T H A N K Y O U Fairbanks Soil & Water Conservation District T O T H E VOLUNTEERS W H O H E L P E D W I T H T H E Summer Newsletter A N N U A L

T R E E A N D JULY 20, 2016 SHRUB SALE! I T W O U L D N O T B E P O S S I B L E W I T H O U T The fair is coming soon! YOU!!! The $75 for second place, and is August 5-14, 2016. $50 for third. Winning bales I N S I D E Fairbanks Soil & Water will be displayed at the T H I S Conservation District Tanana Valley State Fair in ISSUE: (FSWCD) will be sponsoring the Largen Barn. Green Infra- 2 the “Bucks 4 Bales” hay bale FSWCD will have a Soil structure in contest, the Farm & Garden Tunnel with fun kids’ North Pole Display, and the Giant activities at Kid’s Day on Test Your 2 Cabbage Contest again this August 8. The Soil Tunnel offers a fun Soil This Fall! year. Look for other FSWCD hands-on learning Judging of “Bucks 4 Bales” hay displays and information in experience for kids, where Interior 2 Food bales will occur on July 28th. the Kiwanis Agricultural Hall they can crawl through a Network: Prizes are $100 for first place, and Largen Barn! tunnel with veggies above Fighting Food while learning about soil! Insecurity

Weed Cost 3 Share is Now Free Soil Testing for Riverfront Landowners Taking Applications FSWCD has partnered with habitat. We would like to FSWCD to pay for 50% of Thank You 3 the US Fish & Wildlife Service visit your property to collect the costs of improving the Volunteers! to improve the long term a soil sample from your lawn condition of your stream- Kenai 3 Agriculture health of the Chena River and (a free fertilizer bank. We would like to work in the its salmon population, but we recommendation will be collaboratively with Classroom Teacher can’t do it by ourselves! We provided to the landowner), landowners to reach our Workshop are in search of Chena River scout for invasive weeds and vision of improved Elodea 4 Update and slough property owners evaluate streambank health. If streambank health, while who are willing to partner your streambank could use maintaining your desire for Fox Springs 4 with us to improve their improvements (erosion riverfront views and access. Calendar of 4 Events streambank. It is important to prevention, fish habitat To learn more, or to set up a keep a well vegetated improvement), you could visit to your property, please streambank to prevent qualify for the cost-share call Joe at 479-1213 ext. 108 erosion and create vital fish program which would allow P A G E 2 Green Infrastructure in North Pole

FSWCD’s two North Pole Chena River. This allows practicing strategic planting projects at Memorial Park the soil to act as a filter to reduce erosion. These and City Hall are in their before the water enters the are all techniques designed second year of ground water system. to demonstrate that green development. Alaska Working with the infrastructure can be used DNR’s Community contractor Weber Inc., successfully in Alaska. Forestry Program grant techniques include using a Construction is well showcases green berm and swale underway and we’re infrastructure projects. combination near the looking forward to the Both locations are along parking lot, sloping the grand opening of Memorial waterways and use a paved walkway away from Park at the end of the variety of techniques to Chena slough instead of summer. Stay tuned to our Progress is being redirect the rainwater towards it, installing gravel website and Facebook page made on North Pole runoff and snowmelt from and grass mesh, and for the event! Memorial Park running directly into the Test Your Soil This Fall!

The ideal time to collect micro nutrient levels in tested our soil, the garden “After following soil samples is after your soil, the pH, organic would never produce your harvesting your garden in matter content, Cation cauliflower heads and our the fall. The analysis will Exchange Capacity, and yields were low. recommendations, take place over the winter more. FSWCD technical After following your we had a 40lb and you will be ready for staff will analyze this recommendations, we had spring with a lime and information to provide you a 40lb cabbage!” cabbage!” fertilizer recommendation with an easy-to-understand If you would like to test from FSWCD. recommendation. your soil, please call us at For a $35 fee you will find In the words of one happy 479-1213 x108. out all of the macro and customer, “Before we Food Network: Fighting Food Insecurity

We are pleased to spearheaded the formation market for Interior-grown announce that FSWCD is of this group, which products by creating a part of the newly formed includes representatives "Golden Heart Grown" Interior Alaska Food from Fairbanks Farm logo. The group is also Network (IAFN), a group Bureau, FSWCD, DEC, the assisting the Fairbanks focused on improving food Fairbanks Food Bank, Bread Economic Development security in Interior Alaska. Line's Stone's Throw and Corporation with Melissa Sikes and Lorinda Stone Soup Café, Tanana developing a directory of IAFN working to Lhotka, members of the Chief’s Conference, Interior related agriculture establish its goals and vision Statewide Alaska Food Calypso Farm, UAF, and and food security Policy Council (AFPC) many others. IAFN is organizations. For more Governing Board, working to build a stronger info, call 479-1213 x105.

FAIRBANKS SOIL & WAT E R VOLUME 1, ISSUE 1 P A G E 3 Weed Cost Share is Now Taking Applications

Bird Vetch expenses. Funds a cap of $250. (Vicia cracca) will be awarded Types of expenses that can be is one of the based on need, reimbursed include herbicide notorious which is purchase, labor, or fuel for Interior determined by equipment. Equipment Alaska the type of purchases will not be invaders invasive species reimbursed through the cost and whether or share program. More info can The Weed Cost Share is a not you are an agricultural be found on the FSWCD program to help landowners producer. website at http:// manage their invasive plant or The maximum amount each www.fairbankssoilwater.org/ FSWCD was agricultural weed problems landowner can be reimbursed is resources-invasive.htm or by through technical assistance and up to 50% of control costs with calling Aditi at 479-1213 x104. one out of a cost share for incurred only 42

conservation New Agriculture Projects for South Side Fairbanks! districts nationwide to

FSWCD was recently awarded gardens and markets, and offer This project will bring together be awarded a grant to provide technical technical expertise to a diverse group of citizens and this grant! assistance for gardening and gardeners. organizations to produce food agriculture in south side Local partners include JP Jones and learn conservation Fairbanks, an “urban food Community Development practices. The community will desert”. Center, Calypso Farms, City of be greener and cleaner, storm This grant will help FSWCD to Fairbanks, Breadline Inc., No water and erosion issues will be offer agricultural workshops, Limits, Cooperative Extension addressed, and agricultural promote local community Service, and others. assistance will be provided.

Kenai Agriculture in the Classroom Teacher Workshop

Sharon Lockwood and Melissa Peonies, Smith Family Farm, Mid $5000 grant from the Alaska Sikes presented an Agriculture -State Meats, Arctic Qiviut, Farm Bureau to continue in the Classroom workshop at Ruth Barnett Fish Hatchery, offering workshops UAF through the Summer Ses- Hunter School Garden, and and resources to sions program from May 31st – Funny Farm Feed Folks. An educators throughout June 3rd, 2016. 10 local school additional workshop is Alaska. Please visit the district teachers participated in scheduled to take place in Kenai AK AITC website at the course. The class visited from August 26-28th. Contact www.agclassroom.org/ and learned about the UAF [email protected] for ak for lesson plans and Reindeer Research program, more information. more information the Large Animal Research We are proud to announce that about the Agricultural Station, the Tanana Valley Alaska Agriculture in the Literacy resources Farmer’s Market, Hawks Classroom has received a available. Teachers learn about the UAF Greenhouse, North Pole Reindeer Research Program 590 University Avenue, Suite 2 Fairbanks, AK 99709

Phone: 907-479-1213 Fax: 907-374-4922 Email: [email protected]

Cooperator Address

Elodea Update Calendar of Events The Fairbanks Elodea Steering Elodea in order to prevent the July 25-28 Western Regional Cooperative Committee is continuing to plan further spread of this invasive for herbicide treatments in Chena aquatic plant in Alaska. A group Soil Survey Workshop Slough, Chena Lake, and of floatplane pilots are helping to Aug 5-14 Tanana Valley State Fair Totchaket Slough. Permitting and survey for Elodea in more remote Aug 14 Chena Hot Springs Energy Fair environmental assessment are locations. This season, a crew of still ongoing, and should be divers are using suction dredging Aug 26-28 Kenai Agriculture in the completed over the next month. equipment to eliminate the small Classroom Teacher Workshop In the meantime, FSWCD staff patches of Elodea that were

are continuing outreach and found in the Chena River. education, and surveying for For more info, call 479-1213x104 Fox Springs

FSWCD has been contacted by community members for assistance with forming a task force with the goal of keeping Fox Springs open for public use. To join the task force, please contact Joni at [email protected] or 978-1727.

http://www.adn.com/alaska-life/2016/07/09/state- puts-famous-fairbanks-watering-hole-up