Edible Alaska

It's Easy Being Green

• Brown Jug (Statewide) “Our reusable growlers are the best item we sell for reducing waste. We currently have 8 stores in Alaska with growler bars. Our Eagle River store has 24 taps to choose from. Our Fairbanks store has 40!”

• Two Sisters Bakery (Homer) “This is Oscar. He's an Oklin home composter. We waste very little in the kitchen, and save scraps for our chickens, but this composter takes the rest. Small amounts of eggshells, onion skins, lemon peels, coffee grounds, soup scraps… in 24 hours you have beautiful soil-like compost. We empty him out every month or so and add to our garden beds. We bought him from Loopy Lupine Distribution and he is about the size of a garbage can. We call him Oscar because he loves garbage and is sometimes grouchy when he's ready to be emptied.”

• Amalga Distillery (Juneau) “Our favorite is our composting subscription with Juneau Compost, which we've had since we opened. We compost all of our paper straws, garnish, citrus rinds, and literal tons of spent grain when we are finished brewing.” Editors’ note: Juneau Compost, in turn, uses Amalga Distillery grain bags to sell finished compost, making a single use container into a multi-use one!

• Flying Squirrel Bakery Cafe (Talkeetna) “Our favorite way that we try to help out the planet at Flying Squirrel is all about thanking our customers for thinking the same way. The Mike Fisher Discount is the Squirrel's way of encouraging folks to get outside a little more and get into cars a little less. Arrive by non-motorized means, on foot, by bike, skis, dog sled, rollerblades, skateboard, baby carriage, or even by horse, and receive a discount on all purchases! This discount has been available since the Squirrel opened in 2009 and recognizes late avid bicycle and bread enthusiast Mike Fisher.” Photo courtesy of the Talkeetna Historical Society.