Jo’s Table Alaska

Meet Peter Miller, he is the Stone Soup Community Garden Manager. He oversees the most unique community garden in interior Alaska, where the garden is meant for growing food to serve those who are food insecure, he also created an eating garden that is open to anyone who wants to stop by and grab some fresh produce. No questions asked. Built by volunteers in 2015, and with donations of land, plant...

When people talk about The Folk School, the typical response is, huh, what is that? or Is this here? What do they do? Is it a charter school ? Well, in reality, It’s a collective that teaches lots of arts, traditional crafts, outdoor skills of all kinds, building and crafting skills such as carpentry, blacksmithing, tool maintenance, etc. to people of all ages.  A place like a folk school provides...

Does tea really grow anywhere other than India and China? Well, it can! even when its cold, dark and temeratures are -35 to -50 degrees fahrenheit.  It can grow in Faiurbanks Alaska and quite successfully. Meet Jenny Tse, owner of Sipping Streams Tea Company in interior Alaska.  Her company is the only tea manufacturing company in Alaska, she has the only farthest north tea farm in the world, and...

Meet 17 year old Liam Wade.  A senior in North Pole High School in Interior Alaska. He is self proclaimed Agriculturist, in fact he believes we are all Agriculturists in one form or another. His passion for Agriculture, Food Security and being a change leader in the agriculture revolution in Alaska is infectious and very inspiring. He is bright, articulate, opinionated, has a great sense of humor,...

Chef George Easter not only creates magical cuisine that generates comments like, "he's a culinary genius", "his menus emulate the arctic skies", he is a strong food system leader. His focus is on being all that and also in creating upscale elegance in his restaurant where every plate tells a story.  And what a story it is!  He deliberately and thoughtfully chooses local ingredients in every dish...

It's a success story of creating a food and community focused market where community and vendors come together to provide locally produced and crafted food to the most insecure area in our city.    Vendors line up every Tuesday to offer abundance of produce, eggs, baked goods, preserves, flowers, mushrooms, salsa, meat and seafood to the community.  There are discounts available to those who need...

A greenhouse rooted in tradition, Risse shows pride in what they sell. Their ongoing commitment and  focus on building relationships and education is exemplary.  Come meet this amazing family, listen to their story and aspirations. Risse Greenhouse was started 65 years ago in Fairbanks, AK by Lee and Greta Risse.  They were both homesteaders and evolved from growing vegetables and flowers for them...

Meet Jodie Anderson, Director of Institute of Agriculture at UAF.  Don't let her laughing, bubbly and fun personality fool you, She is the force behind all good things that are happening at the IANRE.  She oversees the statewide complex IANRE, which is Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Extension. Do you care?  You should!  All great things happening at IANRE we are familiar with. Li...

Georgeson Botanical Garden is the the farthest north accredited Botanical garden in the United States. Thousands of people from around the world have visited Georgeson Botanical Garden to look at the beautiful peonies that bloom 120 miles south of the Arctic Circle.   Display Gardens include Alaska’s famous giant cabbages, A spectacular children’s garden that boasts a hedge maze that spans two acr...

On this episode I speak with Callen Christensen about his work with the AFFECT program. What started as a grant to teach hydroponics, evolved into a three year curriculum to teach farming to interested and upcoming farmers who want to start their own farm, or work on a farm.  Tuition free, this program selects students, age range 18+, to enroll in a 15 week program that blends classroom as well as...

On this episode I sit down with Megan Schulze to learn about her small but diversified farm in Interior Alaska, called Frontieress Farm She farms only one and a half acre of land and grows the full gamut of vegetables and over 30 varieties of flowers including tulips. TULIPS! Yes, and they are ready for Mother's Day no less. There is no mechanization on her farm, its all done by hand. Seven years...

On this episode, I sit down with Ron and Margi Illingworth of North Pole Peonies, a commercial peony farm that has been successfully growing and exporting peonies for twenty years. They started this venture after retirement.  They are in their 80's now. Impressive! Why Peonies? Because it turns out Alaska can grow peonies during June July and August when the rest of the world cannot.  There are no...

Hawks Greenhouse is celebrating its 65th year of operation this year, It’s three generations working together to continue the greenhouse that was started by Angie’s in laws, Elaine and Charles Hawks in 1960. This podcast is the third in the Greenhouse series.  It's the inspirational story of Chuck and Elaine Hawks who traveled the ALCAN highway with three kids to Alaska in search for a better life...

Putting Animals first.  That's the philosophy embraced by the young and energetic couple who along with their five kids have started a farm in Fairbanks, Alaska. In this episode I sit down with Michael and Jessica Shaffstall, to talk about their journey in starting a farm in this very cold climate.  It was a dream of theirs for many years.  Mike is Active Duty military and was stationed in Fairban...

As the year 2024 ends, I'm reflecting back to when I started this podcast, my reasons, my challenges, my journey.  The insights I gained. If not for this podcast, I would not have met the wonderful people who took time to speak with me and share their stories. If not for them, we would not know their journey and learn about this community of people who work hard to address food security and provid...

On this episode, meet Tom Zimmer.  He and his and co-founder Susan, started Calypso Farm twenty five years ago with mission to grow food ecologically, keeping mother nature in front and foremost focus and to educate the community of all ages in growing gardens, homesteading, blacksmithing and fiber arts. Their farm has kids camps, teaching indigenous farming and sustainability to rural communities...

On this episode meet Mel Sikes, the imminent authority on food security, consummate educator and a tireless foot soldier helping farmers, educating students, and community of growing their own fresh food.  Her passion is beyond comparison and her energy endless.  She travels across the Interior Alaska to bring classes to everyone interested in gardening, farming and teaches kids the joy of eating...

Fresh vegetables all year long? In Alaska?  Yes! Meet Sam Knapp. He is the only farmer in Interior Alaska that has a cold storage farm and produces winter storage vegetables, a niche that he has cultivated for himself and his farm that serves his passion for winter storage farming.  Everything he grows is meant for storage in his specially-designed, modern root cellar. After the veggies are washed...

Pig Farming!  Its really more complex than that.  More diversified, and more challenging in Alaska. In this Episode I have a wonderful conversation with Mitch and Melissa Berggren, local farmers who always had raised pigs, not just for their own use but for others who wanted to buy pigs from them for 4H projects and to raise their own pigs.  But their story is not just about raising pigs, it’s a d...

In this episode Hannah Hill, Executive Director of Breadline, Inc speaks about food security and the need to address and reduce hunger in our community.  Bread Line is an anti-hunger organization that has been serving the Fairbanks community since 1984 For almost 40 years, the Bread Line has helped feed people and affirm lives in the Fairbanks, Alaska. Our conversation brought home the issue of ho...

Lions Mane, Oyster, Black Pearl, Chestnut, King Oyster, And Pioppino?  What these are mushrooms? Yes! And all grown in a small Interior Alaska community of Ester. Boreal Woods is Interior Alaska's only year-round mushroom farm, growing a wide variety of gourmet and medicinal mushrooms for the Fairbanks community. Meet Matthew Meares who started this venture as a family project with his two young s...

The ever evolving Plant Kingdom.  An established greenhouse under new hands, venturing in expansion and new directions but keeping the essence of the much loved greenhouse intact.  Its a place to find flowers, vegetables, perennials, shrubs along with joy, peace and tranquility, and soon coffee!   Stephanie Bluekens is a young dynamic entrepreneur who has jumped in with great enthusiasm and focus...

On this episode I speak with Mike Priebe, who started hay farming a few years ago and is passionate about addressing the food security issue in Alaska.  He is part of the conversation that will help other farmers, and supporting entities to share ideas, resources, knowledge so together everyone can succeed.  

Community Gardens are a place to garden, grow food, flowers and engage with other fellow gardeners. Community Gardeners grow food for their own needs, or to distribute to food banks, neighbors, families and to friends.  Its a place where gardeners come together to connect with the soil, people, find joy and peace.  On this episode we talk with Wendy Anderson who has managed the Fairbanks Community...

Managing, the oldest established Tanana Valley Farmers market in Alaska that showcases Alaska Grown produce and running his own farm, Goosefoot Farm, that focuses on diversified produce. Brad St. Pierre certainly has his hands full.  Can one person do it all?  Brad St. Pierre can and does so with passion, enthusiasm and good humor. Solving food security, supporting farmers and encouraging consumer...