The Writer & Her Book
Julia O’Malley’s Debut Collection
Back when food writer Julia O’Malley was drafting her first-ever food story about a farm-to-table dinner in Homer, a question from an editor—“What is Alaska cuisin...
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What to Read This Winter
Sitka Featured in Food Town USA
Mark Winne’s new book, Food Town USA: Seven Unlikely Cities That are Changing the Way We Eat, released in October by Island Press, dives deeply into the local food systems of Sitka, Alaska, and six other U.S. communities.
“I was looking for a place that was different than all the others—all the cities I was visiting in the Lower 48,” Winne told Sitka radio station KCAW. He said he wanted to go somewhere that is more isolated, more rural, has a strong fisheries connection and has a vibrant local food culture.
When Winne came to Sitka in July 2018, he witnessed how food prices and accessibility dictate food culture. Sitka pays 35 percent more than Portland or Seattle for food, and 10–25 percent more than many other Alaska communities. He also saw the importance of logistics in a remote community, and how the shelves in all three of Sitka’s grocery stores empty out whenever the twice-weekly barge runs late. That means Sitkans rely on hunting, fishing, and gathering to stay fed, and there’s a growing need for local farmers and gardeners.
In his book, Winne recounts his time in Sitka, including his visit to the Sitka Farmers Market and a couple of backyard farms. He took a trip on a fishing boat, stopped in at small food businesses, ate at restaurants serving local foods, inspected the Sitka Kitch community commercial kitchen rental, attended a Sitka Food Co-op delivery day, and more. In addition to conducting research, he engaged in a community discussion at the Sitka Public Library on the city’s food system and food security.
Food Town USA is available for $28 in hardcover from most bookstores and from the Island Press website in electronic and hardcover formats.
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