What's for Dinner? Why we Eat What we Eat in Alaska and What it Means for our Health
Do you know that 95% of the food eaten in Alaska doesn’t even come from here? Or that
city grocery store shelves would empty in about 3 days if food shipments stopped?
Are you aware that one of the biggest challenges to agriculture in Alaska is the number
of farmers, not the climate? Do you realize that 10 of the top 25 fastest growing
industries in the US have to do with growing and selling food? Or that most Alaskans
agree that they would like to eat more healthy, local food if they could?
Knowing how to grow food, eat smart, and share the information with others is in an
invaluable skill set for so many reasons -- it can complement Traditional diets, expand
access to healthy foods, promote good health through nutrition and activity, provide jobs and entrepreneurship opportunities, strengthen communities, and be
fun! As a student in the “What’s for Dinner? Why We Eat What We Eat in Alaska and
What it Means for Our Health” module, you will gain hands-on experience in how to
grow food, conduct research, influence food policy, and design healthy diets; learn
about agriculture, food, and nutrition science and career opportunities; explore activity levels of the hunter/gatherer lifestyle in a cutting edge lab; and conduct research projects of your own. Join us to work in teams with your peers,
shadow experts, and make connections between science and everyday choices that influence
the health of your community! Let’s eat!
Hi, I’m Heidi Rader and I’m the Tribes Extension Educator for Interior Alaska. I travel to the villages in this region, many of which are not on the road system, and teach workshops to help people be healthier and more self-reliant. I’ve taught workshops on everything from canning moose to starting seeds to cooking with fresh produce and herbs. I also oversee a research project at the Georgeson Botanical Garden to figure out which vegetable varieties grow best. We’ve tested beets, carrots, corn, watermelon, celery, Brussels Sprouts, and beans. I’m excited to share with you what I know about eating well in Alaska, preserving food, and growing food. I love to grow things, gather wild foods and pick berries as well as anything that’s outdoors.
Hello! My name is Liz Snyder, and I work as a professor in the field of public health at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA). Here, I teach classes and lead projects on the topics of food & health, designing research studies, water & sanitation, and how the world around us affects our health (environmental health). I also serve on the board of the Alaska Food Policy Council (AFPC), where we work with communities and political leaders to develop projects and policies that strengthen our food systems. On the home front, I am mom to two little boys who love to help me in the garden, where we grow a wide variety of fruits and vegetables -- and raise chickens and ducks.
Hello! My name is Liz Snyder, and I work as a professor in the field of public health at the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA). Here, I teach classes and lead projects on the topics of food & health, designing research studies, water & sanitation, and how the world around us affects our health (environmental health). I also serve on the board of the Alaska Food Policy Council (AFPC), where we work with communities and political leaders to develop projects and policies that strengthen our food systems. On the home front, I am mom to two little boys who love to help me in the garden, where we grow a wide variety of fruits and vegetables -- and raise chickens and ducks.
This project was supported by the Women and Minorities in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Fields Program (WAMS) of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA Grant # 2018-38503-28693. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author (s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.