Delta Junction: Farmers of Alaska

Overcast skies on our drive from Fairbanks to Delta Junction

 We had the neat opportunity to meet Alaskan farmers. 

Though they take their job seriously, they joke that farming in Alaska is a hobby (meaning you can't make much money off of it). 

One family, the Wrigley Family, has been in Alaska for about four generations. They used to have hogs, but because the only butcher in town began to charge them more than necessary they weren't able to make a profit.
As a result, they had killed off the herd. Now they grow barley and have their own flour mill. 

We heard countless stories of how people don't work together to get a product from the field to the market. Alaskan agriculture is struggling, at this point.

four-generations Alaskan farm family

 We met Phil, the extension agent for Delta Junction, and his family. They raise Yaks, and after having us for dinner they took us out to see the animals. 

Though not the most attractive living species, they were very docile and friendly.

Though I wouldn't want one.

Demitri - one of the Yaks that acted more like a dog than a large-hoofed beast. He circled our car huffing and puffing, basically begging for a pat on the nose.

Yak cow with her baby

Phil's home with a view

Clearing Land: A standard proceeding in Alaskan agriculture

 After supper we drove to The Garden Bed and Breakfast for a night. 

It's a quaint home owned by a couple who have lived in Alaska for about 30 years.

It's beautiful! 

 

It was really late when we got in so we were able to see what the Land of the Midnight Sun actually looks like at midnight. 

Alaskan Midnight

Travel and Arrival

We rushed to the airport yesterday and made both flights with time to spare. 

When we arrived to Fairbanks it was 11:30 p.m. in Indianapolis, but only 7:30 p.m. here. 

Needless to say, we were exhausted and hungry, but there were still many hours of daylight. Thankfully our hotel provided shades to shut out the light. 

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The hotel staff welcomed us to the modest Golden North Motel.

Biscotti, the owners' Golden Retriever curled up by the door when we walked into the main office

It wasn't much, but a place to settle in and rest

Where Our Travels Take Us

Point A: Fairbanks, Alaska 

Our landing point is Fairbanks, Alaska.

FACTS ABOUT FAIRBANKS:
- Second-largest city in Alaska
- Home to approximately 1/7 of Alaska's population
- The city is named in tribute to Charles Fairbanks, a Republican senator from Indiana. (Just thought I'd throw that out there)
- Weather changes are extreme with snow sometimes falling in the summer months. But for now it's in the mid-70s and sunny.

The Way We Roll

It's Tuesday night. 

We fly out tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. from Indianapolis, have a brief layover at O'Hare then journey on to Fairbanks, AK. 

One would think with our plans to leave tomorrow that Eric and I already had our bags packed and by the door. Perhaps maybe that we were even planning on tucking in early for the night. 

But that's not the way we roll. 

I kissed my husband, and sent him off to work for a night shift with Lifeline. He will be finalizing reservations with bed and breakfasts tonight (if he's not transferring a patient), and I will be packing bags, cleaning house, and putting together snacks for the trip. We'll hope he is home by around eight o'clock tomorrow morning.

That's not unusual - just a part of the Frantz lifestyle.

I will admit it can stress the part of me that refuses to procrastinate on projects. Yet there's the other part of me that enjoys the adventure and the flexibility that comes with not having a set plan. 

This trip has some gaps and holes we'll be filling in along the way - where we'll be staying, transportation, activities, etc.

But that's what makes it a vacation. 

We plan to relax and enjoy the ride. 

I hope you all can enjoy it along with us!

Alaska Bound

We plan to take a trip to Alaska soon!
Our hope is to meet up with local farmers and gain an understanding of how agriculture in Alaska works. We'll go see Denali - though probably not climb it with Baby Frantz on the way. Finally we plan to go Halibut and Salmon fishing. Anyone want fish when we come back? We're hoping to bring back two full 50 lb. suitcases.

Updates to follow.

Garden in the Green

A couple from our church helped us cut the sod

Last summer my hubby and I began a garden at our church. The plot of ground, we were told, was "virgin" soil, which meant it had never been tilled or planted. We discovered that meant we had to add nutrients of our own to an otherwise very hard clay soil. In addition to that, the summer was the hot and dry. Our 50-some tomato plants grew slow, everything struggled.

Each roll of sod weighed 15-50 pounds. No light job.

Finished garden, ready for planting

 

 Piles of sod moved. What an accomplishment!

This year has been different though. Rain poured down on the garden, and English peas, snow peas, Swiss chard, and radishes have grown abundantly. Now we're blanching and freezing - stocking up for an upcoming year in medical school.

 

Garden as of 2013

Below are pictures of the crops we have growing this year.

Brussel Sprouts - won't be ready until the fall

Carrots - if you look close you can tell that deer have been munching on them.

Corn

English Peas - so difficult to shell and blanch. Not my favorite plant to freeze, but very tasty.

Green Beans - will be ready soon!

In spite of bugs, they seem to be doing well.

Lettuce - we've been sharing, because we planted too much!

Peppers - will be great in salsa

Swiss Chard - what can I make with this strong-smelling cabbage?

All of our tomato and pepper plants

An up-and-coming tomato

Snow Peas - my absolute favorite greens

Updates: Many

From the last post it has been crazy what has happened in our lives! Not only has a medical school accepted us.  I've graduated and begun my work in the journalism world, and we have a new family member arriving in October.

So here is the story from the past months.

I found out I was preggers in January.

IU School of Medicine accepted us into their program around March. After more waiting and nail biting, we found out in April where we were placed: Indianapolis.

Now the White Coat Ceremony, Orientation, and reality is beginning to settle into our home. Is my hubby truly going to be trained to be a doctor? And am I going to be truly done with school after this summer?

As I said before, there are so many updates. More to come.