Guest blog by Robbie Townsend Vennel Alutiiq Grown is the first Alaska Native and rural farming collective in the state of Alaska. Supported through the Kodiak Archipelago Leadership Institute (KALI), the off-road system communities of Port Lions, Ouzinkie, Old Harbor, Larsen Bay and two tribes in the small city of Kodiak have worked to establish…

The Kodiak Archipelago stretches 180 miles in the Gulf of Alaska. Its six villages lie on different coasts with distinct landscapes – from Akhiok’s tundra to Ouzinkie’s rainforest to Karluk’s sheer sea cliffs – they’re connected by seasons and subsistence.

A local food hub has sprouted on Kodiak Island. The archipelago is now home to five community and tribally owned farms – with plans for a sixth agricultural site this summer.