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Digging deep into community gardens and fruit growing | Hometown, Alaska

Map of community garden
Anchorage Parks and Recreation
Plot layout of the Chanshtnu community gardens.

Our great state of Alaska encompasses eight hardiness zones and Anchorage is ranked 9th in the US for cities with the greatest number of community garden spaces. On this episode of Hometown, Alaska we hear from two guests excited about the upcoming Alaska summer growing season. The first half of the show is all about Anchorage's community gardens. The second half of the show discusses the Alaska Pioneer Fruit Growers Association and their long-time efforts to share fruit growing knowledge.

HOST: Kim Sherry

GUESTS:
Blake Sauer, Community Garden Programmer for the Municipality of Anchorage
Mark Wolbers, President of the Alaska Pioneer Fruit Growers Association

LINKS:
Anchorage Community Gardens
Community Gardens Resources
Alaska Pioneer Fruit Growers Association

Kim Sherry is a 4th generation Alaskan, who grew up in the small town of King Salmon. You may recognize her from the 3rd season of ‘The Great American Recipe’ on PBS as the first contestant ever coming from Alaska! Kim is an artist who currently specializes in pet portraits, but has also written and illustrated 2 children’s books and owned a clothing business in Anchorage. Coming from a family of subsistence hunters and fishers, Kim is an avid gardener who has always had an appreciation for the outdoors and a reverence for the wildlife that sustained their community.
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