Agroborealis, Vol. 39, No. 1 (Summer 2007)

Abstract

Forage & turf: the career of G. Allen Mitchell: Allen Mitchell's 36-year career has been devoted to finding better forage for animals, plants for revegetation, and good tough turfgrasses capable of withstanding Alaska's harsh winters-it's nice to have a good green for one's northern golf game. / Doreen Fitzgerald -- Wasps: the good, the bad, and the not-so-bad: Summer 2006 was a banner year for wasps in interior Alaska, much to the chargrin of picnic-goers-and with fatal consequences for two Fairbanksans. / Peter J. Landolt, Alberto Pantoja, Aaron Hagerty, Daryl Green, and Susan Emmert, with introduction by Deirdre Helfferich -- Dragonhead mint: it's for the birds: A wild northern mint may be just what the chickadee ordered-and birdwatchers looking to buy birdseed from Alaska farmers. / Deirdre Helfferich, from a research report by Bob Van Veldhuizen and Charlie Knight -- Coastal carbon: what's happening as the arctic coastline erodes?: Alaska's northern coastlines are becoming exposed to more open water as sea ice melts, and storm surges and wave action are accelerating erosion in the Arctic. Scientists want to better understand the transfer of soil sediments, carbon, and nutrients from terrestrial ecosystems to near-shore waters, and the effects of this erosion. / Doreen Fitzgerald -- The Musk ox: wooly and warm in a northern fiber industry: Qiviut is the soft, long, and warm underwool of muskoxens; it is sold as an expensive luxury fiber in specialty yarn shops. Clothing made from it is marketed as exclusive, exotic fashion, and commands a high price. The allure and value of qiviut could mean that an economically viable, specialty fiber industry based on this muskox product might be ripe for development in Alaska and Canada. / Deirdre Helfferich -- Local herbs!: Tanana Valley farmers and chefs interviewed in this senior thesis survey reveal that local is good: fresh herbs are in demand, and restaurants will pay top dollar for locally grown produce-if the farmer provides good service, timely delivery, high quality, and the right herbs. / Jacquelyn Denise Goss