Plants Nourishing Neighbors and Sustaining Life in Alaska

Planting Systems, Growing food

Plants Earth Life (PEL) is partnering with the Alaska Farmers Market Association (AFMA) in a bold act of organizational investment, building AFMA’s staffing capacity to strengthen Alaska’s local food system from the ground up.

By supporting the only statewide organization dedicated to Alaska’s farmers markets,  PEL is standing up for small farmers, localized seasonal eating, indigenous foodways, and plant-forward living in the Arctic. This partnership views staffing not as overhead, but as infrastructure, supporting the people power required to grow resilient, regenerative food systems in one of the most climate vulnerable regions on Earth.

AFMA supports farmers markets, farm stands, food hubs, and community supported agriculture (CSAs), the bridge between farmers and communities. Through this partnership, AFMA will expand its ability to support farmers, train farmers market managers, strengthen food system partnerships, and ensure that hyper local, nutrient dense plant foods nourish neighbors and sustain life in Alaska.

Why This Matters

Alaska sits at the intersection of climate change, food insecurity, and cultural resilience. What radical answer lies at the heart of these seemingly complex issues?

• Life at ground zero for climate change- our carbon footprints in a land of wilderness
• A place where 95% of the food is imported via barge or airplane
• Indigenous language preservation where rural community populations are dwindling
• Thousands of years of subsistence and food preservation history
• A place where just 8% of adults meet daily fruit and vegetable recommendations
• Social isolation and the power of community spaces 
• A place where 80% of communities are inaccessible by road (or off the road system)
• Food as Medicine in the face of the toxic American diet
• Food security in the face of natural disasters and volatile government programs
• Regenerative economies as means to restore ecological and community health
• Soil health and the six inches of soil upon which all terrestrial life depends

The answer: Plants. Local fresh produce grown by small farmers for community members at vibrant markets that bring people together and connect people with their food. And wild plants harvested, celebrated, and shared.

This is not a short-term project. It is a systems level intervention focused on:

Skills transfer from farm viability, market management, food preservation, and  season extension

Relationship building across farmers, Indigenous organizations, food security groups, and policymakers

Strengthening markets as community hubs that combat isolation and reconnect people with their food

Investing in plant-based, local, and wild foods as medicine, not commodities

How Partnership Grows Food Systems

Staffing AFMA as Infrastructure- PEL funding supports stability for AFMA staff to coordinate farmer support, farmers market development, partnerships, and organizational growth. Ensuring continuity, sustainability, and statewide impact.

Strengthening Farmers & Markets- Support small farmers growing food for their communities and the market managers who bring people together through technical assistance, training, and peer learning.

Farmers Markets as Community Health Hubs- Markets function as spaces for access to fresh, local, nutrient dense produce, social connection, culturally relevant foods, and food as medicine.

Partnerships for Collective Impact- Building cross sector partnerships AFMA can better serve farmers and communities from the ground up

From Local to Global Learning- Alaska’s food system, still largely free from monoculture and deeply rooted in seasonal living, becomes a living laboratory for climate adaptation and regenerative food systems relevant worldwide.

Promoting culturally grounded, plant-forward whole-food diets — with access to Diet ID tools and practical support for communities to explore the PEL spectrum (PEL-50 to PEL-100) in ways that fit culture, traditions and values. Long Term Impacts of Partnership

AFMA and PEL champion local farmers and resilient food systems, investing in more plant-forward living in the lives of Alaskans — strengthening community health and Arctic agriculture for generations to come. 

Sharing notes from the far North- 

 AFMA will document growth in farmers, markets, community participation, partnerships, and funding — sharing practical lessons with PEL’s global network working to strengthen community resilience and planetary health.