Dorothy M. Bell, Editor - Publisher
PALMER ALASKA
Published weekly for the Matanuska Valley Earners’ Cooperating Association for the
purpose of disseminating-'Valley news throughout the'Valley and to other points
interested in the Valley.
Subscription rates $1.75 per year by mail Bbx $1.00 'Single-Copy ■ 10/
Distributed through the Settler Boxes-free to Co-op members._
PROPER COLD STORAGE FACILrflES TO
*. ■ v ' LENGTHEN YOUR MARKET YEAR
HOW LO:rG IS OUR MARKET YEAR IK THE YATANUSKA VALLEY ON FRESH VEGETABLES?
G.W. -Gasser, Commissioner of Agriculture, in "the a.liaska farmer" says that the
lengthening of the Farm Year is Vital. In fact, he‘also st&tos that it is the most
iiiiport'ant problem to be solved by the Alaska farmer.
During our short growing season we have a heavy deluge of fresh vegetables on the
market over a short ncriod of timo and then for the rest of the year we either go with
out or pay exceptionally high prices for "outsido produco." If wo had the proper
cold storage facilities, we might be. abic to at least double that season and an some
products extend it over the entire year. In a country where we have to constantly
watch our weight and waist lines, wo do not care to have only a diet of potatoes. That
seems to be about our only IdcoI vcgdtablo left. Some of the other produce does not
have the keeping quality of potatoes, but under improved cold storage facilities wo
might be surprised at what could be done.
This fall we found that celery properly wrapped kept up through Thanksgiving and that
was the end of our supply. It was just as good as any ever shipped in here and
certainly would be loss expensive. Perhaps somo can afford to pay 90^ to $1.00 for
a stalk of good celery, but the time nay come when pennies will have to be counted
closer. Then too, celery is an important addition to cveryones diet and the price
should bo such that everyone can afford it. Tiith our own storage facilities and our
lodal 'Town celery, this might easily be realized.
Wouldn’t you like aSuno nice cripp carrots for a Salad or'even to cook'with a beef
roast1? How many of you get tired of canned peas,carrots,string boons, asparagus, or
beets? With vegetables twice a day in your diet this makes a lot of repetition and
takes a lot of imagination to get them'fixed in enough different ways to appeal to
ones appetite. Now if you had carrots; parsnips, rutabagas.turnips, and cabbage to
scatter in along with the canned foods, you might find that they all tasted good and
you wouldn’t got tired of any of them. In a country noted for raising the finest
flavored root crops produced anywhere in the world, we can have then only in the
summer from the gardens. It would seem, that with all the modern information on
storage that something could be worked out so that wo could havo these foods for a
much longer period of time than we do if not-for the whole year.
So far wo have been considering only our own needs in fresh food lines. How about
the rest of Alaska? Here we have the opportunity, to supply a market that could use
all the fresh products that wo produce. 'This is something to work on and think about.
Can wo build up a fresh produco market' and hold it through the year or are we going
to continue as wo havo been? , . !.
Thero is another met hod-,mentioned by Commissioner Gasser, of lCngthAninfz the Market
So8son on fresh produce. Ball seeding of carrots and parsnips,, just before the
freeze-up will givp you from! four to six wepks stirt on the spring planted seeds.*
By doing this the farmer can get c.a'rrdts and ^hrsnips on the market at a time, when
the public is craving for fro'sh vegetables.
"Quick Freezing" of vegetables like peps is also something that can be thought about
for future development. From -the Homor Homesteader we learn that they received
a shipment of "Frozen peas and com" and it tasted just like the "off the vinos
variety". Why not plan ahead.for the freezing and handling of peas for the market
as well as for our own use.
Improved storage of fresh produco and marketing of the samo is undoubtedly one of
the biggest problems we have to solve if wo arc to succcd as an agricultural communis
We can’t depend on only a potato market. The public wants a variety of vegetables
and the Hntanuska Valley can do its share to furnish that market if wo lay enroful
plans and build for the future.—cooperatively not individually.