Farm & Food Industries of Alaska

This course will introduce you to the Alaskan food system and industry professionals working in this field. Students will collaborate with fellow students, teachers and community members to explore ways to increase sustainable food systems. This has evolved every semester and no class looks the same. This class will explore large scale composting, aquaponics, urban farm animals, greenhouse design, food forests and community gardens, among other things. The foundations of this class are based on agricultural teachings with the opportunity for students to pursue independent tracks. There is a strong degree of self-directed learning in this program, allowing students to tailor the class to their interests when possible. This class follows a traditional CTE school model of half of the class time focused on academics. The other half of the class time is spent on technical work. In this program students will have the opportunity to work outside and apply skills to grow, sustain, and harvest plant food. This program is broken into a Fall and Spring course due to the unique opportunities in farming and food systems allowed by each season. In the fall there will be a greater focus on project management, Alaskan subsistence, tree planting and food preservation. In the spring the focus is on business management, tree pruning, landscape design, birch tapping, harvesting spring greens and planting a garden. The spring program will conduct a plant sale at the end of the semester. Both semesters will cover all the foundational concepts of the food and farming industry.

Grade level 11-12. May be taken 2 times with a grade of “B” or better to advance. AM and PM sessions offered 

Why take this course?

• Engage with and become a part of the intricate Alaska Food Web

• Connect and collaborate with Alaskan businesses, individuals and farms involved in the Alaska food system

• Grow food using a variety of techniques

• Learn how to plant and maintain a food forest

• Work with other students and community members to design and run sustainable food systems in Anchorage

• Explore ways to compost and reduce community waste

• Run a small agriculture business

• Strive to solve some of the most basic but important problems facing humanity!