The Alutiiq/Sugpiaq people have a long tradition of harvesting the abundance of native plants that grow in the Kodiak Archipelago. For over 7,500 years the Alutiiq have been utilizing these plants for food, medicine, fuel, clothing and tools.  The practice of gardening was introduced to our region by the first Russian Orthodox priests who arrived in Kodiak in the early 1800’s.  Alutiiq villagers learned to incorporate traditional Siberian cool weather crops such as potatoes and cabbages into their diet. By the early twentieth century families tended to large vegetable plots to supplement their wild food harvest.  However, this subsistence gardening way of life began to decline with the introduction of store-bought groceries.  Over time, our communities have moved further away from their traditional Alutiiq subsistence and gardening lifestyle, becoming more heavily reliant on imported food and goods.

 

Today it is estimated that approximately 95% of our region’s purchased food is imported to the island via barge and ferry.  This reliance on imported food leaves our communities extremely vulnerable to supply chain disruptions and results in very low regional food security. With the support of the Kodiak Archipelago Leadership Institute, community and tribal leaders decided to address the issues of food security in our region. Since 2015, this collaborative and challenging work has resulted in the development of six Alutiiq Grown farms located in five rural villages and the city of Kodiak.

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Alutiiq Grown is a collective of tribal and community owned farms across the Kodiak Archipelago. Our producers are growing, harvesting, and distributing fresh, healthy foods for their community members. Their work contributes towards expanding food security and indigenous food sovereignty across the archipelago. Click on the farm logos above to learn more about each producer and the people involved!