State master gardener conference draws a crowd

PALMER — Gathered in the Palmer Train Depot in downtown Palmer Saturday, dozens of gardeners from across the state sat attentively, taking notes to master advice.

“It’s much easier to grow in Alaska than people think,” said Steve Brown, a guest speaker and one of the coordinating members of the Mat-Su event. Brown is the state Cooperative Extension Service’s Agriculture/Horticulture Agent for the Mat-Su/Copper River District.

April 22 was not just Earth Day, but also the annual Alaska State Master Gardener’s Conference, an event for local gardeners and vendors to collaborate and learn from shared experiences. With nine vendors and 12 talks from 8 a.m .to 5 p.m. Saturday, the Palmer Depot bustled with earthly activity, never lulling.

The conference is a statewide event, collecting masses of ever-branching networks and collaboration among common craft and lifestyle. The location rotates across the state and Palmer was selected for the 2017 event. According to Brown, the theme for this year is to “increase food security in Alaska.”

Topics ranged widely, such as: “local food for everyone,” “restarting my plant based life,” “grafting tomatoes, muskmelons and watermelons,” “fermenting essentials,” “The Joys of Photography,” and “What the Heck in Permaculture?”

Speakers offered specialized knowledge from their perspective backgrounds, organizations and programs. They shared insight to help their fellow artisans craft a more sustainable future in a state that demands skill, patience and plenty of planning — seasonal or otherwise.

Most of the attendees were seasoned masters with many years under their belt. Among green giants are also younger sprouts fresh into the program, like Mimi Corneliussen, who recently completed her Master Gardener course online. The course is an accredited class offered by the University of Alaska Fairbanks, which allowed Corneliussen to set her own pace.

The course requires students to try out a variety of projects – from garden organization to writing posts for the Master Gardener’s blog. Like the community of Master Gardeners itself, the course is designed to integrate students with a hive mind of sorts. Students are encouraged to participate in online forums and have a group discussion. Sitting and listening attentively Corneliussen, said she was eager to learn from her fellow masters. As a young master, she feels she can gain much from the older generations.

“It’s great because most of them are willing to share their secrets,” she said.

The 2017 Alaska State Master Gardener’s Conference appeared to be a hub of growing ambitions and budding interest; where Alaskans are undaunted by the challenges they face.

Jan Newman, from Grow Palmer says, “If we can do it, so can you!”