Kelp, fish guts used to improve soil in Alaska

PALMER, Alaska

A program that promotes sustainable agriculture in the West could mean better soil for gardeners in Alaska.

The program backed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture is providing a grant to the University of Alaska at Fairbanks to build five demonstration gardens where poor soil will be mixed with locally found fertilizers. Those might include kelp from a Panhandle beach or salmon guts from Bristol Bay.

Organizer Jodie Anderson says she wants Alaskans to know that despite the state's often harsh weather, they can grow vegetables to supplement their hunting and fishing. Without gardens, produce must be flown in at a high cost.

Federal grants also pay for other soil-improving projects in the West, where the dirt often is shallow and rocky.

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Online:

USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education: http://www.sare.org/