Advocacy

Current Issues

The Matanuska Experiment Farm is under threat of development as a gravel pit. Protection of this key land is a priority project for AFTC.
The UAF Matanuska Experiment Farm and Extension Center is the cornerstone of the Matanuska Colony project which established agriculture as a viable enterprise in south-central Alaska. As a working farm, the UAF Matanuska Experiment Farm and Extension Center has been a working farm, supporting statewide and local agriculture, and providing state-of-the-art research to farmers and consumers for over 100 years. 
Currently the University of Alaska Board of Regents is evaluating the economic potential for gravel extraction on the farm property. Gravel extraction on the farm would permanently destroy the agricultural value of the soils as well as eliminate any future agricultural research on the property. As a community treasure and critical agricultural partner the AFTC board joins other community organizations in urging the Alaska Board of Regents to reconsider gravel extraction on this invaluable community resource.