Alaska’s Climate Shift: Indigenous Farmers Transform the Arctic Agriculture Scene

Alaska’s Climate and Indigenous Farming Revolution

Alaska’s rural communities are experiencing a significant shift as climate change alters traditional ways of life. Eva Dawn Burk, an Alaska Native, remembers her childhood filled with hunting, fishing, and gathering. The warming climate is now making these activities increasingly difficult.

Despite these challenges, Burk and others see an opportunity. Warmer temperatures and extended growing seasons are encouraging a renewed interest in farming. This phenomenon is reshaping how food security is approached in Alaska’s Indigenous communities.

In 2020, Burk launched a training program to teach Alaska Native farmers how to cultivate their own food. This initiative aims to enhance food security and empower communities most affected by climate change. “An Indigenous value is to be prepared for the future,” Burk emphasizes.

Trainers and participants at Calypso Farm and Ecology Center, where the program is based, spend weekends camping and harvesting food. This hands-on approach is helping to build a network of skilled Indigenous farmers across Alaska.

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Overcoming Skepticism and Embracing New Opportunities

Alaska’s harsh climate has long deterred farming, but climate change is rewriting the rules. Higher temperatures and longer frost-free periods are making it possible to grow crops previously considered unsuitable for the region.

Research from the University of Alaska Fairbanks indicates that growing seasons could extend significantly by 2100. This would allow for larger yields and a broader variety of crops. Farmers are already experimenting with artichokes, tomatoes, peppers, and more.

The number of farms in Alaska has nearly doubled in the last two decades. However, farmers like Gatgyeda Haayk still face skepticism. “People often say, ‘You can’t farm in Alaska,’” Haayk notes, but she and others are proving them wrong.

Haayk, who now instructs at Calypso Farm, emphasizes the importance of Indigenous-led farming. She believes it’s time for Indigenous people to lead this agricultural transformation, leveraging their deep connection to the land.

Building a Sustainable Agricultural Network

The Calypso Farm and Ecology Center, founded in 2000, is at the forefront of this agricultural movement. Nestled just outside Fairbanks, the farm grows hundreds of varieties of fruits and vegetables on 3 acres of land.

Burk’s first visit to Calypso in 2019 left her amazed at its potential. By 2020, she had launched the Indigenous agriculture training program, building on Calypso’s existing educational efforts.

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The training program aims to blend traditional food gathering with modern farming techniques. This approach hopes to spur more farms in rural communities, creating a sustainable food network.

Burk and her partners have already developed a small statewide network of Alaska Native farmers and teachers. A recent grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture is further boosting their efforts.

Empowering Communities, One Seed at a Time

On a rainy day in August, trainees at Calypso Farm were learning the essentials of farming. From transplanting and seed starting to soil health and irrigation, participants are gaining valuable skills.

A highlight of the training was planting an apple sapling, symbolizing the potential for future harvests. Trainees like Bernadette Pete traveled long distances to participate, eager to bring new knowledge back to their villages.

Pete’s hometown, Alakanuk, faces significant climate challenges. The decline of sea ice and extreme weather are making traditional food sources less reliable. However, the community is adapting by shifting towards agriculture.

With the skills learned at Calypso, Pete plans to start her own greenhouse. “Everyone here is so eager to teach you,” she says. “I want to grow lettuce, potatoes, sugar snap peas. I want my own little greenhouse.”

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