy communities.”

The program is still in the preliminary stage, and the borough is looking to connect with interested farmers to better understand what they might need should the land be made available.

“A maze of considerations need to be sorted through to end up with a land offering method that works well for the farmer and that meets people’s expectations for managing lands on the long term,” the release said. “…The borough needs to hear from those people who are apt to be looking for new agricultural land so that it can bring forward the kinds of land offerings that are most likely to work out.”

The borough is calling for letters of interest from people looking for new agricultural land. Letters should include the size and general location of needed land, and time frames for production goals.

Letters should be addressed to KPB Land Manager, 144 North Binkley St., Soldotna AK 99669. More information can be found at kpb.us/land

More in News

Commercial fishers speak to the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission during a public hearing on a proposed regulation change to add dipnets to the east side setnet fishery at Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association in Kenai, Alaska, on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
CFEC hears from setnetters on dipnet proposal at Kenai hearing

The CFEC gave emergency approval to the gear in May but decided in June not to approve dipnets as permanent gear

Signs and supporters line the Kenai Spur Highway in Kenai, Alaska, on Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Local races unchanged after 1st major update of election results

The additional votes represent early ballots that were cast ahead of Election Day but after an Oct. 31 deadline

tease
Man arrested for 3 shooting incidents at reproductive clinic, recovery org

Homer’s Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic was targeted twice Monday

Students sing “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” at Mountain View Elementary in Kenai, Alaska, during a celebration of Veterans Day on Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Mountain View Elementary recognizes Veterans Day

During a celebration of Veterans Day at Mountain View Elementary School on… Continue reading

The Kenai Municipal Airport is seen on Friday, Oct. 6, 2023. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Kenai misses out on grant for proposed Seattle air service

City officials look to reapply next year

The Kenai Peninsula College main entrance on Aug. 18, 2022, in Soldotna, Alaska. (Jake Dye/Peninsula Clarion)
Chiappone and Dunstan to speak at the KPC Showcase

Kenai Peninsula College continues its showcase with two new speakers this week and next

U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola, D-Alaska, talks about issues of concern regarding the proposed merger of supermarket chains Kroger and Albertsons during a floor speech in the House chamber on Wednesday. (Screenshot from official U.S. House of Representatives video feed)
Begich leads in early results, but Alaska’s U.S. House race won’t be immediately decided

About 245,000 ballots had been counted by 11:32 p.m., and Peltola trailed by about 5 percentage points

The Alaska governor’s mansion on Wednesday. Gov. Mike Dunleavy is considered a contender for a post in Donald Trump’s second presidential administration. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Empire)
Election summary: Trump wins, GOP takes over U.S. Senate, Alaska may get new governor

Begich and repeal of ranked choice voting narrowly lead; GOP may lose control of state House.

Most Read