More of the Valley's prime farmland is on the chopping block

Posted by farmfresh

Posted: March 7, 2009 - 8:46 am

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I recently, received this farmland alert from Glacier Valley Farms and thought I would pass it along....kim

Hi CSA members,
This is a different kind of message: it’s a farmland alert!

Something that I think concerns us all has come up and I wanted to let everyone know about it. The Alaska State Fair has 40 acres of prime farmland that they are considering selling for development. The developer
would like to build a commercial truck-driving school.

We Valley farmers have talked to John Harkey, the Fair Board President, about selling the land to the Alaska Farmland Trust for preservation as a farm. We did not get a commitment from him, though. An offer for the land
from the truck-driving school developer is being presented to the Fair Board this Thursday March 12 at 7pm. We farmers only found out about this
two weeks ago. Steve Gallagher from the Alaska Farmland Trust is going to make a offer/proposal to the Fair Board at this meeting to preserve the farmland.

Right now the Fair Board sees the development of this land into a commercial truck-driving school as their best option. Putting this farmland in a trust will require at least six months to a year to raise the necessary funds and do the appropriate paperwork. Selling the land for
development will take a much shorter amount of time. According to the board members I have spoken with, the money from this sale is to be set aside for future land purchases by the Fair. They don’t anticipate purchasing more land for at least two to ten years.

The Fair Board needs to hear from people who are concerned about local food security, as we are rapidly running out of farmable land in the Matanuska
Valley. A point of interest, once the soil strata has been disturbed the land will never be suitable for farming again. Development of farmland is permanent! The Fair has heard no opposition to their impending decision to
sell this land for development.

If you are interested in helping to preserve Alaskan farm land, this is a perfect opportunity! Please let them know that you would rather see this land as part of the Alaska Farmland Trust than developed as a trucking
school.

You can contact:
The Alaska State Fair
Ray Ritari: Fair Manager 907-745-4827

Fair Board
President: John Harkey 907 745 2940, jdharkey@yahoo.com
Vice President: Bonnie Quill 907 745 3648
Secretary: Peter Probasco 907 745 8246
Treasurer: J. Bruce Bush 907 746 2874
Director: John W. Erickson, Jr. akswedes@mtaonline.net
Director: Carol Kenley 907 355 4587
Director: Charlie Willis 907 373 3138

Here is a quote from the fairs own website "the heart of the Fair still centers on the things the original colonists started with – agriculture, lots of food, flowers, friends and family, and an old-fashioned, good
time." Lets hold the board accountable to this statement!

You can also support the Alaska Farmland Trust financially with a donation
at this web address http://www.akfarmland.com

You can also become a member of the Alaska State Fair by calling 907 745-4827, and make a difference that way. For $150 you can become a life member
or for $15 an annual member.

Thank you!

Arthur Keyes
Glacier Valley Farm
(907) 354-5833

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