VENETIE VILLAGE RAISES JUMPER VEGETABLE CROP
By THOMAS SNAPP
Times SUff Writer
The village of Venetie this sum
mer has amazed officials of the
Bureau of Indian Affairs, horticul
turists from the University of Alas
ka Extension Service, but most of
all themselves by growing a bumper
crop of vegetables.
In a program spearheaded by the
principal of the BIA Venetie School.
Richard Birchell, an agriculture
major, the village planted about
S400 worth of seeds in a large gar
den and realized vegetables which,
including freight, would cost more
than $6,000.
About a ton of potatoes were
planted and yielded 12 tons. The
highest yield previously thought
possible was 10 to 1.
In 1960, there were only six gar
dens at Venetie about the size of an
average sized living room.
Principal Birchell recognized that
the soil, a rich sandy loam, was
ideally SUitecI for gardening and
started a pilot program in the sum
mer of 1960 to encourage more gar
dens.
A large 4-H garden was planted
with seed suited for the area. Lib
eral amounts of commercial ferti
lizer were used along with much
water.
Much Water
Water was applied to the garden
from a portable gasoline pump. The
villagers of Venetie were amazed
to see so much water pumped onto
the garden.
Past practice had been to sprinkle
plants lightly with a perforated can
which dampened the top crust but
did not get to the roots of the plants.
It was explained that since plants
are living things too. they require
water and food to (raw healthy.
Plenty Space
The plants were given plenty of
space in wide rows contrary to past
practice. Previously it seemed there
was a contest to see which Venetie
gardeners could plant the most seeds
in the smallest area.
So successful was the pilot project,
that the villagers were greatly im
pressed and indicated they would
like to start gardens too.
Harold Pillsbury, a horticulturist
t_ -<
Cape Thompson Project Deferred
The Eskimos around Cape Thomp-*
i son area, in northwest Alaska, were
heartened recently by the announce
ment of deferrment of the Project
Chariot, on the 23rd of August, by
the Atomic Energy Commission.
This announcement had profound
effect on many natives.
Bernard Nash of Point Hope, af
ter reading the headlines in the
: paper, summed it up briefly:
“Now, we don’t have to worry
about our animals.”
In the next issue of the Tundra
, Times the reasons why the natives
fought the project so strenuously
will be covered.
“When I stand up. my mind sits
down.” — Alfred Grant, delegate
at the Tanana Indian Conference
in June.
I
i from the University of Alaska, gave
1 advice and technical assistance for
the 1961 project.
Equipment end- supplies were
needed that the local economy could
I not finance. Miss Bentrire Towe.
social worker with the BIA, helped
with the planning and securing the
financing, about $600.
i For about $200 a roto-spader with
furrowing and tiller attachments
j was bought. Also purchased was
■ 640 pounds of commercial fertilizer,
1,050 pounds of seed potatoes, and
numerous vegetable seeds. Enough
plastic to cover an 18 foot by 36 foot
greenhouse was also procured.
Land Cleared
( The beat land for gardening was
I covered with wood piles, caches,
out-houses and other debris. The
villages pitched in and in a short
, time in a community project they
‘ cleared off the area not only pro
I viding garden space but improving
the appearance of the village.
Conditions for gardening were not
vary favorable early in the season.
Spring break-up was very- late.
Snow stuck to the ground and the
soil remained frozen long past nor
Vote for
MIKE
STEPOVICH
Your Republican Candidate for
GOVERNOR
AT THE NOV. 6 GENERAL ELECTION
Mike was Alaska's last appointed Governor
before Statehood and did a wonderful job!
(Paid Political Adv.)
k
Sketch
Teller
Teller is a small village located
some 60 miles north of Nome. Al
though the people of this village
hunt and fish for food, much of j
this village’s economy has depended
on income from mining employment.
Many of the men have worked in a
nearby tin mine in the years past
but the employment from this has
been sporadic because the mine has
operated sporadically.
In the late twenties. Teller was
spot-lighted before the world when
Captain Roald Amundsen's Norge,
a dirigible, crashed and burned
there.
mal.
Even the heavy D-8 tractor found
it tough digging in the frozen muck.
Turns Taken
On May 25, the villagers cranked
up the roto-tiller and started getting
the seed bed prepared. The villag
ers took turns operating the tiller
until about two acres were ready
for planing.
Memorial Day was selected as
planting day. The crew working on
the new school would be off for
the holiday and would be available
to help out on the project.
Early that morning seeds and fer
tilizer were passed out in ratio to
■the family size. Before the day was
over, every family in Venetie had
planted a garden.
Commuity Effort
Though the project was a com
munity effort it was not a commun
ity garden. Each family was res
ponsible for planting, caring, and
harvesting its own garden.
Through the summer the people
worked in their gardens and made
a point to discuss how well their
vegetables were growing.
Some vegetables were new to the
community, for instance, celery.
About 200 celery plants were pro
duced as a science project and set
out on June 10.
The plants grew rich, firm, crisp
and flavorful. If purchased from j
Fairbanks, the celery would have
cost $170.
Simple Greenhouse
The greenhouse, though simple in
construction, drew much attention.
Despite a late start, there was a
good yield of tomatoes and cucum
bers. Many expressed a desire to
build greenhouses of their own.
The gardens produced 200 pounds
of beans, 300 pounds of beets, 450
pounds of cabbage, 300 pounds of
carrots. 60 pounds of cauliflower.
400 pounds of celery, 25 pounds of
cucumbers. 500 pounds of kohlrabi,
400 pounds of lettuce, 100 pounds of
onions. 200 pounds of peas, 24.000
pounds of potatoes, 800 pounds of
squash. 50 pounds of Swiss chard.
200 pounds of tomatoes, and 500
pounds of turnips.
Proud Village
If bought on the Fairbanks mar
ket. the vegetables would have cost
$3,387 and shipping charges would
have amounted to $2,848.50.
Every family in the village
worked hard and are proud of the
vegetables they grew Ithis year.
The bumper crop exceeded all ex
pectations.
At times the Venetie villagers
thought Mother Nature had turned
her back upon them but in the final
analysis, they all agree she was very
kind indeed.
S. F. SAARIO FURS
Box 19 — 109 Cushman St.
Fairbanks
Heavy duty 2-way zippers, ea. $2
Wolverine skins . ea. $27.59
Wolf ruffs. . ea. $12.59
Also Skin Needles, Felt,
and Fur Supplies
Mail Orders Filled Promptly
Prepaid With Money Order
Otherwise C.O.D.
ALASKAN BY BIRTH
REPUBLICAN BY CHOICE
INDEPENDENT BY NATURE
VOTE FOR
JOHN BUTROVICH, JR., FOR STATE SENATOR
(Territorial Senate 1944 to 1960)
GENERAL ELECTION, NOV. 6,1962
COMMON SENSE MUST PREVAI
IF WE ARE TO SURVIVE
AS A STATE ANb A NATION
(Paid Political Announcement)