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
Feb 21
UAF online/virtual event
Friday, February 20, 2026, 3 – 5pm
Registration is open for a new Alaska master gardener course, which will be taught over Zoom.
Casey Matney and Darren Snyder, agriculture and horticulture agents with the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service, will lead the course. It provides a broad horticultural background and includes Alaska-specific lessons on botany, soils, vegetable production using organic and conventional techniques, integrated pest management, greenhouses, lawns, houseplants, trees and shrubs, flowers and invasive plants.
Alaska master gardeners are credentialed by the UAF Cooperative Extension Service and are located in communities throughout the state. The prerequisites for becoming a master gardener include familiarity with Alaska gardening conditions and a commitment to 40 hours of volunteer time. Classes will be Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3-5 p.m. from Dec. 2 to Feb. 27, 2026, with a break for the holidays. The cost is $250, which includes a copy of "Alaska's Sustainable Gardening Handbook." Registrants will receive a recording of each class.
Register at https://bit.ly/OnlineMasterGarden before Nov. 21, 2025.
For more information, contact Casey Matney, camatney@alaska.edu, 907-262-3443, or visit the UAF master gardener webpage.
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
Feb 21
Contact organizer
Saturday, February 21, 2026, 8am – 5pm
Level 1 Rifle Instructor Training for Alaska 4-H Shooting Sports will be held in Sitka with instructor Velma Vining.
Requirements:
* Must be a registered 4-H leader and 21 years or older
* Complete online introduction to the National 4-H Shooting Sports rifle program prior to the Sitka workshop. Cost: $20. https://4-hshootingsportscollege.com
* One day of training in Sitka with instructor Velma Vining at Sitka Sportsman Association, 5211 Halibut Point Road
All materials included. Sign up at https://4h.zsuite.org. Vining is based in Kodiak and is a member of the Alaska 4-H Shooting Sports Training Team. She is a 4-H volunteer who mentors youth in archery, pistol, rifle and shotgun shooting sports.
For more information, contact Jasmine Shaw at jdshaw2@alaska.edu, 907-747-9440.
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, Statewide 4-H calendar, Anchorage 4-H calendar, Bethel 4-H calendar, Bristol Bay/Dillingham 4-H calendar, Delta Junction 4-H calendar, Fairbanks/Tanana 4-H calendar, Kenai Peninsula 4-H calendar, Kodiak 4-H calendar, Mat-Su/Copper River 4-H calendar, Nome 4-H calendar, Sitka 4-H calendar, Southeast 4-H calendar
Could this event have 200 or more attendees? There are campus considerations for large events.: FALSE
Feb 24
UAF online/virtual event, Contact organizer
Monday, February 23, 2026, 5:30 – 7pm
It is time to get your muscles and bones ready for the busy summer months. Whether you spend your summer on land, on water, in the forest, on the water, or in the garden, Alaska summers are an active time. In this class, UAF Extension Professor Sarah Lewis will introduce simple exercises you can do at home to get yourself ready for the fun! $12
For more information and to register, visit https://bit.ly/SpringKitchenSeries. The Zoom link will be emailed upon successful registration.
This is one of a series of Spring Kitchen classes. Upcoming classes:
March 9: Make Room in the Freezer, Part 1: Water bath Canning Frozen Berries & Fruit; 5:30-7 p.m.
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
Events
Monday - Thur., 9 am - 2 pm
Phone: 907-262-5824
Email: soldotna.ces@alaska.edu
