Classes & Seminars
Seminars and classes, offered by experts on a wide variety of fascinating topics are happening all weekend at the Alaska Farm & Garden Show. Show admission is $10 for adults, but there is no additional charge for seminars. Simply keep your ticket stub if you wish to attend multiple seminars throughout the weekend.
Last year’s seminars proved to be very popular. The high demand caught us off guard, and we were a bit short on space. We heard you, and this year we are adding plenty of additional seating. We still recommend coming a little early to register and make sure you have a seat.
Saturday Seminars
January 31
11:00
Incubating and Hatching Poultry
Presented by: Robert Betterton
We will present an accessible guide designed to welcome poultry enthusiasts of all experience levels. We will introduce the fascinating process of hatching chicks using modern incubators, outlining the incubation best practices, essentials of egg care, troubleshooting tips, and chick care to help anyone achieve hatching success. Making incubation enjoyable, reliable, and easy to understand for everyone. This seminar, taught by Robert Betterton, and sponsored by Alaska Farm Supply, discusses the do’s and don’ts of hatching your own poultry and how to get high hatching rates.
12:00
Sustainable Beekeeping in Alaska
Presented by: Tim Huffman
Tim Huffman, owner of Alaska Backyard Beekeeping, practices and promotes sustainable beekeeping using existing colonies to make new colonies and locally mated queens. He consistently overwinters 80% of his colonies and hasn’t purchased new bees in 5 years. He will teach you how to raise happy, healthy bees and how to help them thrive through the Alaska winter.
1:00
Micro Homesteading
Presented by: Chris Johnson
Learn about micro homesteading: a small-scale sustainable lifestyle to create self sufficiency. The focus will be on raising livestock in Alaska on the micro homestead, including cows, goats, and chickens. There will be discussions on the cost benefit ratio, and things to be aware of when starting this venture!
2:00
Flour Milling and Grains
Presented by: Margaret Loew
Learn all the advantages of milling your own flour, bursting with nutrition and flavor! This seminar, presented by Wholy Living, dives into various grain groups, discuss sprouted grains, and gluten free alternatives. Taste the difference! Sign up for bread classes with Margaret and learn to transform one batch of bread dough into 3 loaves, a dozen dinner rolls, and 2 pizza crusts with approximately $10 worth of basic ingredients. You will be astonished how easily you can create nutrient dense foods by milling your own flour!
3:00
Hay Nutrition
Presented by: Bob Robinson
Presented by Eckenberg Farms and sponsored by Alaska Farm Supply, you’ll learn what to look for and what the industry does not want you to know. One of North America’s top hay growers and producers will inform you of the most important factors to be aware of.
4:00
Raising Chicks
Presented by: Don Dyer
Temperature, space, sanitation, safety, food, water, and more – all are important considerations if you plan on raising chickens. Polaris Hatchery will teach you everything you need to know about the do’s and don’ts of raising happy, healthy birds.
5:00
Alaska Farm Bureau
Presented by: Ken Hoffman
The Alaska Farm Bureau’s mission is to improve the economic well-being and expansion of agriculture and to enrich the quality of life for all Alaskans. Learn everything about what the Alaska Farm Bureau has to offer!
Sunday Seminars
February 1
11:00
Alaska Livestock Nutrition
Presented by: Moritz Boettger and Terry Frieson
Terry Friesen explores the vital intersection between modern animal feeds and today’s livestock husbandry practices, offering clear insight into how nutrition drives performance. He will highlight the types of feeds that deliver the best results, including preferred textures and formulations, while also examining the rapid progression of alternative nutrition and its impact on animal health, productivity, and overall well-being. Moritz Boettger delves into the critical role micronutrients play in the precision of today’s animal diets, highlighting how targeted nutrition drives healthier, more efficient livestock. He will break down the importance of vitamins and minerals while showcasing emerging feed innovations that are reshaping the future of animal nutrition and performance. Sponsored by Alaska Farm Supply
12:00
Hog Nutrition
Presented by: Rayne Reynolds
Everything you need to know about raising big hogs in Alaska, taught by Rayne Reynolds, Alaska’s premier hog expert!
2:00
Raising Meat Birds
Presented by: Don Dyer
Temperature, space, sanitation, safety, food, water, and more – all important considerations if you plan on raising poultry for food. In this seminar, presented by Polaris Poultry, you will learn everything you need to know about the do’s and don’ts of raising and processing meat birds.
3:00
Processing Meat Birds and Turkeys
Presented by: Don Dyer
From the experts at Polaris Poultry, you will learn all the tips and tricks of butchering, plucking, slicing, dicing, and properly preparing you meat birds.
3:00
Growing Fruit Trees in Alaska
Presented by: Dan Moore
Fire Apple Orchards was started in 2000 to provide an opportunity for the Moore family and the public to harvest fresh fruit in Alaska. They are the local experts, growing apples, cherries, plums, pears, and a variety of berries. They also supply hardy fruit trees and bushes to their customers, and they share their knowledge with others to enable them to plant fruit trees and harvest their own fruit. To this end, we experiment with multiple varieties of fruit to find ones that are compatible with our climate. At this seminar, you will learn all about growing, grafting, and nurturing fresh fruit in Alaska!
4:00
Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started Gardening
Presented by: Deb & Ken Blaylock
Why try to reinvent the wheel? Local master gardeners Deb and Ken Blaylock share their expertise to help you nurture a happy and healthy garden!