I grew up in Alaska, and I remember when there were dock strikes that cleaned off the shelves around Alaska because the barges couldn’t be loaded. We still import 90-95 percent of our food in Alaska, and I want to see us grow more of our food. When I attended the last Alaska Food Festival and Conference (November 2017 in Fairbanks), it was exciting to see some of the solutions people have for improving our state’s food security. This year the Alaska Food Policy Council is partnering with the Alaska Farmers Market Association to co-host the Alaska Food Festival and Conference, which will add another element to the program.

– Charles Bingham, president of the Sitka Local Foods Network and AFPC governing board member