However, the Associated Press noted recently that the soil in Alaska may not be the best suited for growing vegetables. Combining that with the state's remote location means that many goods have to be imported, including canned items brought in on barges or perishables that are flown in.
"One of the big things that we don't have is a tremendous amount of very old soils," Palmer community horticulture director Jodie Anderson told the news service. "Alaska on the geological time scale is pretty young."
In order to help encourage gardening in the state, the University of Alaska at Fairbanks recently received a $48,500 grant, which will be used to create special gardening beds that will combine local soils and other fertilizers.
Alaska is one of many states that are receiving grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in order to encourage sustainable farming techniques in the western half of the country.
The grants are being made available through the USDA's Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program, which has been operating since 1988.
