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Products grown or raised in Alaska are allowed to carry the state's Alaska Grown label. That means the foods were not imported from another country, or brought in from another state. They were raised right here in Alaska.
Why is that important? Only a very small percent of Alaska's food is grown in Alaska. The highest percentages of homegrown products include potatoes, some other vegetables, dairy products and meat. The rest of the food consumed by Alaskans is brought in from other states and countries. Alaskans called the Lower 48 or Continental United States "Outside." Perhaps they do that because Alaska (and Hawaii) is so far from the Lower 48 states. It is 1,414 miles from Anchorage to Seattle, "as the crow flies." That is about as far as from Chicago, Illinois, to Phoenix, Arizona. Even Ketchikan, the southernmost city in Alaska, is 600 miles from Bellingham, Washington. From Barrow, Alaska, to Tampa, Florida, it is more than 4,000 miles. That's a long way for orange juice to travel, even with the faster means of transportation available today.
Buying Alaska Grown doesn't just mean fresher foods, it can also mean foods grown with fewer pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals. Because there are fewer diseases and crop pests in Alaska, many farmers use fewer chemicals. Some other countries buy Alaska Grown products specifically because of this benefit.
But there is another great reason to buy Alaska Grown. It helps Alaska farmers, ranchers and food processors, and Alaska's economy. Agriculture is the sixth-ranked industry in Alaska, behind oil, tourism, fishing, timber and mining. Though the nearly $53 million in total agricultural receipts in 2004 sounds small compared to other states, it is still important.
And it is important to keep a local food supply. It's good eating and good for Alaska. So look for the Alaska Grown label. It is the pride of Alaska's agricultural producers.
To try some Alaska Grown Products, go to Alaska Food & Farm Product Directory. |
ALASKA GROWN 
