Extension Blog
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Growing raspberries in Alaska: What you need to know
July 21, 2024
By Heidi Rader Most gardeners I know tend to be fairly haphazard with their raspberry patches, myself included. This laxity works because raspberries tend to spread on their own (much more than you might want in some cases) and come back year after year without too much effort. However, with some forethought to the soil, … Continue reading Growing raspberries in Alaska: What you need to know
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Media literacy is a vital skill in today’s misleading world
July 14, 2024
By Reina Hasting As it has been smoky in Fairbanks, I have been glancing more at social media on my smartphone. Seeing so much information being re-shared made me think of writing about media literacy. What is media literacy? According to the National Association for Media Literacy Education, media literacy is “the ability to access, … Continue reading Media literacy is a vital skill in today’s misleading world
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Radon isn’t just a winter concern
July 01, 2024
By Art Nash I recently spoke with someone who was helping build a house and wanted to know about testing for radon. In Alaska, hearing this question in June is unusual, as we usually think about testing for radon in the winter months. He lives in a state where many communities have a strong awareness … Continue reading Radon isn’t just a winter concern
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Container gardens are ideal for small spaces
June 16, 2024
By Adrian Korht Memorial Day has come and gone, so it is time to garden in Fairbanks. For those with yards, it is time to get the soil ready and plant seeds or buy seedlings. Many individuals have tiny or no yards, but anyone can garden. You can grow food on the patio, balcony or … Continue reading Container gardens are ideal for small spaces
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State 4-H horse contest a big success for Tanana Valley youth
June 02, 2024
By Marla Lowder In April, 12 Fairbanks area youth traveled to Palmer to participate in the 2024 State 4-H Horse Contest. The contest consists of horse judging, horse bowl (a quiz contest), demonstrations, public speaking and hippology (the study of horses). The contest started at Silver Legacy Stables, where the youth judged two horse quality/conformation … Continue reading State 4-H horse contest a big success for Tanana Valley youth
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Decisions, decisions: How to decide what to grow this season
May 26, 2024
By Heidi Rader It’s not hard to dream about what you will plant in your garden when the seed catalogs start arriving, or you go to the greenhouse and see the luscious vegetables and gorgeous flowers. However, an overcrowded garden will be less bounteous and beautiful than a thoughtfully planned garden with adequately spaced plants. … Continue reading Decisions, decisions: How to decide what to grow this season
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It’s never too late to exercise, especially for older Alaskans
May 20, 2024
By Leslie Shallcross First celebrated in May 1963, Older Americans Month draws attention to the ways that older individuals have contributed to our communities and the needs and services required to support older individuals. This awareness could not be more important than in Alaska, which claims the nation’s top spot with the per capita, fastest-growing … Continue reading It’s never too late to exercise, especially for older Alaskans
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Adventures in preseason seed starting
May 12, 2024
By Heidi Rader Embarrassingly, given my job title, I’m terrible at starting seeds indoors. I blame it partially on my travel schedule and not being able to give the little seedlings the love and attention they deserve. It could also be because I have not been willing to buy the proper setup to start seeds. … Continue reading Adventures in preseason seed starting
Citizen science offers lessons in understanding green-up
May 08, 2024
By Julie Stricker Interior Alaska’s long winters are the impetus for a lot of long-running citizen science. Most famous is the event cooked up in 1917 by a bunch of railroad engineers who bet on the exact minute the ice on the Tanana River would break up. That first of what became the Nenana Ice … Continue reading Citizen science offers lessons in understanding green-up
Celebrate Earth Day by making healthy choices
April 21, 2024
By Reina Hasting Earth Day is tomorrow. According to the Library of Congress, it was first observed on April 22, 1970, when an estimated 20 million people nationwide attended the inaugural events at tens of thousands of sites including elementary and secondary schools, universities, and community sites across the United States. Later that year in … Continue reading Celebrate Earth Day by making healthy choices