Peony farms help grow Alaska’s economy

MEADOW LAKES — Flowers may not be the image that comes to mind when speaking of successful, self-sufficient farms in the Valley, but Alaska flower farmers are working hard to become part of a growing global industry by raising peonies in their own backyards.

“It’s the highest demanded flower in the wedding industry, and also the one with the most narrow window for harvesting,” said Meghan Williams, the general manager at Alaska Peony Distributors in Meadow Lakes.

Part of the advantage of growing peonies in Alaska, Williams says, is the late spring, which extends Alaska’s harvest season into September, after it has long ended in the rest of the country. Not only that, but the extra sunlight in the summer allows the heads of the flowers to grow bigger.

“We get nice, giant blooms that aren’t seen anywhere else in the world,” Williams said.

Steve Giani, owner of Alaska Peony Distributors, said he expects peonies to be the largest exported agricultural product in Alaska within the next two years, rivaling Alaska timber sales within three.

According to a report released by the school of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, peony farms are expected to produce more than one million stems by 2015, which is anticipated to add nearly $3 million to the Alaska economy.

But it’s not just about money — it’s about value, too.

“At first, farmers were uncomfortable with the concept of having a for-profit pack house, but co-ops don’t provide value to the farm like we do. Small farmers establish lines of credit and our viability as a distributor impacts that,” Giani said.

In recognition of the economic role the crop plays in the Mat-Su, in April the Mat-Su Borough Assembly passed a proclamation naming the borough as the “Peony Capital of Alaska.”

For Meghan’s parents, however, the value of their farm is in more than the business.

“It’s kind of a legacy thing too, something we can leave behind to [our kids] and they can be involved at whatever level they want,” Paula Williams, Meghan’s mother, said.

Paula and her husband Mike currently manage between four and five acres of farmland containing 11,000 peony roots at the base of Mt. Susitna, and expect to expand to 15,000 roots in the next year. Once the expansion occurs, however, delivering the goods could get difficult.

“One of the hardest things about being off the road system is getting workers,” Paula said.

As of right now, the only access to the Williams’ farm is by floatplane, which limits transportation for both the workers and the plants. To accommodate this, their son Cody, who also works on the farm, has been clearing a runway on the property for wheel planes.

The Williams’ farm is one 70 farms in Alaska, many of which are peony farms, affiliated with Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms, an organization that connects volunteers and farmers around the globe.

Volunteers can choose from 59 countries that have official organization members and 49 more that have independent farms looking for laborers. Since work visas take a lot of time and have different standards for different countries, program applicants agree to work four to six hours daily for a designated season’s worth of room and board. This year, the Williams family hosted four college students from the Lower 48.

Paula’s brother, Dave Kalpa, who also works in the fields full-time during the season, has recognized that peony farming and the organic movement is part of something bigger.

“[Working on a farm], you become very conscious of your footprint, your effect on the environment and the environment’s effect on you,” he said.

Kalpa, originally of Pennsylvania, also commented on the positive nature of peony farming in Alaska specifically.

“You find a lot more people who say ‘yes’ to things up here,” he said, referencing the apparent unconventionality of peony farming to some.

Meadow Lakes peony farmer Rachel Christy and her family are some of the people in the Valley who said “yes” to the venture a few years ago.

Christy has managed a small boutique farm of about 3,500 roots with her husband, John, and sister, Becca Bryan, for the last three years. After being surprised by the lucrative nature of the peony business at the Alaska Peony Growers Conference in Anchorage, Christy said she was inspired to spend her summers farming flowers in Meadow Lakes.

“I had some land, and then we cut down all the trees…I had to do something,” Christy said, reflecting on the roots of her farm.

During the school year, Christy lives in Anchorage and works as a stay-at-home mom.

“People just love peonies,” she said.