With Higher Prices & Need For Good Food, Do What Alaskans Have Done Since The Gold Rush Days – Grow Potatoes

Dip Into Self-Sufficiency This Summer By Growing Some Classic Alaskan Potatoes Potato harvest in Sitka in 1900. (Alaska State Library). F...

Dip Into Self-Sufficiency This Summer By Growing Some Classic Alaskan Potatoes

Potato harvest in Sitka in 1900. (Alaska State Library).

From The Journal: Only around 5% of the food eaten in Alaska is produced in the state. For decades, potatoes have been a prime, reliable cold-weather crop that provides sustenance with relatively little effort in small settlements and plots of land near lodges and cabins. As food costs rise, this is a good year to go back to growing potatoes, tapping into the heritage of the gardens that once surrounded the roadhouses along the Valdez Trail. Potatoes, which come from the Western hemisphere originally, are high in vitamin C. They're relatively easy to grow, and have a surprisingly high food value. Potatoes contain all essential amino acids.

Copper Valley potatoes (Journal archive)

NOTE FROM THE ALASKA DIVISION OF AGRICULTURE...

Alaska Certified Seed Potatoes

Healthy Starts. Healthy Harvests.

Why Choose Certified Seed?

Alaska’s Certified Seed Potato Program ensures growers—large and small—have access to high-quality seed potatoes that meet strict state standards for plant health and varietal purity. Certified seed helps prevent disease spread, improve yields, and support a resilient agricultural economy. Per Alaska Regulations, 11AAC 34.075, (j) No person may sell, offer for sale, or represent potatoes as seed potatoes unless the potatoes have been certified by the official seed certifying agency of the state or country of origin.

What Certification Guarantees

• Field inspections for disease, pests, and variety mix • Storage inspections prior to sale in the spring
• Compliance with US Grade standards

Benefits of Alaska Certified Seed Potatoes

Grown under Alaska’s unique climate, which naturally reduces pest and disease pressure
Derived from clean, disease-free planting stock
Tested and/or inspected through all stages of production for disease
Verified for varietal purity
Supports local farmers by limiting pests and diseases and strengthens
Alaska food security
Look for the Certification Tag!
Check for the official Alaska Certified Seed tag. Per 11 AAC 32.050 (b) potatoes represented as seed potatoes must have attached to each container or
display the applicable certification tag or identification issued by the official certification agency of the state or country of origin. Certified Seed potatoes are inspected each year and must meet Alaska disease tolerances (inspected in the field and storage) and have an applicable blue tag, or health certificate demonstrating that they have been certified to meet Alaska Standards.
Grow Better. Grow Local.
Choosing Alaska Certified Seed Potatoes supports sustainable agriculture and ensures a healthy, productive crop.