We value integrity and seek to uphold this value as a trustworthy source of information as a nonpartisan organization representing a large network of organizations across the food system.
Our Mission
The AFPC connects, advocates, and informs, to strengthen food systems for all Alaskans.
Our Vision
We envision healthy, secure, culturally relevant, and abundant food systems that feed all Alaskans.
Our Values
Our values are at the center of our work. They are how we make our decisions about our advocacy, policy, and research. They represent our vision for food systems in Alaska.
Learn About Our Staff
Rachel Lord
Homer, AK
Advocacy & Policy Director
(2023-current)
Rachel Lord lives in Homer and is AFPC’s Advocacy & Policy Director. She also directs the Alaska Food Value Chain Coordination Council Program. Rachel came to AFPC with an extensive background in public policy and advocacy, having served on the Homer City Council since 2017 and previously worked for both the Alaska Association of Harbormasters and Port Administrators and with the regional nonprofit Cook Inletkeeper. She helped develop the Alaska Food Hub, served on the Board of Directors of the Homer Farmers Market and the Kachemak Heritage Land Trust, and facilitated a multi-year collaborative effort to update and rewrite Alaska’s derelict vessel laws. Originally from Maine, Rachel has a B.A. from Mount Holyoke College and an M.S. in Wildlife Biology from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Since 2012, Rachel has run Alaska Stems, a diversified cut flower farm in Homer. She lives with her Homer-born husband and two young daughters. She loves collaborative problem-solving and encouraging civic engagement at all levels of government. Rachel is delighted to be working with the team at AFPC and partners across the state and country to strengthen Alaska’s food systems
Robbi Mixon
Homer, AK
Executive Director
(2020-current)
Robbi Mixon is AFPC’s first-ever Executive Director and directs the Alaska Food Data Dashboard program. She was born and raised in Macon, Georgia, and has lived in Homer, Alaska for 17 years. She was a farmhand for four years at Twitter Creek Gardens and managed the Homer Farmers Market for a decade, implementing the state’s first farmers market SNAP redemption program. Robbi started one of the state’s first food hubs, the Alaska Food Hub, and established the Alaska Farmers Market Association, where she co-managed a variety of local food purchasing and SNAP/WIC incentive programs. Robbi co-authored the 2023 Governor’s Food Security Task Force report and served on the board of the National Farmers Market Coalition. She holds a BA in Environmental Anthropology from the University of Georgia and an MS in Sustainable Food Systems from Prescott College.
Sundance Visser
Homer, AK
Operations & Finance Director (2023-current)
Sundance Visser is the Operations and Finance Director at AFPC. She wears many hats, including managing the AK Food Festival and Conference, and directing our Transition to Organic Production Program. She grew up in Iowa and has been a resident of Alaska since 2006. She spent a decade working for a tour company in Fairbanks, where she developed her bookkeeping, HR, and operations skills. She holds an MBA in Sustainable Organizations from Prescott College, an undergraduate degree in Accounting, and an Ethnobotany certificate from UAF. Sundance has admired this organization’s work in Alaska and its passionate, talented volunteers around the state since she attended her first conference in 2017. She co-presented a brand-new vocational training program for youth in Anchorage, cleverly wrapped up in a hydroponic farm called Alaska Seeds of Change. Working as the Operations Coordinator of the program, Sundance realized how vibrant the community of food systems supporters was in Alaska, and she was hooked. She worked on several short-term projects for AFPC and happily joined the team in July of 2023. She lives in Homer, Alaska, with her little family, their garden, and countless projects.
Meghan Hargis
Soldotna, AK
Conference Manager (2023-current)
Meghan Hargis is the Conference Manager and brings a wealth of food systems experience to the Alaska Food Policy Council. Born and raised in the heart of the Matanuska Valley, Meghan’s passion for local food and sustainable agriculture is deeply rooted. Her professional career began at the Musk Ox Farm in Palmer. A University of Alaska Fairbanks Alumni, Meghan began an internship at the Division of Agriculture (DoA) in 2017 with the Alaska Grown marketing department, where she became completely hooked on local foods as a “Meet Me at the Market” intern. She eventually became the Local Foods Director for the Alaska Farmers Markets Association, helping grow support for markets and food access programs. As our Conference Manager, she remains committed to increasing food security and fostering meaningful connections between Alaskans.
Governing Board Members
Elizabeth Dubovsky
Secretary
Strategy Director, Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association, Anchorage
Elizabeth first found herself in Southeast Alaska in 2004 while doing research for her thesis on the Pacific Salmon Treaty. She immediately fell in love with Southeast and moved to Juneau in 2007. With degrees in Environmental Science and Environmental Policy from the University of Virginia, Elizabeth has spent the last 20 years working to promote and protect Alaska’s fisheries and fishing communities, including work for several Regional Seafood Development Associations and salmon conservation organizations. Now based in Anchorage, Elizabeth currently she currently works as the Strategy Director for the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association and serves on the Local Catch Network’s Executive Committee. When not at her desk, Elizabeth can be found running in the mountains, baking for family and friends, or exploring Alaska’s wild beauty with her daughter.
Amy Foote
Director of Indigenous Cuisine | Executive Chef, CDM | Nana Management Services, Eagle River
Chef Amy Foote is a visionary culinary leader dedicated to revitalizing indigenous food systems and fostering sustainability, food sovereignty, and food security in Alaska. As the Director of Indigenous Cuisine and Executive Chef at Nana Management Services, she works to blend traditional indigenous knowledge with modern agricultural practices, creating a holistic approach to food that nourishes both people and the land.
With a deep respect for indigenous cultural practices and a commitment to community engagement, Chef Amy advocates for a food system rooted in reciprocity and mutual respect. Her work focuses on cultivating indigenous plants, proteins, and seafood, and developing agricultural diversity through reindeer farms, seaweed farms, and other locally cultivated ingredients. By bridging the gap between ancestral wisdom and contemporary technology, she is helping to reclaim and revitalize indigenous culinary arts, empowering local communities with the tools they need to thrive sustainably.
Chef Amy believes that the act of harvesting food from the land is as nourishing to the soul as it is to the body. Her passion lies in building connections that support the long-term health and vitality of her community, ensuring that the traditions of the past are honored while securing a vibrant and sustainable food future for generations to come.
Tikaan Galbreath
Co-Vice Chair, Treasurer
Chief Operating Officer, First Alaskans Institute, Anchorage
Tikaan Galbreath is Ahtna Athabaskan and a Tribal member of the Mentasta Traditional Council. Tikaan currently resides in Anchorage, Alaska. Prior to becoming the Chief Operating Officer at First Alaskans Institute, he was the Technical Assistance Network Director for Intertribal Agriculture Council. Through this work he has supported the provision of strategic guidance and support for technical assistance delivery across the nation to help Tribes and Tribal producers accomplish their goals related to agriculture using Tribal resources and contracts with federal agencies.
In addition to serving on the Board of Directors for the Alaska Food Policy Council as the Vice Co-Chair, he also serves on the Native Movement’s Board of Directors. In the past five years, he was nominated and has served on the Governor’s Alaska Food Security and Independence Task Force as well as the Legislative Food Security and Independence Task Force. Additionally, he has supported work across the state serving on numerous committees and workgroups to further work related to Tribal priorities.
Tikaan received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 2010 from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in English, and a minor in Plant and Soil Sciences with a focus on sustainable agriculture and traditional herbalism. In 2022, he graduated with a Master in Fine Arts (MFA) from the Institute for American Indian Art’s with a focus on creative nonfiction.
Glenna Gannon
Co-Vice Chair
University of Alaska
Fairbanks, Assistant
Professor of Sustainable
Food Systems, Fairbanks
Glenna Gannon is an Assistant Professor of Sustainable Food Systems at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She has a dual degree in Anthropology and Art from UAF, and a Master’s in Environment and Sustainability with a focus on rural, high-latitude food systems from the University of Saskatchewan, Canada.
Gannon’s work has focused primarily on high-latitude agriculture and food security for both rural and urban populations. Her research interests include: crop selection for high latitude food production – as the director of the Alaska Variety Trials Program at the UAF Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station, the use of agrivoltaics in northern environments, and permafrost-agricultural interactions. Gannon also co-founded and directs the Alaska Harvest Collaborative, an experiential education program based at the UAF Farm designed to develop agricultural work-skills, promote community engagement and anti-hunger efforts in the local food system.
Zeynep Kilic
Co-owner of Turkish Delight and Sofra & Retired Professor of Food Studies & Sociology, UAA
Anchorage
Zeynep was born and raised in Türkiye and has been an immigrant in the US for more than 30 years. After completing her Masters and PhD at Arizona State University, she worked at ASU and later taught at UAA until her early retirement as a Professor of Sociology in 2022. A Fulbright scholar, she made the 2016 documentary Tables of Istanbul which received nine awards across the globe at various film festivals. Her second career is shaping up as a small business owner/restaurateur in Anchorage. As a Food Studies scholar, she wanted to feed the minds of students, and currently, she does her best to nourish bellies craving Turkish food. Her Mediterranean bones are still acclimating to Alaskan winters.
Tanya King
Chair
Subsistence Attorney, Association of Village Council Presidents, Anchorage/ Bethel
Tanya first came to Alaska as a child, tagging along on summer visits while her father worked for the U.S. Forest Service on the Tongass. Those early experiences planted a sense of connection to the state. She came back as an adult while working on Indian child welfare systems, and finally made Alaska home in 2019, moving north to join the Rasmuson Foundation.
Drawing on her dual background in law and philanthropy, she now works with the Association of Village Council Presidents as their subsistence attorney, focused on legal and policy strategy, and as an advisor to philanthropists and nonprofits – all to continue strengthening systems, connecting people with resources, and supporting creative implementation of community priorities.
Food security has long been a personal and professional priority for Tanya, rooted in her family’s generations of farming. She approaches food security as far more than access to groceries—it’s cultural traditions, transportation, school nutrition, local economies, and the infrastructure that ties everything together. Outside of work, Tanya embraces the rhythm of Alaska’s seasons. Summer finds her camping, fishing, and hunting with her family, while winter brings a welcome slower pace for art, baking, and reflection that fuels her commitment to Alaska.
Jason Lessard
Executive Director, Alaska Mariculture Alliance, Anchorage
Jason first came to Alaska to visit a college friend in Anchorage in 1994 and, quickly depleting most of his meager travel funds, found his way out to Bristol Bay to work the salmon season. This experience would be the beginning of both a deep love for Alaska and a career path that would have him working in Alaska food systems for most of his adult life.
Jason spent nearly two decades working around the state in our fishing industry before moving into non-profit work where he has served in various roles: as the Director of Operations at the Food Bank of Alaska, as the Executive Director for the Anchorage chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness and in his current role of Executive Director at the Alaska Mariculture Alliance where he helps lead their mission “to develop and support a robust and sustainable mariculture industry for the long-term benefit of Alaska’s economy, environment, and communities.” Jason is a Governing Body Member of the Alaska Mariculture Cluster and, in the past, has served on the Board of Directors for the Alaska Eating Disorders Alliance and on the Governing Body of the Alaska Psychiatric Institute where he was a patient advocate and chaired the ethics committee.
Jason is excited to join the team at AFPC in the important work of bolstering statewide food security and food sovereignty as we build towards a hunger-free Alaska.
Megan Militello
Founder and Executive Director of Alaska Manufacturing Association, Wasilla
Megan Militello is an entrepreneur, veteran, and community-focused leader dedicated to strengthening Alaska’s food systems and local economies. She is the founder and Executive Director of AKMA (Alaska Manufacturing Association), the collective voice for Alaska manufacturers, where she works to connect industry partners, build relationships across sectors, and advocate for a more resilient and locally driven manufacturing economy across the state.
Megan brings a background spanning entrepreneurship, supply chain development, and cross-sector collaboration. She is the founder and former CEO of Elevated Oats, an Alaska-based consumer packaged goods company, where she led the development, production, and growth of a locally rooted food brand. She has also worked with Alaska MEP, supporting manufacturers across the state in improving operations, strengthening supply chains, and expanding market access.
Her work is grounded in community building and a commitment to strengthening connections across Alaska’s food system—from producers and processors to organizations and communities—while helping turn ideas into practical, actionable outcomes. Megan believes in a more connected and self-reliant Alaska and is continually inspired by the strength, resilience, and close-knit nature of its people.
Frank Nix
Kasaan
My Name is Frank Nix, My Family is From Hydaburg Alaska, and I live and work in Kasaan Alaska. I previously worked for the tribal organization of Kasaan as the Cultural Food Manager, developing cultural programming to educate on a local and regional level about the important aspects of traditional hunting, harvesting, processing, preservation, and preparation of traditional foodstuffs. I step into every avenue I can find to stand and speak as an advocate for our ecosystems and resources. I grew up in Washington state and spent the majority of my working life cooking in professional kitchens in a variety of roles and studied business management in college. I look forward to this opportunity on the AFPC to share my voice and relay the voice of my community (as well as others like it). And to advocate for the Southeast Region.
Inga Peterson
Research Technician, University of Alaska Fairbanks Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station; Program Director, Fairbanks Soil and Water Conservation District, Fairbanks
Inga looks forward to serving on the Alaska Food Policy Council board with passion and enthusiasm. With a strong background in agricultural education and leadership, she previously served two years as a state officer for the Alaska FFA Association, where she traveled to farms, classrooms, and legislative offices to better understand and support Alaska’s food systems.
She is currently expanding her experience through research technician roles at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, as well as serving as a director for the Fairbanks Soil and Water Conservation District’s AFFECT program (Alternative Fairbanks Farm Education & Cooperative Training).
After graduating from UAF, Inga plans to pursue a career in soil conservation or agronomy in Alaska, with the long-term goal of owning and operating a peony farm.
Milena Sevigny
Chief of Staff & Community Relations Manager, LifeMed Alaska, Wasilla
Milena Sevigny brings more than 20 years of leadership experience across corporate, nonprofit, and global development sectors. She is currently the Chief of Staff and Community Relations Manager at LifeMed Alaska. Known for her strategic vision, collaborative leadership, and passion for community impact, Milena has strengths in cross-functional communication, and community engagement statewide.
Prior to joining LifeMed Alaska, Milena served as Executive Director of Kids Kupboard, Alaska’s largest nonprofit dedicated to feeding children outside of school hours serving over 100,000 healthy, fresh meals each year! In that role, she guided the organization through multiple financial audits and a full restructuring of its operational and governance systems to strengthen transparency and accountability at all levels in the organization. Milena’s earlier career includes senior roles in corporate social responsibility in her roles at TOTE Maritime Alaska and Shell Exploration & Production, where she managed multimillion-dollar community investment portfolios, designed global reporting frameworks, and advanced ethical and sustainable business practices.
Recognized in 2020 as one of Alaska’s Top 40 Under 40 by the Alaska Journal of Commerce, Milena also serves on several advisory boards focused on food security and sustainability, including the Alaska Food Policy Council and Food Bank of Alaska. She is also fluent in French and has professional experience working in Canada, and Latin America, including living abroad in Switzerland, Scotland and Sweden. Milena brings a global perspective to Alaska-based leadership. Outside of work, she enjoys fishing, foraging, gardening, and teaching people about growing their own food. She lives in Wasilla, Alaska, with her husband, Daniel, and their children Siersha and Orion.
Anahma Shannon
Environmental Program Director, Kawerak, Inc, Nome
Anahma Shannon is the Environmental Program Director at Kawerak, Inc., the Alaska Native nonprofit corporation based in Nome, Alaska. She oversees environmental programs focused on community health and stewardship, including recycling, contaminated site cleanup, marine debris removal, and community gardening across Northwestern Alaska. Born in Sitka and a high school graduate of Homer, Anahma has lived throughout the state and has called Nome home for the past 20 years. She lives in a cabin with her family, where gardening and living close to the land have been a part of everyday life—experiences that have shaped her understanding of rural and remote community challenges and solutions. In 2020, she helped support the restart of Pilgrim Hot Springs, building on several years of hands-on work at the Pilgrim farm. This work further strengthened her commitment to food security, land stewardship, and the realities of sustaining food systems in Arctic environments. Anahma values the Bering Strait Region’s profound understanding of food security, resilience, and subsistence practices. She is committed to connecting people, lifting rural voices, and sharing real-world knowledge from Northwestern Alaska to help build stronger food systems for all Alaskans.
Evie Witten
Principal, Regeneration North; Co-owner Ebb Tide Ocean Farm, Anchorage
Evie is co-founder and CEO of Regeneration North LLC, providing expertise in natural climate solutions, fostering food security, and building ecological, community and organizational resilience. She and her family grow oysters and kelp at their Ebb Tide Ocean Farm in Kachemak Bay. Her food systems experience also includes commercial salmon fishing, small business establishment, regenerative agriculture research, and documenting and working to protect Indigenous traditional harvests in the Arctic. Evie previously provided senior leadership for Alaska’s Great Land Trust, World Wildlife Fund Bering Sea Program, and The Nature Conservancy in Canada (Nature United) including as the Director of the Emerald Edge Initiative and co-founder of the Path to Prosperity sustainable business training program and competition in Southeast Alaska. She earned a BA in Environmental Studies and Geology from the University of Vermont, and a Masters in Forest Science from Yale University.
Previous Board Members
2025 – 2026, Marisa McKasson – Anchorage, AK, UAF Cooperative Extension
2022 – 2026, Kyle Hill – Anchorage, AK, Alaska Commercial Company
2017 – 2026, Rachael Miller – Anchorage, AK, Food Bank of Alaska and Alaska Pacific University
2024 – 2025, Gatgeyeda Haayk – Metlakatla, AK, Metlakatla Indian Community S’ndooyntgm Galts’ap Community Garden
2024 – 2025, Ron Meehan – Anchorage, AK, Food Bank of Alaska
2024 – 2025, Sara Renard – Anchorage, AK, Alaska Behavioral Health
2020 – 2025, Heidi Rader – Fairbanks, AK, UAF
2017 – 2024, Melissa Chlupach – Anchorage, AK, UAA
2015 – 2024, Melissa Sikes – Fairbanks, AK, Fairbanks Soil and Water Conservation District
2021 – 2023, Marissa Wilson – Homer, AK, Alaska Marine Conservation Council
2017 – 2023, Amy Seitz – Soldotna, AK, Alaska Farm Bureau
2015 – 2023, Cara Durr – Anchorage, AK, Food Bank of Alaska
2014 – 2023, Lorinda Lhotka – Fairbanks, AK, ADEC – Food Safety & Sanitation Program
2020 – 2022, Ronalda Angasan – Anchorage, AK, Alaska Village Initiatives
2011 – 2022, Danny Consenstein – Anchorage, AK, USDA
2016 – 2021, Ryan Wiswesser – Girdwood, AK, Alaska Artisanal; Chugach Chocolates
2015 – 2021, Brian Himelbloom – Kodiak, AK, UAF College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences
2017 – 2020, Charles Bingham – Sitka, AK, Sitka Local Foods Network
2017 – 2020, Jo Dawson – Juneau, AK, AK DEED Child Nutrition
2016 – 2020, Lia Heifetz – Juneau, AK, Barnable Foods
2015 – 2020, Johanna Herron – Palmer, Alaska, Intertribal Agriculture Council
2018 – 2019, Robbi Mixon – Homer, AK, Cook Inlet Keeper; Alaska Farmers Market Association
2014 – 2019, Liz Snyder – Anchorage, AK, FRESH; UAA Public Health
2013 – 2018, Nick Moe – Anchorage, AK, Southcentral Foundation
2011 – 2018, Diane Peck – Anchorage, AK, AK Dept. of Health & Social Services
2011 – 2018, Darren Snyder – Juneau, AK, UAF Cooperative Extension
2016 – 2017, Bree Kessler – Denali, AK, Writer
2011 – 2017, Hans Geier – Fairbanks, AK, Alaska Farmers Bureau
2011 – 2017, Amy Pettit – Palmer, AK, Alaska Farmland Trust
2015 – 2016, Angie Freeman-Shepard – Palmer, AK, UAF Experimental Farm
2015 – 2016, Louisa Yanes – Anchorage, AK, Alaska Land Trust
2014 – 2016, Gary Ferguson – Anchorage, AK, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium
2014 – 2016, Kelly Harrell – Sterling, AK, Alaska Marine Conservation Council
2011 – 2016, Victoria Biggs – Ugashik Village, AK, Ugashik Wild Salmon
2014 – 2015, Carolyn Kineen – Anchorage, AK, Public Relations
2013 – 2015, Abby Enghirst – Anchorage, AK, AK Dept. of Commerce, Community & Economic Development
2011 – 2015, Lisa Sadler-Hart – Sitka, AK, Sitka Local Foods Network
2013 – 2014, Mara Machulsky – AK
2013 – 2014, Annabel Galindo – Anchorage, AK, Taco Loco
2013 – 2014, Adam Galindo – Anchorage, AK, Taco Loco
2011 – 2014, Mike Emers – Fairbanks, AK, Farmer
2011 – 2013, Ron Klein – Anchorage, AK, Association of Food and Drug Officials; ADEC
Alaska Food Hero Award
At each Alaska Food Festival and Conference, the Alaska Food Policy Council recognizes individuals and organizations with the “Alaska Food Hero Award.” Selection is based on food systems work they have been involved with. Awardees demonstrate a substantial impact on Alaska’s food systems, transform an aspect of their community’s food systems, and make a difference in Alaska’s prosperity, health, and self-reliance. We continue to honor the work of these Alaska Food Heroes, dedicated to connecting, advocating, and informing to strengthen food systems for all Alaskans.
Don McNamara & Donna Rae Faulkner
Oceanside Farms
2025 Alaska Food Hero
Don McNamara and Donna Rae Faulkner of Oceanside Farms in Homer have spent more than a decade growing food and knowledge on Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula. Their 10-acre diversified farm produces vegetables, fruit, seed potatoes, and poultry, all while modeling what’s possible for small farms in rural Alaska. As hands-on educators and advocates for soil health and sustainable farming, they’ve supported Alaska Native and rural farmers with workshops, training videos, technical assistance, and even a published guide to Korean Natural Farming adapted for Alaska. Their deep commitment to mentoring and sharing practical, affordable tools continues to shape the future of farming across the state.
Melissa Chlupach
UAA Dietetics & Nutrition
2025 Alaska Food Hero
Professor Melissa Chlupach is a leader in Alaska’s Indigenous and traditional food systems, education, and advocacy. As an Assistant Professor in the UAA Dietetics and Nutrition program and manager of the Alaska Traditional Kitchen, she brings people together to share, learn, and reconnect with ancestral knowledge. Her work spans curriculum development, research, and public health, with a strong focus on food sovereignty, Alaska Native culture, and nutrition. Melissa mentors students, uplifts Alaska Native voices, and fosters collaboration across communities and generations. A lifelong Alaskan and lifelong learner, she continues to shape inclusive, resilient food systems rooted in culture, healing, and shared knowledge.
Lorinda Lhotka
Alaska DEC Food Safety & Sanitation Program
2025 Alaska Food Hero - Outstanding Service Award
Lorinda Lhotka has dedicated 25 years to strengthening food safety across Alaska as the Environmental Program Manager at the Department of Environmental Conservation Food Safety & Sanitation Program. Through her leadership of the Food Safety and Sanitation Program, she has worked closely with food entrepreneurs, farmers markets, and Tribal organizations to make food safety more accessible and inclusive. From expanding opportunities for small producers through the Cottage and Homemade Food exemptions, to helping integrate traditional foods like seal oil into elder care facilities, Lorinda blends scientific expertise with cultural sensitivity. Her collaborative approach and unwavering commitment to public health have made a lasting impact on Alaska’s food systems and the people they nourish.
Tanana Valley Farmers Market & Brad St. Pierre
2023 Alaska Food Heroes
The Tanana Valley Farmers Market showcases a plethora of Alaska Grown produce and plants, value-added goods, and Made in Alaska arts and crafts – all symbols of excellence. It is the oldest continually operating farmers market in Alaska and the only one located in its own permanent building. Their mission is to develop and promote Alaska’s agricultural, horticultural, and cottage industries, providing quality produce and products to the public. The market and the market Executive Director Brad St. Pierre were honored this year because of his continued commitment to supporting local farms and providing a space where farmers can directly reach consumers as well as providing educational opportunities like the “Children’s Market” and a space for broader community engagement through their “Chef at The Market” events.
Alutiiq Grown & Robbie Townsend Vennel
2023 Alaska Food Heroes
Alutiiq Grown is a collective of tribal and community-owned farms located in the Kodiak Archipelago, Alaska off-road system communities of Larsen Bay, Old Harbor, Ouzinkie, Port Lions, and the city of Kodiak. Their mission is to increase the region’s food security by providing fresh and local foods to Elders and community residents. Alutiiq Grown is a program of the Kodiak Archipelago Leadership Institute. The program and its Executive Director Robbie Townsend Vennel were awarded the 2023 Food Hero Award for their commitment to diversifying and expanding the foodways available to their communities including programs from hydroponics, soil farming, raising chickens, and an expanding food hub that supports local farmers.
Calypso Farm & Ecology Center
2023 Alaska Food Heroes
Calypso Farm and Ecology Center is a non-profit, educational farm in Fairbanks, Alaska offering hands-on education programs for all ages, and growing fresh food for the community. They encourage local food production and environmental awareness through hands-on education in natural and farming ecosystems. They were awarded a 2023 Food Hero award for their multi-tiered approach to community engagement and food systems awareness that includes farmer training programs, summer camps, school gardens, the Southside Market, and an array of workshops that include Farming Intensives, Gardening, Fiber Arts and Woodworking. Their programs are continually expanding and bringing more pieces of the broader community into the conversation to help them see their space and importance in the future of the Interior’s foodways.
Cyrus Harris & Maniilaq Association Traditional Foods
2022 Alaska Food Heroes
The team has worked together to provide niqipiaq to Elders at the Utuqqanaat Inaat long-term care facility in Kotzebue since 2015, through a state-permitted traditional food processing and cold storage facility known as the Siġḷuaq. In 2021, the team made years of hard work from countless helping hands a reality by achieving State of Alaska approval for serving seal oil. They used experimentation and a pasteurization process to reduce the risk of botulism, a rare but deadly foodborne illness linked with traditionally made seal oil. Now, the Elders at the Utuqqanaat Inaat are able to enjoy on-demand the seal oil they grew up eating daily. The team hopes to expand the list of safe and nutritious niqipiaq foods offered to the Elders and share lessons learned with other tribal groups across the continent interested in serving traditional foods in long-term care settings.
APIA Traditional Foods and Wellness Programs
2022 Alaska Food Heroes
The Traditional Foods and Wellness Programs at Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association work in tandem to carry out food-related initiatives and are dedicated to supporting the health and wellness of the Unangax people. Current projects are focused on working with Elders and community leaders to preserve traditional food knowledge and address food access and food security throughout the region.
One exceptional team member working with these programs is Sally Swetzof, from Atka, Alaska. Sally grew up living a subsistence lifestyle and has been able to pass this cultural knowledge down, not only to her children and grandchildren, but also to her greater Unangax community. She is a respected Elder and mentor on a variety of traditional practices, including traditional Unangax food harvesting, preparation, and preservation. She is also a fluent speaker in the traditional Atkan dialect of the Unangam Tunuu language and has been a leader in revitalizing the language. Sally has been a tremendous resource and an essential team member in many projects at APIA, including most recently being involved in the Qaqamiigux: Traditional Foods Film Series. Sally is a central figure in many of the films, including the topics of: chocolate lily, reindeer, eider duck, and bidarki. Her involvement in the project has been key to the success of the films in light of her skills as an educator, traditional knowledge bearer, and fluent Unangam Tunuu speaker.
The Wrigleys, Alaska Flour Company
2022 Alaska Food Heroes
Settling in Delta Junction, Alaska back in 1983, the Wrigley’s imagined building a farm that would increase Alaska’s food security, create markets for fellow farmers, provide healthy, locally grown food options, and offer their children the opportunity to continue the operation into the future. They knew Alaska’s unique conditions – a short growing season and long, dark winters – would require innovative farming techniques and never-say-quit determination. They use sustainable farming practices on their 1,700-acre farm, on which they raised five children. In 2011, their hard work, perseverance, and passion for nutritious, locally grown products paid off when they founded the Alaska Flour Company, the only commercial flour mill in Alaska. (The next nearest mill is more than 1,500 miles away.)
Marsh Skeele
Sitka Salmon Shares
2020 Alaska Food Hero
Marsh Skeele is a second-generation fisherman, entrepreneur, food systems change maker, and co-founder and vice president of the unique, values-based seafood company, Sitka Salmon Shares. Marsh grew up fishing the summers in the small rural Southeast Alaska community of Port Alexander with his family. As a young troller, Marsh connected with Nic Mink, the other co-founder of Sitka Salmon Shares. Together, they co-founded a company that is transforming small-scale, community-based fisheries in Alaska. During a time when global and domestic markets have collapsed due to trade wars and COVID-19, Sitka Salmon Shares is delivering more than 20% over the dock price to fishermen owners — which translated in 2020 to hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional income in the pockets of local Sitka fishermen.
Native Village of Savoonga Reindeer Crew
2020 Alaska Food Heroes
Richmond Toolie ∙ Freeman Kingeekuk ∙ Michael Kralik ∙ Nick Toolie ∙ Sidney Kulowiyi ∙ Scott Toolie ∙ Kacy Pungowiyi ∙ Christopher Miklahook ∙ Ronald Kingeekuk ∙ Derek Toolie ∙ Derek Akeya ∙ Justina Noongwook ∙ Orville Toolie
Richmond Toolie and his crew work with the Native Village of Savoonga to ensure that fresh reindeer meat is locally produced and available to the community members. This contribution to food security on St. Lawrence Island and western Alaska is a critical adaptation to the challenges brought on by a changing climate that can result, some years, in a poor subsistence harvest of the local traditional diet of marine mammals.
Chef Amy Foote
Alaska Native Medical Center
2020 Alaska Food Hero
Chef Amy Foote and her team provide nearly 3,000 meals per day to patients, elders, and visitors to the ANMC campus. Chef Amy increased traditional food offerings at ANMC from 30 percent to over 60 percent on the patient menu. In addition to this, she has networked and collaborated with folks around the state of Alaska enhancing ANMC’s traditional foods donation program. Today, ANMC serves seal and is the only facility in Alaska doing so. In addition to that, Chef Amy has worked with the Alaska Professional Hunting Association, which has helped ANMC receive generous donations of moose meat. From 2014 to 2020, ANMC received over 10 tons of traditional foods donations, thanks to Chef Amy.
Lisa & Tim Meyers
Meyers Farm
2019 Alaska Food Heroes
Tim and Lisa Meyers have proven rural farming can be successful. Meyers Farm was established in 2002 and is located in Bethel, Alaska. They are dedicated to growing and distributing fresh, locally grown, chemical-free produce to the Bethel region and beyond.
Called the “permafrost farmer”, Tim is an avid promoter of farming in the YK Delta. Meyers Farm serves as an example of the wide range of food that can be produced and sold year round – thanks to his underground root cellar. Tim firmly believes, with a few more farmers, Bethel could feed the state of Alaska. The Meyers are working on that goal by growing the food and the farmers – sharing their expertise and passion with students, interns and other farmers. Tim is also known as an innovator, developing new attachments for his tractor, building high tunnels and underground root cellars on the tundra. The Meyers had the first agricultural export from the region, shipping produce to Anchorage. Currently, they are working with RurAL CAP to ship boxes of fresh produce to village Head Start programs. Tim and Lisa also help educate people how to prepare, cook and store the local produce.
Lia Heifetz
Barnacle Foods
2019 Alaska Food Hero
Lia Heifetz was born and raised in Southeast Alaska and wants to see our communities and people prosper. Lia’s passion for local foods has touched communities all across the region. She works through-out the region with her consulting company, Grow Southeast, to increase local food production, processing, distribution and consumption to build resilient local food systems and to empower Southeast Alaskans.
Previously, as the Food Security Coordinator for Southeast Conference and Director of the Local Foods Program at the Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition, and, currently, as the owner of Grow Southeast and partner in Barnacle Foods, Lia has increasingly become the face of the food security movement in the region. Her work with the Southeast Alaska Watershed Coalition started the Salt & Soil Marketplace, a food hub helping increase food production throughout Southeast Alaska by connecting local food producers and consumers.
Heidi Chay
Kenai Soil & Water Conservation District
2019 Alaska Food Hero
Heidi Chay, District Manager of the Kenai Soil & Water Conservation District, is an amazing farm and food advocate, community organizer, and a visionary for the central Kenai Peninsula. Her work includes a variety of outreach to farmers, connecting food producers to buyers and restaurants, and education and information sharing. Her significant contributions to food projects have created an environment for local food to thrive.
Heidi regularly supplies support to the farmers of the area through equipment rentals, technical support (ex. hosting Women in Ag conference, speakers on farm finances, farm tours, techniques, financial aid, planning), marketing (“Kenai Loves Local Food” directory for farms and markets), and networking (Farm and Food Fridays). She has been hugely elemental in the expansion and success of the Alaska Food Hub in Kenai as well as the success of the Farmers Fresh Tuesday Market at the Kenai Food Bank and the annual Harvest Moon Food Festival.
Robbi Mixon
Homer Farmers Market
2018 Alaska Food Hero
Robbi has managed the Homer Farmers Market for years, fostering amazing growth due to her knack for recognizing needs and addressing them, including the adoption of the market coin program and SNAP benefits program and other initiatives at the Market She is the director for the Alaska Food Hub and the Alaska Farmers Market Association, headquartered at Cook Inletkeeper.
Kyra Wagner
Sustainable Homer
2016 Alaska Food Hero
If you are visiting Homer and interested in local food systems, chances are you will connect with Kyra Wagner. Wagner writes an article weekly on the Homer Farmers Market during the season, organizes high tunnel tours and gatherings of farmers, and writes a weekly Sustainable Homer newsletter that lists activities that build local resilience. “Kyra is a role model for food advocates around Alaska and has made a huge impact on the local food system in Homer,” according to Moe. “Her work perfectly exemplifies the Alaska Food Policy Council’s mission of improving our food system in a prosperous, healthy, and self-reliant way.”
Tyonek Tribal Conservation District
2016 Alaska Food Heroes
The TTCD’s Tyonek Grown Program operates a 1.5 acre farm using organic methods, with two high tunnels and solar-powered irrigation and ventilation systems in the Native Village of Tyonek. Youth in the Tyonek community learn about all aspects of farming and learn to enjoy healthy, locally grown foods. Much of the produce they grow is distributed to Tyonek elders. AFPC Governing Board member Danny Consenstein praises TTCD’s focus on conservation and community. “Tyonek provides a model for what other villages and conservation districts could do.”
Diane Peck
Alaska Division of Public Health
2016 Alaska Food Hero - Outstanding Service Award
Diane Peck is a Dietician with the Obesity Prevention Program at the Division of Public Health and helped found the AFPC through that program. AFPC Coordinator Samantha Ford said that “Diane’s ability to bring people together has been instrumental in growing the AFPC. We are so proud to honor her with this award.”
2010
Held first council meeting in may and formed committees:
- Governance
- Education & Regulation
- Production
- Food Security
- Hunger
- Social Justice & Health
- Supply Chain: Processing, Distribution/Transportation, Infrastructure, Development
- Indigenous & Cultural Foods for Health
Established AFPC website.
2011
Developed the 2012-2015 Strategic Plan. The foundation for the AFPC’s work was set with the following goals:
- All Alaskans have access to affordable, healthy (preferably local) foods.
- Alaska’s food-related industries have a strong workforce and operate in a supportive business environment.
- Food is safe, protected and supplies are secure throughout Alaska.
- Alaska’s food system is more sustainable.
- Alaskans are engaged in our food system.
Established the Governing Board of Directors along with communications and advocacy committees.
2012
Established Statewide Work Groups to implement activities around priority strategies:
- School Programs
- Locally Grown
- Emergency Preparedness
- Public Engagement
- Research & Information
- Legislative
2013
Led the charge to establish the State Food Resources Working Group:
- Governor Parnell signed legislation calling for the creation of the Alaska Food Resource Working Group (AFRWG) under Administrative Order 265, with the goal of building Alaska’s food economy.
- The administrative order established a state agency workgroup focused on recommending “policies and measures to increase the purchase and consumption of local wild seafood and farm products.”
Hosted first of the three AmeriCorp VISTA volunteers.
2014
- Hosted 1st Alaska Food Festival & Conference in Anchorage
- Received 501c3 status
- Hosted town hall meetings around the state, including Nome, Juneau, Fairbanks, & Bethel
- Developed organizational bylaws
- Collaborated with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, USDA Director of Tribal Relations to discuss the 2014 Farm Bill, advocating for Alaska traditional foods and Native food sovereignty
- Contracted with Ken Meter to conduct a qualitative economic assessment, “Building Food Security in Alaska”
2015
- Continued town hall meetings in Homer, Palmer, & Anchorage
- AFPC hosts AmeriCorp VISTA for the University of Alaska Anchorage Farm to School project, as part of a Division of Ag Specialty Crop Grant
- Participated in the development of a statewide emergency feeding plan
- Hosted the Wallace Center Food Hub Workshop
- Launched statewide advocacy campaign supporting food systems policy recommendations
2016
- 2nd AK Food Festival & Conference in Anchorage
- Hosted “Community Kitchen Table Discussions” listening sessions to help AFPC improve engagement and responsiveness to diverse communities in Anchorage
- Provided recommendations to Anchorage Mayor Berkowitz, urging action on food policy priorities
- Served as fiscal sponsor for Interior Alaska Food Network – local food policy group in Fairbanks
2017
- Participated in the Alaska Food Coalition’s “Food Security Week” in Juneau
- 3rd AK Food Festival & Conference in Fairbanks in partnership with the Interior Alaska Food Network
- Received grant from AgriLogic to assist with promoting USDA Crop Insurance Program
2018
- Partnered with Municipality of Anchorage on Downtown Urban Farm Project
- Received EPA Local Foods, Local Places Program Planning Grant
- Facilitated Anchorage Local Food Mini-Grants Program
- Contracted with Ken Meter to write “Potential Infrastructure Investments for Alaska-Grown Food”
2019
- 4th AK Food Festival & Conference, co-hosted with Alaska Farmers Market Association in Homer
- Collaborated with Agrilogic to hold New Farmer Expos in Anchorage and Fairbanks
- Continued partnership with Municipality of Anchorage, Local Food Mini-Grants
2020
- Hired first-ever, partitime Executive Director
- Awarded a USDA Regional Food System Partnership Grant to create a 10-year Statewide Food Security Action Plan
- 5th Alaska Food Festival & Conference (virtual), co-hosted with Alaska Village Initiatives, Alaska Pacific University, & FRESH
- Participated in Food Security Fly-in Week in Juneau, including presentations to the House Resource Committee on three priority areas: increasing food production, increasing food access, and reducing food waste
- Launched two new AFPC working groups: Indigenous Foods, & Food Waster Committees
- Conducted Candidate Survey to inform voters on candidates’ views on food issues
2021
- Participated in Virtual Food Security Fly-in Week
- Hosted “Quarterly Webinar Series” on food system transportation
- Coordinated three-part webinar series on Alaska Cottage Food
- Conducted six food system statewide networking workshops
- Installed fruit orchard and fencing at Stickleback Urban Farm, Anchorage
- Produced first-ever Annual Report
- Provided food systems investment recommendations, created with multiple organizations, to the Alaska Legislature and Governor’s Office
2022
2022 marked a year of tremendous growth for the organization. We leaned into deep listening to Alaskan communities, inclusive network weaving, and cultivating environments for changing and building food systems through nonpartisan research and policy recommendations.
This year’s big wins:
- We received a generous gift from the foundation MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger which enabled us the first-ever full-time Executive Director, Robbi Mixon.
- We hosted another successful virtual conference with LIST PARTNERS
- We co-hosted a series of Lunch and Learns during the Alaska Legislature Food Security Fly-in Week in collaboration with Alaska Food Coalition partners, Alaska Farm Bureau, and the Alaska Farmland Trust.
- Through the work of the Regional Food Systems Partnership Project, we authored a statewide Food Security Action Plan.
- We were awarded a grant from ServeAlaska to explore the development of a food system-focused AmeriCorps program
- With funding from a 2022-24 USDA Local Food Promotion Program grant,e establish the Alaska Food Hub Working Group
AFPC has accomplished a lot with very few resources and a whole lot of heart from our volunteers: our board, committees, and some very active Working Groups and Committees. Through it all we have been impactful and engaged, demonstrating the power of collective action.
2023
Alaska Food Policy Council has blossomed, with 2023 marking a year of unprecedented growth, fueled by a shared vision and a strategic partnership with the development of the USDA Islands & Remote Areas Regional Food Business Center, Alaska Sub-region.
This year’s big wins:
- We produced and co-authored the 2022-23 Governor’s Food Security and Independence Task Force report.
- We hired two additional full-time staff, our Communications and Outreach Director, and our Regional Food Business Center Co-Director.
- We hired two part-time staff: an Advocacy& Policy Director and an Operations & Finance Director.
- We helped organize the annual Food Security Fly-In week in Juneau advocating for addressing the SNAP backlog;
- We provided recommendations to Senator Murkowski’s office in developing the Improving ARCTIC Act;
- We supported the 2023-24 Alaska Food Strategy Task Force, providing administrative assistance and co-creation of their 2023 Report;
- We co-hosted our biggest event ever -the 2023 Food and Farm Festival in Anchorage Alaska with the Alaska Farm Bureau and Western SARE;
- We launched the AK Food Recovery Dashboard via the Food Waste Working Group;
- With the Alaska Food Hub Working Group, we co-produced an Operations & Food Safety Manual with the DEC, along with a Food Hub Recommendations report, authored by Ken Meter;
- We provided input and feedback on the report: Food Security and Sovereignty in Alaska Native Communities: Recommendations for Improving Language and Inclusivity in Food and Agriculture Programming, via our Indigenous Foods Working Group.
The collective dedication of our team and board, and the innovative pursuit of resilient local and regional food economies united us as we faced shared challenges head-on, advocating, connecting, and informing for the betterment of Alaska’s food system.
2024
2024 was a transformative year for the Alaska Food Policy Council, as we moved to a fully staffed organization. With new capacity and direction, we deepened our impact across the state, strengthening coordination, elevating advocacy, and developing tools to shape more equitable food systems for all Alaskans.
This year’s big wins:
- We co-authored and helped produce the 2024 Alaska Food Strategy Task Force Report, supporting statewide planning for food security and continuing our leadership in statewide food systems policy.
- Alongside other food systems partners, we cohosted Alaska Food Security Week in Juneau—a new statewide event featuring trainings, a reception, and legislative visits focused on food access, production, and other priorities.
- Through an award of a USDA Regional Food System Partnership grant, we began building the Alaska Food Systems Atlas and statewide food data dashboards, and began planning a Value Chain Coordination Working Group, a multi-stakeholder body designed to address infrastructure gaps and improve market access across Alaska.
- We expanded our Quarterly Food Systems Gatherings, engaging of stakeholders around various topics like food sovereignty, processing infrastructure, funding opportunities, and regional coordination.
- We deepened our participation as the Alaska Sub-region lead in the USDA Islands & Remote Areas Regional Food Business Center, coordinating with partners from across the Pacific and Caribbean. We provided technical assistance to food and farm businesses and launched an RFP for more technical assistance opportunities.
- Our working groups continued to meet regularly and inform our policy foci.
- The Food Hubs Working Group released its Food Hub Operations and Safety Manual as a section of the Alaska Farmers Market Association’s Farmers Market Toolkit. We also released the report How the Alaska “Food Hub” Network Can Best Move Forward, authored by Ken Meter of Crossroads Resource Center, in collaboration with Alaska’s DEC Food Safety & Sanitation Program, and multiple food hub operators.
- We maintained and grew our advocacy efforts, supporting legislation and budgets to support improved food systems and expand food access programs.
- We unveiled a new website, with an interactive Opportunities Portal, to share information about upcoming events, funding announcements, and employment within Alaska’s food systems.
Fueled by strategic partnerships, an energized board, and staff leadership, AFPC is poised to continue advancing a resilient, equitable food future for Alaska.
2025
2025 has been a challenging year for Alaska Food Policy Council and beyond. With the termination of a large cooperative agreement, we lost hard earned new capacity and resources. Despite this setback, we continued our work of connecting, informing, and advocating for more equitable food systems for all Alaskans.
This year’s successes include:
- In February 2025, we joined the Food Bank of Alaska and the Alaska Farm Bureau for our annual Food Security Week Fly-In in Juneau, bringing together partners from across Alaska, including farmers, food access leaders, and market innovators, to meet with lawmakers and elevate the importance of building a resilient and strong food system
- This spring, we hosted our 8th Alaska Food Festival and Conference, which took place from March 27–29, in Kodiak, marking the first time the event was held off Alaska’s road system – bringing together over 315 food producers, kelpers, fishers, advocates, educators, policymakers, and more from across the state and beyond
- We have continued to grow opportunities for food systems connections through our website’s Opportunities Portal, sharing job, funding, event, and training opportunities. This fall marks a full year of our Quarterly Food Systems Gatherings!
- This October we added to our working group offerings, with the launch of the Alaska School Nutrition Working Group
- In partnership with the Northwest Transition to Organic Production Program, we created a series of short videos highlighting organic farming and kelping across Alaska. We also conducted research and workshops on organic rhodiola production.
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