Long-Sought Alaska Grain Reserve Launches
Bryan Scoresby, director of the Alaska Division of Agriculture, and Zach Knight, Alaska Farmers Cooperative manager, sign documents related to the Alaska Feed Grain Reserve Program at the Alaska Food and Farm Festival in November.
Alaska Department of Natural Resources
The State of Alaska is investing $1 million for an Alaska Feed Grain Reserve Program to improve food and animal feed security for Alaskans. The Division of Agriculture partnered with the Alaska Farmers Cooperative located in Delta Junction on the program to purchase feed grains grown in Alaska, by Alaskan farmers, to be stored, sold, and replenished in perpetuity.
Long-Identified Need
“When I announced forming a Feed Grain Reserve Program last year, we collectively took another step towards my administration’s goal of food security for Alaskans,” says Governor Mike Dunleavy. “This partnership between the State of Alaska, Alaska Farmers Cooperative, and others in the agriculture industry to support reliable Alaskan Grown livestock feed in turn ensures Alaskan families have a consistent source of healthy, local food on their tables.”
Last year, Alaska feed grain was in short supply, requiring livestock producers to import grain and incurring devastating transportation costs. At the time, the division implemented two short-term programs—the Alaska Feed Cost Assistance program and the Barley Transport program—to offset the costs of transportation to limit animal farmers from having to cull their herds. The Feed Grain Reserve Program will be a sustainable solution for future shortages, mitigating risk and growing food security for our livestock industry, and by extension, Alaskans.
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April 2024
“The agricultural community in Alaska has long identified the need for a Feed Grain Reserve Program as a hedge against poor growing years,” says Bryan Scoresby, director of the Alaska Division of Agriculture. “As far back as 1982, the legislature recognized this issue and began discussions on how to finance and execute a grain reserve. The importance of food security has become starkly apparent amidst the hardships of the last few years, and as a result the Division of Agriculture believes there has never been a better time to bring that vision to fruition.”
Scoresby recently presented Alaska Farmers Cooperative Manager Zach Knight with a $1 million ceremonial check at the November 10 Alaska Food and Farm Festival to celebrate the official launch of the program.
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