School of Agriculture and Land Resources Management, Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station
Abstract
When oil from Prudhoe Bay on the northern
coast of Alaska began to flow in the fall of 1977, it
marked the beginning of another flow of perhaps
equal significance. Eighty per cent of the revenue
received by the State of Alaska in the foreseeable
future will come from the oil industry. This prompts
concern that long-term growth of the Alaskan economy
is based on revenue from a single nonrenewable
resource. Historically, nonrenewable resources have
exhibited a boom-bust development pattern. Diversifying
the economy of the state could contribute to
economic stability. Of particular interest, when the
development of renewable resources is considered, is
the potential for agriculture.
A half century ago, the Tanana Valley in interior
Alaska produced a higher per-capita quantity of
agricultural products for Fairbanks consumers than it
does today. Now, more than 95 per cent of the food
consumed in the area is imported from areas outside
the state. Additionally, there is a growing worldwide
concern abut increasing populations and the need for
increased food production. This has created a new
awareness of agriculture in Alaska as well as across
the nation.The information presented in this bulletin is part
of a report prepared for the ad hoc agriculture group
of the State of Alaska. The group was formed at the
request of Governor Jay S. Hammond and is headed
by W. I. "Bob" Palmer, Special Projects Director of
the Office of the Governor.
The report on the feasibility of barley production
in the Delta-Clearwater Area presented to Governor
Hammond through the ad hoc group was prepared
by the authors of this bulletin and Wayne C.
Thomas, Associate Professor of Economics, Agricultural
Experiment Station, University of Alaska,
Fairbanks; Dominic Carney, Alaska Department of
Commerce and Economic Development; and Edward
Kern, Alaska Department of Agriculture-all of whom
are acknowledged with gratitude