Joe Sykes, KFSK - Petersburg

Buying fresh dairy produce in Southeast Alaska isn’t easy. The rugged, mountainous landscape doesn’t lend itself well to farming. Now a farming couple in Petersburg are trying to change the way people consume milk in town. For the past year they’ve been selling raw milk processed by their own herd of dairy goats. But, producing – and selling – dairy products in Southeast Alaska comes with a unique set of challenges. Download Audio

Southeast Alaska is a summer haven for whale researchers. However, limited resources means they can only study a handful of whales at a time. Scientists are now calling on citizens with Android smartphones to aid their cause.

At Farragut Farm, Bo Varsano and Marja Smets live off the grid, 4 hours by slow boat from Petersburg. It’s a good life but it’s hard to make money especially when there is only one market to sell too in the summer and it’s only once every two weeks. So they’re moving into another type of business that seems to be taking off in Alaska right now. Nope….not marijuana. Gourmet garlic. Download Audio:

There aren’t any specialist ballet stores in Southeast Alaska. That means it’s hard for young ballerinas to find the right fitting shoes.

Southeast’s Dungeness summer crab season ended on Saturday. There aren’t any preliminary numbers yet but it’s looking as if this year hasn’t got close to the bumper season crab fishermen had last summer. Download Audio

Most people in Petersburg don’t give much thought to the handful of houses which sit on the other shore of the Wrangell Narrows. But to the people who live there it’s a place they are proud to call home. Download Audio

Whale researchers in Southeast Alaska have broken the record for the longest re-sighting of a humpback whale. Forty-four years ago, the first sighting of a humpback known as Old Timer coincided with both the end of commercial whaling and the establishment of the Endangered Species Act. Download Audio

Whale researchers in Southeast Alaska have broken the record for the longest re-sighting of a humpback whale. Forty-four years ago, the first sighting of a humpback known as Old Timer coincided with both the end of commercial whaling and the establishment of the Endangered Species Act. Download Audio

For most of the summer the three people who live in Five Finger Lighthouse only have each other and the local wildlife for company. They’re there to look after the lighthouse and do research on the humpback whales who surround the island. But that costs money. So for the first time this year they invited a cruise ship, laden with yoga loving tourists, to ferry its passengers onto their rocky shores. Download Audio

Budget cuts to state troopers are taking place all over Alaska. But in small Southeast communities, like Petersburg, it’s a double whammy. That’s because community jails are also taking a hit. And the two are inextricably linked. Download Audio