Mat-Su Health Foundation Coronavirus Prevention and Response Grant - Alaska Tilth Program

Geographic Scope: Matanuska-Susitna (Mat-Su) Valley, Alaska

Project Title: "Funding Our Farmers, Feeding Our Families – Expanding Alaska Tilth"

Focus Areas:

• Food security
• Local food production
• Support for local farmers
• Nutrition assistance for underserved communities
• Coronavirus prevention and response

Program Description:
Grant funded the expansion of the Alaska Tilth program, a collaborative partnership between:

• Matanuska Experiment Farm
• UAF Cooperative Extension
• APU's Spring Creek Farm

Program Mission:

• Build food security in Alaska by growing more local food
• Support farmers with fair market prices for produce
• Feed underserved communities

Program Activities:

• Purchase of locally grown produce from Mat-Su farmers at fair market prices
• Distribution to communities of need via UAF Cooperative Extension SNAP-Ed services
• Nutrition education and cooking demonstrations
• Low-cost recipe development
• Practical nutrition tools for program participants

Community Reach:
Over five years, Alaska Tilth distributed over 8,000 pounds of food reaching well over 1,000 individuals through:

• Senior centers
• SNAP nutrition workshops
• Mat-Su Women's Shelter
• Mat-Su Food Bank
• Kids Kupboard

Project Leadership:

• Ben Swimm, Spring Creek Farm Manager, Alaska Pacific University
• Adair Harman, SNAP-Ed Nutrition Educator

Deliverable:
Publicly available report with findings and recommendations for future programs connecting farmers and communities in need.