Gardening

The plants are in the ground and produce is already popping up at Central Peninsula farmers' markets. During this special Spring 2019 Fundraiser program, host Jay Barrett talks with three local farmers about what it takes to grow such delicious bounty.

Join this month's Kenai Garden Talk to celebrate Alaska Agriculture Day, get a jump on local foods with a look at some spring harvestables and hear about an initiative to offer more agriculture opportunities in the Kenai Peninsula Borough.

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May 7 was Alaska Agriculture Day, celebrated the first Tuesday in May since 2007 to highlight the importance of home-grown sustainability in Alaska. Did you know that the Kenai Peninsula has more than 260 farms? And that total sales of Kenai Peninsula agricultural crops in 2017 was $5.4 million?

Today’s Tune-In Tales is a story celebrating Alaska Ag Day, read by Kenai Peninsula farmers, Lou Heite and Steve Dahl, of Eagle Glade Farms, in Nikiski.

Just when you thought it might be time to risk moving plants outdoors, freezing temperatures and even some snow flurries returned to prove that you can’t rush spring in Alaska.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t play in the dirt this time of year. This is prime seed-starting season. In this month's Kenai Garden Talk, we’ve got wisdom from veteran gardeners about how to start seeds efficiently and cost-effectively. After that, we’ll visit an asparagus farm down in Homer, proving that even persnickety crops can be successful on the peninsula with the right knowledge and care.

On the calendar, spring officially begins March 21. In reality, we’ve got a while yet before anyone in southcentral Alaska is digging in the dirt, but that doesn’t stop intrepid growers from getting started.

On March 2, the Central Peninsula Garden Club had its annual get-ready-for-spring roundtables event at Peninsula Grace Brethren Church on Kalifornsky Beach Road in Soldotna, and a new opportunity for year-round greens has sprouted up in Soldotna.