JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska -- Have you ever wished for something fresh to eat for lunch? Looking for something fun to do on Earth Day? The 477th Fighter Group will solve both these questions by creating a community garden for the members of the Arctic Reserve Apr 22, 2017.
The State of Alaska imports nearly 95 percent of its food. This makes fresh produce difficult to come by in Alaska because of the lengthy transit times for it to get to market. By creating a community garden, we aim to shorten the logistics tail between healthy (no preservatives needed for shipping long distances), locally produced food and you.
By establishing the community garden at the headquarters building, it promotes our Strategic Objectives of “Optimize Organizational Cohesiveness” and “Improve Organizational Health”.
How can a garden help achieve forward progress on our strategy? Studies have shown that gardens foster recovery from mental fatigue, improve outlook and life satisfaction, help us to cope with and recover from stress, restore concentration and improve productivity. By creating a central place for any member of the 477 FG to come and pick fresh vegetables, we anticipate seeing more members at the unit: discussing gardening methods and techniques, harvesting together, or simply building a fresher lunch out of what we have grown together.
For those looking for more information on starting your own garden, the people at the UAF Cooperative Extension Service have just what you’re looking for: http://www.uaf.edu/ces/pubs/catalog/detail/index.xml?subtopic=Horticulture and Home Gardening.