As Temperatures Rise, Farms Are Sprouting in Alaska

Sack farming—growing crops in soil-filled recycled bags within household compounds—has enabled farmers in Kwara State, Nigeria, to overcome climate challenges by producing vegetables and tubers that significantly reduce household food expenses, generate supplementary income from excess harvests, and provide up to 80% crop success rates.

After there was a fungal disease outbreak in the 1990s that affected cacao crops in Brazil, a group of 150 community members got together to collectively manage a farm to grow back cacao trees using agroforestry techniques. Because of their efforts, they sell their cacao to major chocolate brands and have seen their monthly income more than double.

The Raíces Cooperative Farm in Hood River, Oregon provides Spanish-speaking community members "a place to grow food," learn from one another about farming practices and develop leadership skills. “Through Raíces, I began to learn better cultivation techniques. [We are shown] how to care for the soil, plants, and seeds, and the program provides economic support" one member explained. During the coronavirus pandemic, the cooperative has also been integral to supplying food for mobile markets.

True to hacker form, an MIT team wants "open-source agriculture," a technology that takes food production back from big corporations and makes it widely accessible. To this end, the OpenAg community, comprised of coders, horticulturalists, engineers, plant scientists, and teachers, is developing food computers. But the technology is still being developed, and the economics don't yet pencil out for profitability.

While climate change continues to complicate the realities of creating seasonal viable crops, farmers in Malawi are adopting conservation agriculture in at attempt to salvage what they can from their crops. Through a variety of "climate change resilience farming methods," local farmers have seen an increase in their crops' resiliency.

Bayero University Center for Dryland Agriculture’s Tissue Culture Lab empowers local farmers with advanced research and technology to adapt to climate change and increase food security and nutrition. So far, 22 communities have benefited from the Lab’s expertise, leading to increased food production and fewer health problems caused by inadequate diets.

As harvesting lobsters becomes more uncertain along the Maine coast due to climate change, many fishers are turning to kelp farming as a way to diversify their income. Atlantic Sea Farms purchases 1 million pounds of kelp a year from dozens of farmers resulting in The Pine Tree State becoming one of the top aquaculture producers in the United States.

After realizing that his soil was becoming more saline after repeated uses of chemical fertilizer, a farmer in India made the switch to organic farming with the hopes of saving his crops. By switching to organic farming he has a lower crop yield than he would by using chemicals, but he is hopeful others will see the benefits of this method.

The Alexandre Family Farm in California made the switch to regenerative agriculture as a way to improve their soil health and improve the quality of their dairy operations. They are part of a growing number of individual dairies across the country that are embracing organic farming and are becoming “certified regenerative” as a way to build relationships with consumers and retailers on their own.

A startup in California called Crop Swap LA is converting unused front yards into community gardens that can grow crops like kale, rainbow chard, and tomatoes as a way to feed neighbors. Community members can pay for subscriptions for up to $43 a month to receive a bundle of greens and vegetables from the microfarms and homeowners get a share of the profits. Each garden needs to have the proper maintenance, which can make it difficult to scale, but these gardens can help provide access to food to those who don’t have a grocery store in their area.