Gardening In Alaska

The Palmer area is famous for its agriculture. Carrots, onions, lettuce and potatoes are some of the many crops raised in the Mat-Su Valley.

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Where does a pumpkin grow large enough to second as a carriage?? In Alaska, it’s not unusual to see record-breaking pumpkins weighing in at over 1,000 pounds. It might be a stretch to imagine fruit doubling as a vehicle, but that’s heavier than most motorcycles! Even with its long winter months and location near the Arctic Circle, Alaska has a robust agricultural scene. With more than 20 hours of daylight in the summer, plants have almost twice as much time to grow.

In 1935, the Matanuska Colony, an offshoot of President Roosevelt’s New Deal resettlement initiative to create work for Americans during the Depression era, marked the start of agriculture in Alaska. The experiment sent 200 colonist families to the Mat-Su Valley north of Anchorage to settle on 40-acre tracts. Some of these original farms and buildings are still around today and are the basis for new programs and attractions in the Mat-Su Valley.

Agricultural attractions have been around in Alaska for years, but recently, visitors have become interested in getting their hands in the dirt as well. From you-pick farms, reindeer and bison farms, wineries, breweries, farmer’s markets and events, there are more and more opportunities to experience Alaska grown.