News
Currants, once banned, are having a revival
August 01, 2025
Currants were banned in the United States for 55 years, but are now an emerging berry crop around the country, including Alaska. Join Lily Hislop, the currant and elderberry breeder for the Savanna Institute, in a free webinar as she explains why currants were banned, how that ban was lifted and the berries' future.
Webinar covers the basic methods of food preservation
July 28, 2025
Get the most out of the food you have grown, harvested or bought during a free one-hour overview of food preservation methods. Attendees will learn how to extend the life of their food using a variety of preservation methods, including refrigeration, root cellars, pickling, fermenting, making jams and jellies, dehydrating, boiling water canning and pressure canning.
Learn about mushrooms with an expert on Anchorage walk
July 23, 2025
Take a walk with mycologist Christin Swearingen to learn about mushrooms in Southcentral Alaska. In this event, sponsored by the °Ä²Êͼ¿â Cooperative Extension Service, participants will collect, identify and learn about mushrooms.
Six communities to host Alaska Lumber Grading program trainings
July 22, 2025
Training sessions will be held in six Alaska communities for individuals who wish to earn certification from the Alaska Lumber Grading program. The free program aims to expand Alaskans' ability to use locally harvested lumber for homebuilding. The certificate allows individuals to self-grade dimension lumber, which can then be used to build house frames in compliance with residential building codes.
Discover which plants Alaska pollinators prefer in webinar
July 17, 2025
While flowers like bird vetch and white sweetclover may be pretty, they are invasive and their spread can be harmful to pollinators, according to an entomologist with the °Ä²Êͼ¿â Cooperative Extension Service.
Webinar to show how plants can reduce stress, improve well-being
July 10, 2025
Join Stacey Shriner, education director with the Alaska Botanical Garden, to learn more about therapeutic horticulture and how plants can help individuals meet their social, physical and mental health goals. The free, statewide webinar is hosted by the °Ä²Êͼ¿â Cooperative Extension Service.
Learn about the health benefits of Alaska berries
June 25, 2025
Registered dietitian and °Ä²Êͼ¿â Cooperative Extension Service agent Leslie Shallcross will discuss the potential health benefits of eating Alaska's berries in a free statewide webinar.
Sitka workshops cover homemade food rules, canning and food preservation
June 24, 2025
Join a series of workshops in Sitka to learn about the updated rules for selling homemade foods, how to preserve vegetables by making and canning soups and pickles, and food preservation safety.
Beneficial insects can help control garden pests
June 17, 2025
Not all insects are garden pests. In a free statewide webinar, learn which insects are natural enemies of pest bugs and therefore good friends for gardeners to cultivate. Joey Slowik, integrated pest management technician at the °Ä²Êͼ¿â Cooperative Extension Service in Palmer, will discuss potential insect friends, what they want and some ways to encourage them in your garden.
Workshops to cover vegetable storage, greenhouse energy, accessibility
June 16, 2025
°Ä²Êͼ¿â Cooperative Extension Service agent and energy specialist Art Nash will guide a series of free workshops this month in Parks Highway communities on ways to keep produce fresh longer, commercial and residential energy options for greenhouses, and accessibility for farmers and gardeners with disabilities.