53rd annual agricultural conference to feature ‘really new and interesting’ talk about area farm's archeological dig
This year’s Delta Farm Forum will feature presentations on 21st century agricultural challenges like protecting livestock from avian influenza and standing up a state Department of Agriculture. It’ll also include a look back in time about what archeologists have dug up at a local farm.
UAF Cooperative Extension Service agent Phil Kaspari says Farm Forum organizers always try to provide a variety of topics for the annual agricultural conference. That’s why this year they’ve asked a University of Alaska Fairbanks archeology professor to talk about what researchers have found at Scott and Ruby Hollembaek’s farm.
“Well, really new and interesting is what’s being titled a 14,000-year History of Delta,” he said. “And this is being presented by Josh Reuther, the archeologist at the Museum of the North there at UAF.”
Reuther says he’ll give an overview of the work that he and other researchers have for years been conducting at a site called Hollembaek Hill.
“We’ll talk about the landscape history over the last 20,000 years,” he said. “Also, changes in plant and animal distributions in the valley, because they’re pretty unique. And talking about how bison and elk probably existed longer in that part of the valley than anywhere in Alaska, before they went locally extinct.”
Kaspari says Alaska State Veterinarian Dr. Sarah Coburn will give a talk about a disease that’s been infecting livestock nationwide and reportedly, in a couple of cases, their human handlers.
“She'll be talking about the ongoing avian influenza avian influenza issue that can have an impact to Alaskan producers,” Anderson said.
A couple of state officials will be on hand to talk about Governor Mike Dunleavy’s proposal to convert and upgrade the Alaska Division of Agriculture into a state Department of Agriculture.
“Andrew Jensen, out of the governor’s office, will be here to talk about this transition,” Kaspari said. “I suspect there’s going to be a lot of local interest on that topic.”
Agriculture Division Director Bryan Scorseby also will be at the forum, but he’s not scheduled to speak.
Jodie Anderson directs UAF’s Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Extension. She says most of the presentations will be of interest to both farmers and the general public.
Two workshops will focus on the financial side of farming, including one about sources of grants and loans for new and small-scale farmers and another on risk-management measures like crop insurance.
The 53rd annual Farm Forum will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday in the Delta Junction Junior/Senior High School small gymnasium. You can find out more by going to the UAF Cooperative Extension office in Delta website or by calling the office at 907-895-4215.
Editor's note: This story has been revised to remove references to two presentations that will not be presented during this year's Farm Forum.
