[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6328629,"mediaKeyId","2318571-394dd13eac36a5e323ca73acf23fa470","parentId",2318571,"title","UAF tells Senate Arctic Affairs Committee it needs $5M to expand Arctic agricultural research; highlights kelp trials, LED greenhouses and new grain varieties","audioSeconds",2184,"startMs",532000,"endMs",2716000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2318571-394dd13eac36a5e323ca73acf23fa470&start=532&end=2716","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2318571-394dd13eac36a5e323ca73acf23fa470/thumbnail_532000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6328629/Alaska/UAF-tells-Senate-Arctic-Affairs-Committee-it-needs-5M-to-expand-Arctic-agricultural-research-highlights-kelp-trials-LED-greenhouses-and-new-grain-varieties","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6328629-f3547ba5f83c51071389e1248b8c28ad/orig.mp4?Expires=1776652627&Signature=j~hSs0uv7FGaxEp-exwI1q8LuuYKIVCwMBrCMDYutqU2Bh3~rEtxk8GYSaO433GkDggDZq52m461hHO7Ak~5I2ICAg3UhOTJ-wj6oGKt45PYsAGY6b4QQ3VY7o1VAHj4Rrxi6N6W1GN-Z3eOvR1V5dp3DE5E9uNDXiO1X9u~zqaIWMSgaBJN9CQoIQm8e87dkQlMirt9nZTu75VJy1IA5VURu4kVNASilWWNEqKt-~Juibfx8B0~R87ZrNmCuCCwrg2q27JyGRnFqpvMv-KS2nHK3zgTziCAafCqto4No1~vOIqrM6GFIki0MK7~DLgmoaYd-FGK5RcHcu-IlUA6ew__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Alaska Legislature","date","2025-02-13T00:00:00Z","article","Jody Anderson, director of the Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Extension at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, told the Senate Arctic Affairs Committee on Feb. 13 that the university is rebuilding its agricultural research capacity and is seeking new state investment to sustain gains.

Anderson said UAF has advanced greenhouse and field work — including LED-light greenhouse trials that raised tomato productivity, kelp variety trials supported by federal research funds, and new small-grain breeding lines — and requested $5 million in FY26 capital research funding and a $200,000 program increase to expand staff and facilities.

The request aims at specific hires and projects Anderson listed: a food-safety specialist, a horticulture researcher, an outreach position and expanded 4-H capacity. Anderson also described the institute's federal-match constraint: capacity funds require a 1:1 state match, and most state fund receipts are currently used as that match.

Anderson described several research highlights. In controlled greenhouse trials led by horticulture staff, adding LED lights lower in the canopy increased tomato yields from roughly 4 kilograms per plant under standard lighting to over 6 kilograms per plant in the LED-mixed configuration, she said. The institute has shifted to full-LED greenhouses to improve year-round production efficiency.

On soils and cropping, Anderson said UAF is testing cover-crop species and mixes that provide both soil-health benefits and intermediate market value to improve farmer uptake. She described work to trap and manage slugs and other pests that are increasing as invasive species move north with climate change.

Anderson also outlined successes in plant breeding. A recently hired breeder has been crossing germplasm with partners across the Circumpolar North; she presented comparative data showing new barley entries outperforming the state standard (the “check”) by large margins in early trials and producing longer heads and larger seeds. Anderson cautioned the varieties are still unnamed and experimental.

Mariculture and kelp were singled out as a crossover priority. Anderson said the kelp variety trials at UAF are among the first in the United States to receive federal research dollars for kelp variety evaluation. A newly hired livestock nutritionist will pilot feeding dried kelp as a micronutrient supplement to calves, Anderson said, noting the approach is intended as a supplement rather than a full feed replacement.

Anderson described institutional capacity gains since FY23: a 55% increase in indirect-cost recovery, a 262% increase in competitive grant funding and a 70% rise in capacity-project participation since she became director. But she warned that past attrition left the institute with far fewer specialty researchers than it had in the late 20th century; many positions (ag engineers, soil scientists, forestry specialists) were lost to retirements and not refilled.

On funding mechanics, Anderson said federal capacity funds require a 1:1 state match and that much of the institute’s state fund (Fund 1) is already consumed as that match; she estimated 94–95% of state funds may be used for matching in FY25–FY26 depending on timing. Anderson asked the committee to consider a standing state budget line to cover the federal-match requirement, noting that is common in other states.

Senators on the committee asked about reliance on federal grant programs and whether federal grant freezes present a risk. Anderson said the institute’s funding has come largely from USDA and that she was not seeing an immediate freeze in USDA support based on current activity versus public discussion.

Anderson closed by emphasizing collaboration with circumpolar partners, the need for more subject-matter hires, and the goal of making Alaska a leader in Arctic agricultural research if matching state support is available.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON ARCTIC AFFAIRS 02/13/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Jody Anderson, director of the Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Extension at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, told the Senate Arctic Affairs Committee on Feb. 13 that UAF needs $5 million in capital funding and a $200,000 program increase to expand Arctic-focused agricultural research and staffing.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature Alaska, Alaska","taxId",78559,"location","Alaska","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6328624,"Farmers tell Senate panel microgreens, peonies and swath-grazing show Alaska potential but cite transport, processing and capacity limits",2365,2996000,5361000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2318571-394dd13eac36a5e323ca73acf23fa470&start=2996&end=5361","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2318571-394dd13eac36a5e323ca73acf23fa470/thumbnail_2996000.jpg","/articles/6328624/Alaska/Farmers-tell-Senate-panel-microgreens-peonies-and-swath-grazing-show-Alaska-potential-but-cite-transport-processing-and-capacity-limits","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6328624-23add5b3242dfde4e8df68f16b7fa817/orig.mp4?Expires=1776652627&Signature=PNclHwmtU2q7gM64klg7RmDB0e9ycZ-N~O8UhSK~cNxJNbfHS5v~LkPUcpPbC6xC-AzRX3ftR124x1EkAoeSsA47b6w~oyR~5r2fL~JRUhkrzds-~q7YQ8wBDSnDL4glRd--oGXA5k3W~YIDzOLn4Wh~eEXboZnoM-w7Lic5ayCUZISogBlvFLSKTefyZjSnOpqD5km0HQjQ8pAI6ifVK2360DBNuJ8gxNNhhlvtMzTzz5JOf~PsgQskZApZsyA0MzORDX87ganOSVZURqie-AOY5xL1iwaIibm8Z0bcbKBED2kL-IwWgsqL7p~pWsJju1WCCVCRF9Ulptg41M1Csg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Amy Sites, policy director for the Alaska Farm Bureau and a third-generation farmer, and multiple producers told the Senate Arctic Affairs Committee on Feb. 13 about on-farm innovation, market successes and infrastructure bottlenecks that limit scaling.

Sites summarized Alaska’s agricultural history and argued that research and extension capacity would help translate local advantages — cool soils, long summer daylight, geothermal sites — into larger commercial production. She described Pilgrim Hot Springs as an example where geothermal heat could enable year-round production but said the site needed ag-engineering and economic analysis to scale.

Scott Magridge, a farmer and Farm Bureau state president from Delta Junction, described a combination of practices used to manage extreme weather and extend grazing: swathing cover-crop mixes before the first snow to extend grazing 6–12 weeks, strong hay production in good years and use of federal risk programs for catastrophic winter losses. Magridge said transportation and processing capacity, including USDA‑inspected slaughter facilities, are recurring constraints on getting meat to market.

Ken Hoffman of Mat‑Su Microgreens described a small, high-value retail model: he said spring-mix salad greens can sell for about $20 per pound at farmers markets, and his microgreens home‑delivery and restaurant sales model allowed fast cash turnover because crops mature in roughly 10 days. Hoffman said microgreens and other high-density indoor crops can be supplied year-round with modest space, LED light and a small seed/soil input.

Rita Jo Schultz, a long‑time horticulturist who grows peonies near Homer, described a mature peony market that benefits from Alaska’s timing: peonies grown in Alaska harvest in July and August, filling a market window most other producers cannot. She said peony stems average about $4.10 each, that the Farm Bureau has negotiated discounted FedEx and UPS rates, and that Alaska growers can reliably ship next‑day to major U.S. markets.

Speakers repeatedly flagged two cross-cutting constraints: transport/logistics inside Alaska (most communities are off the road system), and limited applied research/staffing at UAF to help farmers test perennial crops, design geothermally powered systems and evaluate processing and storage options. Several witnesses urged more ag engineers, an ag economist and stronger connection between UAF and Sea Grant/College of Fisheries for mariculture crossover work.

Senators asked questions about past institutional capacity and whether state or federal support could help expand research and infrastructure. Committee members ended the hearing with thanks and scheduled the next meeting for Feb. 20.

","Representatives of the Alaska Farm Bureau and several producers told the Senate Arctic Affairs Committee on Feb. 13 that product innovations (microgreens, peonies), season-extension techniques and increased hay production demonstrate growth potential but that transportation, processing capacity and limited university staffing constrain expansion.","actionData","errors"]

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UAF tells Senate Arctic Affairs Committee it needs $5M to expand Arctic agricultural research; highlights kelp trials, LED greenhouses and new grain varieties

Farmers tell Senate panel microgreens, peonies and swath-grazing show Alaska potential but cite transport, processing and capacity limits