advocacy, guest blog, state policy
Ready to Grow: Alaska Grown Food Security
February 25, 2026
Our blog is a space for sharing and learning about various food systems topics across Alaska. We occasionally have Guest Blogs that highlight particular issues and stories of interest. The views in our Guest Blogs are not reflections of APFC positions. If you are interested in writing a Guest Blog, please contact info@alaskafoodpolicycouncil.org to discuss your idea!
By Emily Garrity, Twitter Creek Gardens
My name is Emily Garrity. I am a lifelong Alaskan and a career farmer of 27 years. I am the owner/operator of Twitter Creek Gardens just outside Homer, Alaska, where we grow diversified vegetables on two acres of rich soil. In 2025, we harvested 40,000 pounds of food from our farm.
Our goal is to grow as much food as we can, in an environmentally responsible way, and to feed Alaskans at a price point they can afford. But expansion in Alaska isn’t easy.
In 2022, I began the process of leasing 4.5 acres of nearby State land less than a half a mile from our farm, which has historically been used for agriculture. Nearly three years later, the process has been confusing, expensive, and slow. The Alaska Department of Natural Resources (ADNR) manages only four active leases for agriculture statewide, with fees ranging from under $1 to $90 per acre annually. After years of work, we were quoted $9360.00 per year for our 4.5 acre proposal – making this the most expensive lease for agriculture in State history. That cost is simply cost-prohibitive for farmers.
There are currently only four active leases in Alaska for crop production. Three of which were established in the 1960’s:
It’s not just the price. Even reasonably priced and successful applicants face long timelines – ADL 231358, the most recent of the current lease agreements for agriculture, took eleven years to finalize under the current Alaska leasing statutes.
We have followed the process. We’ve worked with the Homer Soil & Water Conservation District, the Natural Resources Conservation District, and the Division of Agriculture to develop a strong proposal based on two decades of farming experience. We have community support, and focus on responsible land stewardship.
But under current law, there is no separate path for agricultural use leases. Lease rates are based on the highest fair market value appraisal, not on agricultural viability. This means that farmland is priced as if it were for development instead of food production.
Alaska has limited soils for agriculture. This parcel, like our currently cultivated plot, holds prime soil for agricultural production. The demand for Alaskan Grown products is stronger than ever, and with this lease we have the potential to triple our current food production.
Alaska’s leaders have recognized the importance of food security. In 2022, Governor Mike Dunleavy established the Food Security and Independence Task Force. The Administrative Order initiating the task force states:
The State of Alaska has a vested interest in promoting the health, safety, and wellbeing of its citizens. Other than water, heat, and shelter, a reliable, affordable, and sufficient food supply is the highest need of a society. As an isolated State with limited infrastructure and tremendous dependency on imports, the State of Alaska has a duty to improve the local production, harvest, and growth of foods and increase access to a sufficient supply of nutritious and safe food (AK. Exec. Order No. 334, 2022).
We need to preserve and utilize lands prime for agriculture for agricultural production. This is a straightforward and common-sense way to increase food security – let Alaskan farmers grow food on Alaska’s land.
Access to affordable land is one of the biggest hurdles facing farmers nationwide. In Alaska, this is magnified due to the limited quantity of land that is acceptable for agricultural production. Creating a workable leasing system for agriculture would lower barriers for new farmers, support existing farms in expanding, and help keep Alaska-grown food affordable.
We are Alaskan farmers growing food for Alaskans, and we want to expand and do more. We farmers are part of the solution. I encourage legislators to support improvements to Alaska’s leasing process and also ensure long-term protections for Alaska’s agriculturally productive lands. Together, we can help farmers grow more food, and increase food security and independence for Alaska.
