Real food. Real people. No strings attached.
America keeps spending money helping farmers and processors navigate obstacles while admitting some of those obstacles may not need to exist. Before we fund another workaround, maybe we should remove the barrier.
America hasn’t forgotten how to grow food. But somewhere between the farm and the dinner table, we built a system that makes feeding people harder than it needs to be. From food waste and shrinking cattle herds to veterinary shortages and processing barriers, it’s time to ask whether American agriculture still serves its most basic purpose: feeding people.
In Alaska, sourcing hay for livestock is a complex challenge involving shipping logistics and high costs, often surpassing the price of the hay itself. This situation highlights broader food security issues, as local farmers must navigate supply chain vulnerabilities. Collaborative purchasing can alleviate some costs while ensuring access to essential feed for livestock, ultimately supporting community food production.
I almost didn't write this post. Not because I don't have anything to say. I always have something to say. But because putting this winter into words means sitting with it long enough to find them — and honestly, I've been too busy surviving it to do much reflecting. It's May now. I'm only just... Continue Reading →
Here it is: We Feed People Because No One Should Be Hungry. Now Let's Talk About What That Actually Costs. That's the tagline on the letterhead of my regional food bank. "We feed people because no one should be hungry." It's a good line. The kind of line that makes people feel good about dropping... Continue Reading →
December 28, 2025 It's been a full December. We welcomed Napoleon this week. A tiny bottle baby kid who made the journey down from the Matsu Valley and has already decided he owns the place. He's loud, he's dramatic, and he fits right in. While Napoleon was busy announcing his arrival to anyone who would... Continue Reading →
People think they know what hunger looks like. They picture a child in a foreign country. A photograph. Big eyes and a distended belly and a fly on the cheek. Something far away and dramatic and safely not here. They don't picture a senior in Nikiski who hasn't had real protein in three weeks because... Continue Reading →
People see the farm and think they understand what it takes. They think about the physical work, the feeding, the mucking, the hauling, the endless list of things that need doing regardless of what your body is doing that day. They think about the money, the feed bills, the vet costs, the infrastructure that always... Continue Reading →
Some days, joy is just brisket, sunlight, and the quiet promise of something long overdue. Some days, joy is just brisket, sunlight, and the quiet promise of something long overdue. Yesterday was a good day. Brisket with Dad. Hot sun. Animals all around me. That’s it—that was enough. I've got too many irons in the... Continue Reading →
(I forgot to post this last week.) Yesterday morning, while making the usual rounds at feeding time, I heard something unexpected: extra cheeping near the Muscovy brooder. Now, I’ve known for a while that one of the hens had been sneaking off to lay somewhere in that area. I just could never seem to find... Continue Reading →