Today I am in Palmer, Alaska visiting my grandmother. Palmer is approximately 40 minutes north of Anchorage in South Central, Alaska and sits in the Matanuska Valley region, Alaska's agricultural center. Palmer was settled as a railroad station town in 1916 as part of the Alaska Railroad system. In the beginning, it was just a small stop on the way to larger, more settled coal mining towns to the north.
In the early 1950's, my grandmother and my (late) grandfather moved to Palmer from Minnesota. My grandfather was a plant pathologist and moved to Alaska to help the local farmers grow produce in the harsh climate of the Alaskan frontier.
These are some pictures of the property my grandparents have lived on for most of their lives in Alaska. The first picture is of the Chugach mountain range, a unique range that runs from the southern coast of Alaska and, packed with glaciers, heads towards the Kenai Peninsula. There are also some photos showing the beautiful birch forest here (that smell like the little, red high-bush cranberries that punctuate the forrest) and the old Matanuska Farm sign and market location.
The final picture is a photo of me kneeling infront of a crab apple tree that was planted on my sixth birthday, making it twenty years old this June. The area I am kneeling in was once my grandfathers crop field. Up until as recent as my late childhood, this was filled with rows and rows of peas, potatoes, cabbage and the likes. Talk about slow foods.
I love interior Alaska and I wanted to share this with you all.
Best, JAKE!
In the early 1950's, my grandmother and my (late) grandfather moved to Palmer from Minnesota. My grandfather was a plant pathologist and moved to Alaska to help the local farmers grow produce in the harsh climate of the Alaskan frontier.
These are some pictures of the property my grandparents have lived on for most of their lives in Alaska. The first picture is of the Chugach mountain range, a unique range that runs from the southern coast of Alaska and, packed with glaciers, heads towards the Kenai Peninsula. There are also some photos showing the beautiful birch forest here (that smell like the little, red high-bush cranberries that punctuate the forrest) and the old Matanuska Farm sign and market location.
The final picture is a photo of me kneeling infront of a crab apple tree that was planted on my sixth birthday, making it twenty years old this June. The area I am kneeling in was once my grandfathers crop field. Up until as recent as my late childhood, this was filled with rows and rows of peas, potatoes, cabbage and the likes. Talk about slow foods.
I love interior Alaska and I wanted to share this with you all.
Best, JAKE!
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