Arctic Gardens: Feeding Fairbanks with a community garden

FAIRBANKS, Alaska (KTUU/KTVF) - Planting has begun at a community garden in Fairbanks put on by local soup kitchen Stone Soup Cafe, with community members getting together to sow seeds downtown.

The garden, located at the corner of Lacey Street and 12th Avenue, has been running every summer for the last 10 years, and involves around 70 beds connected by drip irrigation, which are managed by the soup kitchen, with the help of volunteers who come by once a week to water and weed.

Volunteers include both individuals and those from different entities around the community, including the Folk School, Calypso Farms and Risse Greenhouse.

“This is a really interesting garden to work in just because of the different types of people you interact with being downtown,” Garden Manager Peter Miller said. ”It’s a really high-traffic area and we have no fence because it’s open to anybody and it’s for everybody.”

According to Miller, the purpose of this garden is generally to feed people.

“This is a way to do it just very directly and with locally grown, healthy food that is often really difficult for people to access,” he added.

Items grown at the garden — including potatoes, greens, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and nasturtiums — are available to anybody in the community who needs food.

“I try to plant a lot of stuff that people can eat fresh without having to cook or do anything to,” Miller said.

Anything extra goes to Meals on Wheels and other causes.

“We try to spread it out,” Miller said.

Planting took place over the last two weekends in May, with more beds expected to be planted in the future.

By summer solstice, organizers hope to start harvesting, with garden activity continuing until the frost hits during the fall, usually by October.

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