Alaska imports more than 95% of its food and the average grocery store only has enough food for three days. At the Sitka Conservation Society we are working towards creating a more resilient food system by supporting local efforts to protect the habitat of wild foods, support traditional harvest/subsistence lifestyles, increase local food production, create access to wild seafood, reform the school lunch program to include local foods, and increase awareness of local fishing culture.
Click on the programs and activities below to learn more:
As the ninth largest seafood port in the country, Sitka is swimming with fish. Students should have access to this nutritious, local food that drives our economy and represents the interconnectedness of our community. Local fish lunches are served twice a month at local schools. The lunch program is served with a “Stream to Plate” curriculum, taking students through the cycle in which fish mature in our waterways, are harvested by local fishermen, undergo processing by our town’s thriving seafood processors, and finally grace our dinner table.
Wild Alaskan salmon are the lifeblood of Sitka’s culture and the backbone of its economy. A summer program of the Sitka Conservation SocietySitka Salmon Tours are daily tours that provide an in-depth look on the path salmon take from the stream to the plate.
The annual Sitka Conservation Society wild foods potluck celebrates the abundance of wild local foods in the Sitka area, and gives the community a chance to share and sample an incredible variety dishes. Not only is the food always great but a lot of it comes with great stories as well, stories of hunting trips and secret hard-to-reach blueberry patches.
Do you have a favorite fish recipe? Does your kid? Come share them with us! The Sitka Conservation Society is teaming up with the Sitka Seafood Festival to offer the first annual Fish to Schools Recipe Contest. The contest will take place on Saturday, August 2 at 4:30 p.m at the Main Tent on the [...]
Fishing season is in full swing here in Southeast Alaska. The docks of Sitka are buzzing with fishermen anxiously awaiting every available opener to go out and get the next big catch! Here in Southeast Alaska, fish are a part of every day life. One in 10 jobs in Sitka is directly related to the [...]
When Southeast Alaskans think of local food, we usually think of foraging, fishing and hunting. In the realm of produce, however, we have become accustomed to eating fruits and vegetables shipped in from the lower 48 and around the globe. But a gardening movement is on the rise around the islands. In Sitka, a city with [...]
Sitka Kitch will be kicking off some classes this month. From July 25-27th Sitka Kitch welcomes Sarah Lewis from UAF Cooperative extension. Sarah is the Family & Community Development Faculty for the Southeast Districts. Beginning Friday evening, Sarah will lead a ‘Cottage Food Industry’ class. This class is geared towards those wishing to produce value added [...]
It’s amazing to see how far Fish to Schools has spread. Sitka wasn’t the first community to serve local fish in schools , but we put the program on the map. By telling our story, advocating for policy change, and sharing resources we’ve been able to support Fish to Schools efforts across the state. And [...]