SUUPET NEREGKWARLUKI we are feeding our people
MAL'UK FARMS
Native Village of Afognak
115 Mill Bay Road Kodiak, AK 99615
Phone:(907) 486-6357
Tangirnaq Native Village
3449 Rezanof Drive East Kodiak, AK 99615
Phone: (907)486-9872
Our Mission
At Mal’uk Farms our mission is produce high quality, year-round produce and to commit to making strong contributions for food security for our tribal elders and community while preserving cultural knowledge and implementing economic enterprises for future generations.
Our Farm
Established in 2020 by the Native Village of Afognak and Tangirnaq Native Village, the name is derived from the Alutiiq word Mal'uk, meaning two. These two Kodiak based tribes are unifying their efforts to support the development of food security in Kodiak and promote cultural knowledge. Mal’uk Farms was formed with support from Suupet Neregkwarluki, We Are Feeding Our People, the Kodiak Archipelago Leadership Institute’s three-year project funded through the US Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Native Americans. The collective goal of the project is to establish year-round hydroponic production throughout the region.
At present, Mal'uk Farms is the only tribally owned farm on Kodiak's road system. The farm’s priority is providing fresh foods to tribal elders while offering a local food source to community residents.
The farm is located right in the heart of the city of Kodiak. With the limited usable land in town and with the limited growing season in our region, a hydroponics growing technique called Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) is utilized. With an NFT system inside a controlled growing environment, Mal'uk Farms can produce and harvest fresh food year-round! The farm is currently operating two hydroponic cabinets with another cabinet arriving early 2022. A much larger Container Growing System or CGS, that will supporting up to 20,000 heads of produce a year, recently arrived and will soon start growing!
Mal'uk Farms is currently growing two varieties of lettuces and basil with plans to expand the variety of crops grown over the coming years. While the techniques of hydroponic growing methods are fairly new, the farm values are established from our community. Mal'uk farms strives to be a service to their elders as well as increase food security for the entire community.
Honoring Elder Rita Stevens
A leader in Kodiak and a Tangirnaq Native Village tribal member,
Rita Stevens has dedicated her life to being involved in the
community. Her endeavors honor the core traditional values
she has learned growing up on Kodiak and from her mentor
and Uncle, Roy Madsen. After achieving a graduate’s degree at
Oregon State, Rita provided eighteen years of service to the
Kodiak Area Native Association (KANA), eight of those as the
President and CEO. During her time at KANA she proudly
worked on bringing health and wellness into the community,
embracing diversity, building bridges, and the revitalization of
Alutiiq cultural identity. Her most enjoyed memories of KANA
were serving the rural villages and visiting with fellow community members.
Currently, Rita is an active board member of KALI, Koniag inc. and member of the Kodiak Community Foundation. She is a wonderful example of Koniag's mission of "sharing the catch". She is a loving mother to three, grandmother to two, and the spouse of Alaskan Senator Gary Stevens. Rita is not only devoted to her family and serving fellow Kodiak residents but all Alaskans. In addition to all the incredible work she is a survivor of cancer and has volunteered her time to help fellow cancer survivors. Rita and her work are a constant reminder in the importance to remember Alutiiq culture and bringing wellness and pride to the community. Quyanaa Rita for all that you do for Kodiak and our community!
