For the first time ever, the Festival is leaving the road system. The majority of Alaskan municipalities are not connected to the road system and are often overlooked for networking opportunities like this. We are excited to bring the Festival to one of these communities. The 2025 Alaska Food Festival and Conference will be our second hybrid event, with both in-person and virtual attendance options. Gather with us as we celebrate Alaska’s food system from the Kodiak Marketplace in downtown Kodiak.

Collaboration, Network Development, and Food System Solutions
This is the state’s largest convening of food experts, producers, advocates, educators, entrepreneurs, and more from around Alaska and beyond! Expect a diversity of speakers, workshops, and panels from all food systems sectors, who are working collaboratively for stronger, more resilient food systems. Come ready to learn, share your knowledge, and build your network.

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Schedule:

8:30 am - 9:00 am
Welcome to the Conference!
Plenary
Robbi Mixon, Executive Director, Alaska Food Policy Council
Hybrid
Registration opens at 8 AM, in the kiosk downstairs at the Kodiak Marketplace. Get checked in and make your way to the main room upstairs!

9:00 am - 9:15 am
Oil Lamp Lighting Ceremony with the Alutiiq Museum
Plenary
Dehrich Chya, Alutiiq Museum
Hybrid
Alutiiq people have used oil lamps for over 7,500 years. The burning lamp symbolizes our heritage and the many traditions that unite the Alutiiq community. Today, we light stone lamps at gatherings to illuminate our heritage, and to shine the light of culture far into the future.

9:15 am - 9:45 am
Introductions and Guest Remarks
Plenary
Robbi Mixon, Executive Director, Alaska Food Policy Council
Tikaan Galbreath, Director, Intertribal Agriculture Council
Robbie Townsend Vennel, Executive Director, Kodiak Archipelago Leadership Institute
Bryan Scoresby, Director, Alaska Division of Agriculture
Hybrid
The official start of the 2025 Alaska Food Festival and Conference! Opening remarks from the organizing partners (Robbie Townsend Vennel, Robbi Mixon, and Tikaan Galbreath) and updates from government agencies and elected officials.

9:45 am - 10:00 am
Break

10:00 am - 10:30 am
1-A: Clam Gardens Panel: The Evaluation of Subsistence Clam Beaches for Future Traditional Clam Beach Projects
Session 1
Room A
Annette Jarosz
Hybrid
Panel Discussion
The Chugach Regional Resources Commission (CRRC) is evaluating habitat suitability and integrating traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) to establish clam gardens in southcentral Alaska.

10:00 am - 10:30 am
1-B: Opportunities with the Divsion of Agriculture
Session 1
Room B
Amanda Swanson, Program Coordinator I, State of Alaska, Division of Agriculture
Hybrid
This presentation will include an overview of the Alaska Division of Agriculture, highlighting services and programs aimed at supporting Alaska's agriculture industry.

10:00 am - 10:30 am
1-H: Growing the Future: Youth-Led Agricultural Movements
Session 1
Harbor Room of the Kodiak Best Western
Alexandra Wilson, Alaska Pacific University
Hybrid
Young people have historically and globally been major drivers of change in addressing food insecurity, climate challenges, profitability, and equity in agricultural systems.

10:30 am - 11:00 am
1-A: Clam Gardens Panel: What to Look for When Searching for Clam Gardens
Session 1
Room A
Marco Hatch, Western Washington University
Hybrid
Panel Discussion
Ancestral clam gardens have been identified from Southern Vancouver Island through Southeast Alaska. While many features have been identified an untold number have yet to be identified, including those beyond the range of known features.

10:30 am - 11:30 am
1-B: Opportunities in Export for Alternative Markets and Other Resources to Expand Your Business
Session 1
Room B
Richard Zurba, Director, Zurcom International
Amanda Swanson, Program Coordinator I, State of Alaska, Division of Agriculture
Christy Allison, Division Of Agriculture
Hybrid
Alaska is a member state with the Western U.S. Agricultural Trade Association (WUSATA) which is one of the four regional trade groups in the U.S.

10:30 am - 11:00 am
1-H: Agriculture Education in Alaska's Biggest Community
Session 1
Harbor Room of the Kodiak Best Western
Kelly Ballantyne, Teacher, King Tech
Hybrid
Kelly Ballantyne, teacher of the Farm and Food Program, will give an overview of the only agriculture program in the Anchorage School District. This will include the successes and challenges of this program 4 years after its inception.

11:00 am - 11:30 am
1-A: Clam Gardens Panel: Reviving the Past to Protect the Future: Swinomish Tribe's Clam Garden Project
Session 1
Room A
Courtney Greiner, Marine ecologist, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community
Hybrid
Panel Discussion
Clam gardens are intertidal features modified by Northwest Coastal Indigenous people to enhance clam habitat for optimal shellfish production.

11:00 am - 11:30 am
1-H: The Garden Revolution: Gardening for Personal and Planetary Transformation
Session 1
Harbor Room of the Kodiak Best Western
Saskia Esslinger, Owner, Teach Gardening
Hybrid
Gardening can be so much more than just a fun hobby it can be a truly transformative experience. Regenerative Gardening can support our own growth, health and wellness, as well as create an oasis of food, beauty, and medicine.

11:30 am - 12:15 pm
Break: Grab Lunch and Reconvene for Keynote Address
12:15 pm - 12:30 pm
Public Health Message: Lorne Carroll
Plenary
Robbi Mixon, Executive Director, Alaska Food Policy Council
Lorne Carroll, Nurse Consultant, Health Systems Collaboration Unit, State of Alaska Div of Public Health, CDPHP
Hybrid
Welcome back to the plenary room. Enjoy your lunch and get ready for our Keynotes Address. But first, we'll hear a special message from Lorne Caroll, Nurse Consultant with the Health Systems Collaboration Unit - Division of Public Health, Department of Health, State of Alaska.

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm
Keynote Address: Hele Mai e `Ai (Come eat), Neryaraurta (Time to Eat) - Honoring our Culture
Plenary
Melissa Chlupach, Associate Professor, Dietetics and Nutrition, University of Alaska Anchorage
Kaiulani Odom, Executive Director, Hawaii Good Food Alliance
Hybrid
Traditional/Indigenous foods hold deep cultural, spiritual, and emotional significance for Indigenous peoples. These foods are much more than just sustenance; they are intertwined with identity, history, and connection to the land and people.

1:30 pm - 1:45 pm
Break
1:45 pm - 2:15 pm
2-A: Intertribal Agriculture Council: Program Highlights
Session 2
Room A
Tikaan Galbreath, Director, Intertribal Agriculture Council
Cary Fremin, Techincal Assistance Specialist, Intertribal Agriculture Council
Katie Herzner, Technical Assistance Specialist, Intertribal Agriculture Council
Hybrid
Join this Session for an in-depth overview of the Intertribal Agriculture Council’s (IAC) programs and initiatives designed to support Tribal food systems, economic development, and land stewardship.

1:45 pm - 2:45 pm
2-B: Traditional Foods Cooking Demonstration
Session 2
Room B
Flora Deacon, Chef, UAA Traditional Kitchen
Hybrid
Traditional foods often emphasize locally sourced, seasonal, and sustainable ingredients. By learning to cook with these foods, attendees can discover nutrient-dense alternatives to modern processed foods and make healthier choices in their own cooking.

1:45 pm - 2:45 pm
2-H: Organic Certification in Alaska (NW TOPP)
Session 2
Harbor Room of the Kodiak Best Western
Jj Mack, Senior Quality Assurance Specialist, Oregon Tilth
Claire Davis, Technical Specialist - Education, Oregon Tilth
Hybrid
An introduction to organic certification, an overview of the certification process, specific considerations for certification in Alaska, areas of Alaska industry of particular interest for certification (ex: mariculture).

2:15 pm - 2:45 pm
2-A: USDA Meat Processing 101: How to Make the Regulations Not So Scary and Fit Your Processing Model (IAC)
Session 2
Room A
Lara Hays, Business Development Specialist, Intertribal Agriculture Council
Hybrid
Join Intertribal Agriculture Council Business Development Specialist, Lara Hays, to explore different aspects of meat processing facilities. Including but not limited to: types of processing facilities, initial steps to getting started, Q&A.

2:45 pm - 3:15 pm
Break
3:15 pm - 4:00 pm
3-A: Alutiiq Cultural Orientation by the Alutiiq Museum
Session 3
Plenary
Dehrich Chya, Alutiiq Museum
Hybrid
The Alutiiq people have lived on Kodiak Island for 7,500 years. Our culture has adapted over time due to environmental, social, and political changes. In this cultural orientation, Alutiiq Museum Language and Living Culture Manager Dehrich Chya will share an introduction to the Alutiiq people.

4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Friday Evening: Mix and Mingle Social and Networking Event
Kodiak Marketplace - Plenary
In-Person Only
Mingle with your newfound food systems besties and catch up with old ones at our Mix and Mingle event! Featuring our 2025 Alaska Food Hero Award Ceremony, come enjoy light appetizers from the Bearfoot Bakery during this networking event.