The Kenai Peninsula District area includes 21 myriad communities with a total population of just over 60,000. The district serves communities from across Cook Inlet in Tyonek and throughout the peninsula, which is just south of Anchorage. Larger communities include Kenai, Soldotna, Homer and Seward.
Many of the communities are accessible by road, but others can only be reached by air or boat. Oil, tourism and fisheries drive the economy, and the Kenai Peninsula is also the fastest-growing agricultural region in Alaska, with the number of farms increasing at almost three times the rate of the rest of the state.
Outreach includes agriculture and horticulture; home, health and family development; integrated pest management; nutrition; and 4-H and youth development.
Soil Testing and Interpretation
Visit our soil testing page for all the information you need to test your soil and interpret how much fertilizer you need (plus free online calculators).
Spruce Bark Beetles: What you need to know
Spruce Bark Beetles are making an impact on spruce trees across the Kenai Peninsula. Visit the Alaska Spruce Beetle website then type "bark beetle" in the search box in order to:
- learn what bark beetles are and how they damage trees.
- learn bark beetle groups in Alaska.
- learn signs and symptoms of bark beetle activity.
- learn potential bark beetle threats to Alaska.
- become familiar with the vocabulary of bark beetles.
For even more information, view this Spruce Beetle publication.
Upcoming events
Events
Mar 10
UAF online/virtual event, Contact organizer
Monday, March 9, 2026, 5:30 – 7pm
Preserve last year's berry and fruit harvests for the pantry shelf, and free up some freezer space for this year! In this class, UAF Extension Professor Sarah Lewis will teach water bath canning skills for people of all experience levels, with a focus on frozen berries and fruits, offering creative canning recipes. The cost is $12.
For more information and to register, visit https://bit.ly/SpringKitchenSeries. The Zoom link will be emailed upon successful registration.
Upcoming classes:
March 16: Make Room in the Freezer, Part 2: Pressure Canning Frozen Fish and Game 5:30-7 p.m.
Contact Sarah Lewis at 907-455-2010 or email sarah.lewis@alaska.edu.
Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made five business days in advance to Alda Norris at amnorris2@alaska.edu or 907-474-7120. Language access services, such as interpretation or translation of vital information, will be provided free of charge to individuals with limited English proficiency upon request to amnorris2@alaska.edu.
This work is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Categories: Public events calendar - Fairbanks, Cooperative Extension calendar, Anchorage CES calendar, Bethel CES calendar, Bristol Bay/Dillingham CES calendar, Delta Junction CES calendar, Southeast CES calendar, Kenai/Soldotna CES calendar, Kodiak CES calendar, Mat-Su/Copper River CES calendar, Northwest/Nome CES calendar, Sitka CES calendar, Fairbanks/Tanana CES calendar, Tribes CES calendar
Could this event have 200 or more attendees? There are campus considerations for large events.: FALSE
Mar 17
UAF online/virtual event, Contact organizer
Monday, March 16, 2026, 5:30 – 7pm
Get ready for the coming harvest seasons by clearing last year's fish and meat out of your freezer. In this Zoom class, UAF Extension Professor Sarah Lewis will teach participants how to safely and efficiently process meat and fish in jars, using a pressure canner, for your pantry shelves. The cost is $12.
For more information and to register, visit https://bit.ly/SpringKitchenSeries. The Zoom link will be emailed upon successful registration.
Contact Sarah Lewis at 907-455-2010 or email sarah.lewis@alaska.edu.
Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made five business days in advance to Alda Norris at amnorris2@alaska.edu or 907-474-7120. Language access services, such as interpretation or translation of vital information, will be provided free of charge to individuals with limited English proficiency upon request to amnorris2@alaska.edu.
This work is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Categories: Public events calendar - Fairbanks, Cooperative Extension calendar, Anchorage CES calendar, Bethel CES calendar, Bristol Bay/Dillingham CES calendar, Delta Junction CES calendar, Southeast CES calendar, Kenai/Soldotna CES calendar, Kodiak CES calendar, Mat-Su/Copper River CES calendar, Northwest/Nome CES calendar, Tribes CES calendar
Could this event have 200 or more attendees? There are campus considerations for large events.: FALSE
Mar 18
UAF online/virtual event, Matanuska Experiment Farm & Extension Center Kerttula Hall 206
Wednesday, March 18, 2026, 12 – 1pm
Raising chickens in the backyard is a fun hobby and a great way to improve your food security in Alaska. This class will teach you everything you need to get started with your own flock. We'll cover breed selection, egg incubation, nutrition, coop design, disease management, and cold-weather tips.
This free class will be held in person at the UAF Matanuska Experiment Farm and Extension Center, 1509 S. Georgeson Drive, Palmer, as well as via Zoom. Please use this link to register or visit https://bit.ly/MatSuChicken101 for either option.
For more information, contact the Matanuska Experiment Farm front desk at 907-745-3360.
Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made five business days in advance to Alda Norris at amnorris2@alaska.edu or 907-474-7120. Language access services, such as interpretation or translation of vital information, will be provided free of charge to individuals with limited English proficiency upon request to amnorris2@alaska.edu.
This work is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
Categories: Public events calendar - Fairbanks, Cooperative Extension calendar, Anchorage CES calendar, Bethel CES calendar, Bristol Bay/Dillingham CES calendar, Delta Junction CES calendar, Southeast CES calendar, Kenai/Soldotna CES calendar, Kodiak CES calendar, Mat-Su/Copper River CES calendar, Northwest/Nome CES calendar, Sitka CES calendar, Fairbanks/Tanana CES calendar, Tribes CES calendar
Could this event have 200 or more attendees? There are campus considerations for large events.: FALSE
Events
Monday - Thur., 9 am - 2 pm
Phone: 907-262-5824
Email: soldotna.ces@alaska.edu
