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Alaska farmers tell Senate panel they need land access, processing and training to scale production
Summary
Alaska farmers and advocates told the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee that the state can expand local food production but must reduce land‑access barriers, fund training and technical assistance, build processing capacity and simplify food‑safety audits to connect producers to large buyers.
Juneau — Farmers and agriculture advocates told the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee on Feb. 11 that Alaska’s farming industry could grow substantially if the state removes barriers to land access, builds processing infrastructure and invests in training and market development.
“Agriculture really has a broad reach,” said Amy Seitz, policy director for the Alaska Farm Bureau. Seitz urged lawmakers to view agriculture as a system that includes land, processing, distribution and markets, not “individual little pieces.”
In prepared testimony and answers to senators’ questions, Seitz and Margaret Adson of the Alaska Farmland Trust said Alaska lacks the staff capacity within state agencies to chase federal grants, and that USDA programs often…
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