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UAF School of Natural Resources and Agriculture Sciences

UAF School of Natural Resources and Agriculture Sciences

UAF School of Natural Resources and Agriculture Sciences

FAIRBANKS — The seeds were planted months ago — literally — for the fourth annual Chena Fest benefit dinner. Ingredients for the soups, salads, entrees, even dessert and breads on the menu for the event were all planted or produced locally, and are available thanks to local growers and producers and, in part, students.

“The idea is to showcase what we’re doing here to promote Alaska-grown food, showcasing our gardens and greenhouses and our producers,” Jeff Werner said of Saturday’s dinner event.

A professional researcher in the University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences, Werner is involved in helping to plan the event, directed by the Alaska state FFA, UAF Collegiate FFA, and hosted by Chena Hot Springs Resort. He called the event an opportunity to thank local growers, highlight the School of Natural Resources at UAF, and support an important local resource for agriculture related education: Future Farmers of America in Fairbanks and North Pole.

“This is an important contributor to our district because this money goes toward scholarships for students who can’t otherwise afford to be involved, and our district’s motto is to make programs available to all students,” Marilyn Krause, director of the Fairbanks North Star Borough District of FFA, said of the benefit.

Each year 40-50 high school students from the Fairbanks school district learn applicable science, agriculture and business management practices in real-life, working settings thanks to the FFA program. An after-school curriculum, the program is different than in-school classes and comes with a fee, Krause said, as well as costs for such things as field trips and FFA jackets, worn by students at competitions and other FFA events. While education with extra costs may sound unappealing, Krause noted it offers an important advantage to students, especially those who “can’t afford to make mistakes when choosing a career in these types of fields.”

“We teach chemistry, earth science, natural resources, horticulture, accounting, business management, all these concepts they learn in other classes, but we give them the opportunity to apply them to their lives and get out in the community and work in these fields,” Krause said, noting the importance of that application is that students get work experience and learn what they do or do not like about horticulture, for example.

“This is very much an applied concepts course. We teaching things like, ‘How do we make biodiesel fuels and how could we use them?’” she said.

Other fundraisers help raise money for specific program costs like field trips and curriculum, Krause said, but the Chena Fest strictly raises money for student involvement.

“We use most of this money to help students that would not otherwise get these opportunities. It is a good night to showcase FFA while also thanking those in the community that support us,” she said.

While all of this thanking and showcasing is indeed important — Werner also thanked the Farm Bureau for support, noting the evening will be a “community event encouraging Alaska-grown products and the practice of eating locally,” — the fun and simple joy of the food should not be overshadowed. The menu may not be extravagant to all eyes, Werner said, noting part of the point is to feature a “down-to-earth menu full of delicious meals,” but it is one that can make a mouth water. The multi-course meal will begin with soup: Tanana Valley sweet onion soup and Chena tomato bisque, both made from Fairbanks-grown herbs, onion and tomato crops. Next up is salad, a Chena-fresh salad featuring lettuce grown in the Chena Greenhouse, supported by the UAF NRAS, Werner said. Vegetable dishes will feature locally grown potatoes, broccoli, green beans, cauliflower, summer squash, carrots, celery, onions and zucchini, all of which have been grown and saved specifically for this event.

“We’ve been picking beans all summer, blanching and freezing them and sending them to Chena Hot Springs to be used for this event,” Werner said.

Even the entree has an important local hook: Bernie Karl, owner of Chena Hot Springs Resort and president of the Fairbanks Chapter of the Alaska Farm Bureau, made a major contribution to the event — on top of already having donated the space and resources for the meal, which will be prepared and served at the resort — by purchasing the 2008 Grand Champion Angus Beef Steer at the Tanana Valley State Fair. The steer, raised by North Pole 4-H member Kelly Schmitz, will be served up as the main course Saturday. All this is topped off with bread made with Alaska grown herbs and dessert — ice cream from Northern Lights Dairy, topped with Alaska-grown berry sauce.

Werner said as patrons smack their lips at all the goodies, they will be thanking local farmers for what they do for local economy and food supply.

“It is important to buy local because, for one thing it is 2,000 miles fresher, but also because it helps maintain and sustain local food supply and economy,” Werner said. “It is important that we support our local growers and producers so they will still be here next year and the next.”

He also said it is “nice to be able to have that crisp, fresh carrot and that sweet potato that you know has been grown in local ground.”

While some information will be provided abut FFA and NRAS programs, the evening will focus on fun and food, not education topics. Live entertainment will be going throughout the night, provided by FFA students singing, playing piano and more. The plan is to “keep things on the lighter side,” Werner said, and focus on “the celebration of harvest.”

Dinner tickets also include a pass for the night to the Hot Springs and pool. Door prizes including a weekend getaway to Chena Hot Springs Resort, two season passes to the Tanana Valley State Fair, Alaska grown clothing and tickets to the Chena Ice Museum will also be available.

The $25 tickets are available by calling 474-6916 for reservations or via email at farmer@alaskagrown.org.

What: 4th annual Chena Fest harvest celebration

When: Seating at 6 p.m., dinner at 6:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: Chena Hot Springs Resort

Tickets: $25, available at farmer@alaskagrown.org or 474-6916