Alaska Farms and Farming: Agriculture History, How Farms Make Money and Strategy

Guide updated November 2026

Alaska farms are small in total but growing: the 2022 Census of Agriculture counted 1,173 farms on 869,852 acres, up from 990 farms in 2017, with $90.85 million in products sold. Livestock and related products made up about 56 percent of sales and crops about 44 percent.

Agriculture in Alaska: A Short History

Modern Alaska farming has deep roots in the Matanuska Valley, where New Deal colonists settled in the 1930s, and the area near Palmer remains the state's best-known farming district. Later, state land sales opened farm tracts around Delta Junction in the Interior. Farmers there raised barley, hay and livestock, and families such as the McCollums and Pinkelmans built beef, hog and processing businesses.

Farmland is under pressure. The Alaska Farmland Trust, working with USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service, permanently protected the 115.22-acre Grover Farm in the Matanuska Valley with an easement. The farm was established in 1948 as a dairy and later shifted to cattle, and the owner described the soil as excellent. The article notes growing development pressure in the valley as population increases. Since 2000, the Alaska Farm Family of the Year award has recognized farms from Palmer to Delta Junction to Anchorage.

How Farms in Alaska Make Money

Livestock and meat

Livestock and related products brought in about $51.2 million in 2022. Interior operations such as Northwest Land and Livestock in Delta Junction sell beef and pork largely direct to consumers and supply Farm to School programs, with processing through their own plant.

Crops, greenhouse and nursery

Crops accounted for about $39.7 million of 2022 sales. Hay is a major crop for feed, while vegetables, potatoes and greenhouse products serve local buyers. Mosesian Farms of Alaska, known as Bell's Nursery, sells greenhouse tomatoes and cucumbers through major grocery chains and also sells flowers, nursery stock and wine.

Direct sales and diversification

Farm stands, farmers markets, the Alaska Grown program, school sales and agritourism all help small farms capture retail value. With an average of $77,451 in sales per farm, many Alaska farms combine farming with other income, and those that add processing, wine or nursery products have more ways to earn.

Agriculture Strategy for Alaska Farms

Soils, water and climate

The growing season is short, with long daylight in summer that speeds crop growth but long winters that limit outdoor production. Greenhouses and high tunnels extend the season, as Bell's Nursery shows with hydroponic tomatoes and a greenhouse vineyard. Soil temperature, permafrost, drainage and wind are real constraints, and the UAF Cooperative Extension Service offers regional guidance and agricultural calculators for local growers.

Production and risk

Choose crops and livestock that fit the climate: hay, barley, potatoes, cool-season vegetables, cattle, hogs, sheep and specialty animals such as yak and bison. Feed is a major cost in a long winter, so growing hay at home, as Northwest Land and Livestock does, matters. Crop insurance and USDA disaster programs are available, and farmers.gov explains conservation programs from NRCS.

Technology and inputs

Inputs must be shipped long distances, which raises costs. Efficient greenhouse systems, cold-climate varieties and good record keeping reduce waste. Many Alaska farms start small and add equipment gradually.

Farm Business Strategy in Alaska

Margins and markets

Alaska imports a large share of its food, which creates an opening for local products, but the population is small and widely spread. Mosesian has said that finding a market for a perishable product is the most important step for new farmers. Selling through grocery chains and distributors, direct to consumers or through schools can all work, but each needs a plan before planting.

Land, credit and succession

Farmland near Palmer and Anchorage faces development pressure, so conservation easements through groups such as the Alaska Farmland Trust can protect land and give owners value. USDA Farm Service Agency loans serve beginning farmers. Family succession is visible among award winners, such as the four-generation Mosesian family and the three generations at Northwest Land and Livestock.

Marketing and diversification

The Alaska Grown program lists member farms and gives buyers a way to find them. Processing, as at Delta Meat & Sausage, and value-added products such as wine can raise the value of each acre. Awards like Farm Family of the Year bring publicity that helps small producers.

Farm Insight: Alaska Trends to Watch

Two trends stand out. Farm numbers rose 18 percent between 2017 and 2022 while average farm size fell from 858 to 742 acres, which suggests that new, smaller operations are entering. Sales also grew, from about $70.5 million to $90.9 million, though some of the gain reflects higher prices.

For anyone considering Alaska farming, the practical advice is to start with the market, talk to the Division of Agriculture and the UAF Extension office, and visit working farms. Scale in this state is modest, and the best-known operations succeeded by solving local problems, such as processing, winter feed and fresh produce in the off-season.

Elite Farms and Ranches in Alaska

These 2 operations are profiled in full, with history, how each makes money, lessons for other farms and published contact details.

Elite operations in Alaska

• Mosesian Farms of AlaskaElite operation. Anchorage, Alaska. Mosesian Farms of Alaska (Bell's Nursery): 2025 Alaska Farm Family of the Year, greenhouse produce, flowers and wine. History, income streams and contact info.
• Northwest Land and LivestockElite operation. Delta Junction, Alaska. Northwest Land and Livestock of Delta Junction, Alaska: Galloway beef, hogs, hay and Delta Meat & Sausage. History, revenue streams, lessons and contact info.

Who to Contact in Alaska: Agriculture Offices and Associations

• USDA NASS Alaska 2022 Census of Agriculture - State-level farm numbers, sales and land
• Alaska Division of Agriculture: Farm Family of the Year - State list of award-winning farms
• Alaska Grown program - State program that lists Alaska producers
• UAF Cooperative Extension agriculture tools - Extension calculators and guidance for growers
• USDA Farmers.gov - Federal loans, conservation and risk programs
• Grover Farm conservation easement - Alaska Farmland Trust and NRCS farmland protection
• Delta farm profile - University of Alaska Fairbanks article on a Delta Junction farm

Alaska Farming FAQ

How many farms are in Alaska?

The 2022 Census of Agriculture counted 1,173 farms on 869,852 acres, up from 990 farms in 2017.

Where do most Alaska farms operate?

The Matanuska Valley near Palmer and the Delta Junction area in the Interior are the best-known farming districts, along with farms near Anchorage and Fairbanks.

How much do Alaska farms sell?

About $90.85 million of products in 2022, or about $77,451 per farm on average.

Which Alaska operations are profiled here?

Northwest Land and Livestock in Delta Junction and Mosesian Farms of Alaska (Bell's Nursery), the 2017 and 2025 Farm Family of the Year winners.

Alaska farms are few and small in total, but they are inventive and growing in number. Read the profiled operations below to see how two Farm Family of the Year winners built their businesses.