Agriculture
RSSMatanuska Valley farms, food systems, reindeer and musk ox, greenhouse agriculture, food security, peony farming
USDA expands disaster pay for Alaska fish farms, livestock, and beekeepers
Fish farms now qualify for federal disaster pay covering bird predation losses at $600 per acre. • Livestock owners get full market value for animals killed by protected predators, up from 75%. • Beekeepers and tree growers also see expanded coverage under USDA policy changes effective Wednesday.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1mo ago3 min readAI
New federal money for small meat processors could help Alaska lean less on imported food
New federal money for small meat processors could nudge Alaska, which imports nearly all its food, toward processing more of its own — $60M in grants is due Aug. 7.
by Melinda Communities.News1mo ago2 min readAI
Trump's farm package, and what it actually means for Alaska
Trump signed farm orders and pitched $11B in crop relief. For Alaska — which imports ~95% of its food and exports mostly peonies — the stake is small but real.
by Alaska News1mo ago3 min readAI
Alaska lawmakers debate farm tax break for horses, flowers
A House committee narrowed a bill to restore farm property tax deferments, excluding horses and flowers despite testimony that the 2024 change cost operations thousands and threatens Alaska's agricultural ecosystem.
by Alaska News3mo ago4 min readAI
Alaska's best shot at a new federal fertilizer grant is an idle Nikiski plant — if it can get the gas
A new $500M federal program funds fertilizer plants. Alaska's one real candidate — the idled Nikiski plant — is stuck on Cook Inlet's gas shortage, not on money.
by Melinda Communities.News1mo ago2 min readAI
House panel advances domestic violence protective order extensions
The House Judiciary Committee advanced a bill Wednesday allowing judges to extend protective orders for domestic violence victims from one year to up to five years, sparing survivors from annual court appearances.
by Alaska News3mo ago4 min readAI
Senate Resources advances three bills on agriculture, evacuations, invasive species
The Senate Resources Committee moved three bills forward on April 17, covering agricultural land leases, evacuation color-coding standards, and creation of an invasive species council.
by Alaska Newsadded 3mo ago2 min readAI
House Resources passes agricultural land lease bill unanimously
The House Resources Committee unanimously passed Senate Bill 208 on Friday, advancing legislation that would make it easier for farmers to lease state land for agriculture.
by Alaska News3mo ago2 min readAI
Senate Finance Advances Agricultural Leasing Reform After Farmer Cites $9,000 Annual Fee
The Senate Finance Committee moved forward with legislation to make state agricultural land more accessible through below-market leases and merit-based selection after hearing testimony about prohibitive appraisal costs.
by Alaska News3mo ago4 min readAI
Alaska House panel expands farm tax breaks to flowers, hay
The House Community and Regional Affairs Committee voted Thursday to add peonies, Alaska-grown flowers, and hay production back into the state's farm property tax deferral program while fixing an eligibility gap that excluded S-corporation farms.
by Alaska News3mo ago3 min readAI
Alaska Senate Shelves Homemade Food Safety Bill After Complex Debate
The Alaska Senate Resources Committee set aside a bill restricting sales of home-canned foods in reduced oxygen packaging after lawmakers struggled with complex food safety definitions and enforcement questions.
by Alaska Newsadded 4mo ago3 min readAI