Edible Alaska

Alaska's Flavor Harversters

• Prince William Sound Salt Co.’s Chris Yelverton and Nick Olzenak harvest salt water from Prince William Sound during their first year of operations in 2020. The company uses a boat to collect seawater away from shore pollutants and below the surface, where salt concentrations are higher. Photo courtesty of Dori Yelverton/Prince William Sound Salt Co.

• Jim and Darcy Michener sell salt from their brick-and-mortar store in downtown Sitka, but they also sell to customers across the country using their online shop. The pair have been experimenting with salt making since 1999. Photo courtesy of Jim Michener/Alaska Pure Sea Salt Co.

• Photo by Erin McKinstry

  Casey Siekaniec stands behind Alaska Salt Co.’s shop on Homer's Spit in January 2022. During the summer, he sometimes pumps seawater straight from the back deck.

• Photo by Erin McKinstry

  Alaska Salt Co.’s Casey Siekaniec cups a pile of sparkling salt flakes, fresh out of the brine. The company sells everything from spice blends to chocolate to cosmetics. Siekaniec said a big part of their success is due to marketing efforts by his wife Britni, who publishes a widely read newsletter called “The Salt Co. Diaries.”

• Alaska Pure Sea Salt’s Jim and Darcy Michener scoop salt flakes in their first production facility in 2013. The couple’s interest in salt making began on their honeymoon, when they accidentally made salt on a wood stove in a pan filled with seawater. Photo courtesy of Jim Michener/Alaska Pure Sea Salt Company.