Harvest of Green Tomatoes

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Fall 2011 What we are about… The Kenai SWCD began 2011 with a newly-elected board and renewed energy to contribute to wise resource use on the Kenai Penin-sula. Building on the District’s long history, our current goals are to:

* promote local agriculture and conserve farmland to increase local food security,

* work with willing landowners to prevent the spread of invasive plants, and * inspire young people to be good stewards of natural resources.

Read on for more information about what the District is doing in each area!

Board of Supervisors

Steve Albers

William Johnson

Larry Marsh

Michelle Martin

Kerry Nelson

District Manager

Heidi Chay

283-8732x108

Invasive Plant

Coordinators

Jen Kain

Brian Maupin

Contact Info:

907-283-8732x108

110 Trading Bay Rd.

Suite 160

Kenai, AK 99611

kenaiswcd@

gmail.com

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS

Do you have an interest in sustainable agriculture, natural resource conservation, and developing the potential of the Kenai SWCD? We need you! One seat on the District Board of Supervisors is up for election. The enclosed nomination form is due by Nov. 11. Please call the District office if you have questions, or need assistance gathering cooperator signatures: 283-8732 x 108

EQUIPMENT RENTALS -- The District’s rental equipment has gotten a lot of use in 2011, thanks to Equipment Custodian Larry Marsh, and quite a few new or expanding agricultural enterprises. (Think peony growers!) And we’ve added a 45-gal. tow-behind weed sprayer to the inventory. To request an equip-ment rental brochure with rates, call or email the District office.

New District Manager -- In June, the District hired Heidi Chay as District Manager and High Tunnel Program Coordinator. The position was temporary until Sept. 30, but new State funding of $33,000 per District will allow us to keep her on staff. We very much appreciate the good work of former District Manager Lee Coray-Ludden and wish her all the best in her new position with the Kenaitze Indian Tribe.

Buckeye Mulch & Drip Tape Layer

Equipment Videos on YouTube!

Buckeye Bed Shaper http://youtu.be/1pbvLjARCH0

McHale Square Bale Wrapper http://youtu.be/IAYK9w1qZAs Meri Crusher http://youtu.be/CQOXmYi_yCw

The Year in Review

Growing Food Security In April, the District helped put on a hugely successful Ag Forum at the Ninilchik Fairgrounds. The event drew over 80 producers and concerned citizens to explore and prioritize the policy changes and infrastructure improvements needed to promote local agriculture. Renowned Be-thel farmer, Tim Meyers, called the gathering “the most exciting group I have ever been around.” In the year ahead, we look forward to working with partner organizations and producers who share the goal of taking practical steps to strengthen the local food system. One of those steps is to nurture an informed community of successful high tunnel producers...

Aiming High with High Tunnels Did you know that since 2010, the District has partnered with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to promote high tunnel agriculture through efforts such as the High Tunnel Demonstration Project at the Kenai Peninsula Food Bank, high tunnel tours and educational gatherings, assistance with required re-cord-keeping, and an e-newsletter for Central Penin-sula High Tunnel growers? High tunnels, also known as hoop houses, conserve natural resources in a vari-ety of ways. With skillful use, they reduce water waste, along with the need for chemical fertilizer and pesticides. And the more food that is grown locally, the less energy is consumed shipping it from the Lower 48.

District Supervisor Steve Albers demonstrates soil blocking during the Sept. 17 High Tunnel Tour.

Fighting Aliens What makes a plant “invasive”? Invasives are non-native species that spread rapidly and have negative impacts on fish, wildlife, agriculture, or human health. During the past growing season, the District’s invasive plants coordinators, Jen Kain and Brian Maupin, helped more than a dozen property owners with weed control plans, participated in the peninsula’s first Weed Smackdown, and provided in-formation to over 700 visitors at the Kenai River Festival and the Kenai Peninsula State Fair.

A new tool in the toolkit. The Kenai SWCD purchased a 45-gallon tow-behind weed sprayer with 7-ft. boom and conducted a sprayer trial dur-ing the 2011 growing season to eradicate Orange Hawkweed, a favorite flower of unwary gardeners and wildflower enthusiasts. Also known as Devil’s Paintbrush, this invasive moves into meadows and wetlands where it spreads aggressively, forming dense mats that crowd out native plants and reduce forage value for grazing.

Orange Hawkweed (Devil’s Paintbrush)

Introducing Certified Weed Free Forage As of 2011, the Dis-trict offers free inspections to hay producers seeking Weed Free Forage certification. Using weed free forage in dog yards, livestock operations, road-building and stream bank restoration projects where mulch is re-quired is an effective way to prevent the spread of invasive plants along trails, roads and waterways. To find out more, contact the District office at 283-8732 x 108.

Planting the Seed The District believes that good stewardship of natural resources begins with engaging and inspiring young people. Ag in the Classroom, Envirothon, poster contests, Farm-to-School, and the USFWS Schoolyard Habitat program are just a few of the activities that Soil and Water Con-servation Districts sponsor in their communities across the state. Know an educator or school that might like to get involved? Encourage them to contact the District office!

Students after a presentation by Invasive Plant Coordinator Jen Kain

Facilitating Cooperatives The Kenai SWCD successfully organized a cooperative fertilizer order among 15 hay-producing District cooperators, result-ing in substantial savings for all.

Mayor Dave Carey addresses the Kenai Peninsula Ag Forum, April, 2011.

Why Green Tomatoes? In truth, we were just hop-ing that title would entice you to read on, but a lot of folks did harvest green tomatoes this year. Green to-matoes are surprisingly useable, even if you hope for red ones when you plant. Building a thriving and sus-tainable local food system is a dream this District is working to bring to fruition. Be a part of it! Run for election, e-mail us your ideas, come to a Board meet-ing, just drop by! You’re very welcome.

Special Notes Upcoming Events……..

Oct. 24 Q&A with agronomist Jeff Smeenk. 9-11 am, Cook Inlet Aquaculture Assoc.

Nov. 5 HEA Energy & Conservation Fair with focus on “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle,” 10 am to 4 pm, Kenai Middle School

Nov. 15 District Board meeting, 9 am—noon, District Office

Dec. 15 District Board meeting, 9 am—noon, District Office

Jan. 19 District Board meeting, 9 am—noon, District Office

March 13-15th—8th Annual Sustainable Ag Conference in Fairbanks Contact: mahebert@alaska.edu (Fairbanks)

Become a SWCD

Cooperator!!

You get a free/voluntary

Conservation Plan

for your property when you become a

Cooperator,

very helpful in long range planning. Call Heidi to sign-up…

283-8732 ext 108

WE NEED YOUR

EMAIL ADDRESSES……

to allow us to send timely notices to you. We have over 100 on our mailing list and about 10 emails, that is not cost effective!! Please

help us to help you and send us your emails!

Send to: kenaiswcd@gmail.com

Kenai SWCD

110 Trading Bay Rd. Suite 160

Kenai, AK 99611

Why should you (or a friend, neighbor…) become a Cooperator?

By becoming a Cooperator of the Kenai Soil & Water Conservation District, you join a community of local landowners who have pledged to follow a conservation ethic when developing natural resources on their land.

The District, with technical assistance from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, can help you set goals for resource development and then assist you in attaining those goals, i.e. reforesta-tion, developing new farmland, preventing erosion, managing invasive weeds, etc..

Get priority access to the wide variety of rental equipment owned by the District! Receive newsletters and/or email updates to inform you about District projects and alert you to up-

coming issues that might affect your land or land use around you. Becoming a Cooperator gives you a voice and a vote in the annual election of District Supervisors.