July 2025 Outlook
Note from Jodie
It’s July, and in Alaska that means peony season. Unlike most other places in the world, peonies start to bloom here in late June, making them a unique part of our arctic summer traditions. It's the time of year when I start seeing them everywhere I go – in farmers markets, local stores and even on a recent Zoom between Palmer and Fairbanks!
Did you know that the work of Dr. Pat Holloway at the Georgeson Botanical Garden helped launch the peony industry in Alaska? According to our own Heidi Rader, Alaska’s peony industry turned 25 this year, and Dr. Holloway continues her work today – in fact, I’ve heard she has a new research progress report that will be out very soon! Through her efforts, there are nearly 200 peony farmers in Alaska who are selling blooms all over the world, and that makes it the largest agricultural product exported from Alaska.
I know peonies aren’t food, but they are so many things important to our work. They are agriculture, workforce development and economic opportunity for Alaskans. It’s these things that keep us all grounded in the work we are doing. Our work is literally rooted in our commitment to our communities. Thank you for supporting the Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Extension.
Be well,
Jodie
Field Days are coming up soon!
Each summer, the UAF Experiment Farms invite the public to learn about the science that happens at the farm. Take a tour and learn from our researchers about soil health, small grains breeding, root maggots, vegetable variety trials and more. Come for an hour or all afternoon. Dress for the weather and be prepared to walk up to a mile. More information is on our Field Days webpage. We are looking forward to seeing you there!
Fairbanks Field Day: Fairbanks Experiment Farm, IJͼ Campus
Tuesday, July 29, 2-6 p.m.
Palmer Field Day: Matanuska Experiment Farm and Extension Center, Palmer
Thursday, July 31, 2-6 p.m.
Visit us at the Tanana Valley State Fair
The IJͼ Cooperative Extension Service and the have over a century of shared experience. George Gasser, agronomist for the Fairbanks
Experiment Station, helped found the fair, which launched in September 1924.
The Cooperative Extension and 4-H will continue their fair tradition in 2025 from July 25-Aug. 3, noon-10 p.m.
Look for the IJͼ Cooperative Extension Service booth in the Borealis Pavilion, which will have dozens of publications, giveaways and more. Chat with experts and get answers to your questions about gardening, food preservation, healthy homes, plant diseases and pests, energy education, AgrAbility and more. Enter a drawing for favorite books from the Cooperative Extension.
Throughout the fairgrounds, 4-H members will have flowers, vegetables, photography, crafts and other projects on display, as well as livestock in the Largen Barn and other facilities and horses in the stalls and arenas. The 4-H booth is located upstairs in the Totem Building with information about the program and project displays that members have worked on over the 4-H year.
Kernels of change with Jakir Hasan
— Laura Weingartner
Jakir Hasan, research assistant professor of plant genetics, works to develop improved
varieties of crops with a history of cultivation in the state, and to find new crop
types that can be commercially successful in Alaska's extreme environment. “We know
that it can be grown,” Hasan says, “but we need to know how to do it and what variety
will make farmers more profitable.”
Learn more about Hasan's research and the path he took to become a plant breeder.
Hasan grows multiple generations of grain in the AFES greenhouse each winter.
UAF researcher honored by World Food Prize Foundation
— Laura Weingartner
Magdi Elsayed, research assistant professor of weed science at the University of Alaska
Fairbanks Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Extension, has been recognized
by the World Food Prize Foundation as a 2025 Top Agri-food Pioneer.
The honor highlights his contributions to advancing sustainable agriculture, food systems and water use efficiency across Africa and the Middle East.
Is your apple tree hosting these caterpillars?
— Alex Wenninger, IPM technician
Do you have apple trees? Take a peek at them and see if you can find these apple leaf
skeletonizers on the leaves. The apple leaf skeletonizer is a yellowish-green caterpillar
with small, black speckles along its body. It produces silk, which it uses to fold
apple leaves, creating a protective shelter where it can feed on the leaf tissue.
The caterpillar feeds on the top layer of leaf tissue, leaving behind a see-through “skeleton” appearance to the leaf. This insect has been moved around quite a bit through the nursery trade; however, it is not a cause for concern at this time. Observed damage has been relatively minimal. Currently, very little is known about this insect in Alaska, and I am looking to expand our understanding of its distribution and impact on apples in Alaska.
If you see one, please take a photo and email the following information to akwenninger@alaska.edu:
- Location (either street address or GPS coordinates)
- Date observed
- Variety of apple, if known
- Please attach a photo of the caterpillar to your report.
Please note that we are interested in observations of this insect on apples. It is not to be confused with another similarly spotted insect called the gooseberry sawfly, which is found on currants and gooseberries.
Check out the IANRE calendars
Looking for informative workshops and events around the state? You can keep up-to-date with what’s happening on the IANRE online calendar. Scroll to the bottom of the page and check out what's happening statewide.
In the News
- Sitka Raven Radio KCAW has a July story about the Sitka 4-H ocean science project:
- Alex Wenninger talked to Alaska's News Source about garden pests in its July 15 story:
- Alaska Public Media interviewed Gino Graziano for its July 17 story on bird vetch:
- Leslie Shallcross's July 15 column in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner:
- Heidi Rader's June 29 gardening column in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner:
- Reina Hasting's June 29 column in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner:
- Read about the Alaska Lumber Grading program in the June 29 Fairbanks Daily News-Miner:
(Note, if you don't subscribe to the News-Miner, you can read Extension columns on the )