Kodiak Soil & Water Conservation District

09/21/2026

Confused about your carrots catastrophe this year? Perturbed by your poor pea performance?

There is hope! KSWCD is offering soil testing in Kodiak! Armed with information about your soil, you can make informed improvements your garden strategy next season. The first 30 tests are FREE, then $40 per test afterwards. The fee covers shipping and testing costs.

Contact us today to schedule a time for soil sampling and consultation!

09/05/2026

Kodiak Rodeo and State Fair going on now! Here is James learning about invasive plants at our booth, and a line of people waiting for good food. The rodeo is starting now!

08/27/2026

Sad to hear about more theft from the Kodiak Community Gardens. Someone stole zucchinis and probably other vegetables too.

Reminder: the beds are assigned to individual growers that produce food for their families. Please contact us if you would like a bed to grow your own. If you are hungry, Kodiak does have resources including the Salvation Army Food Bank, Brother Francis Shelter, Kodiak Women's Resource and Crisis Center, and more.

You are welcome to walk through and admire - but please do not touch the plants and please report suspicious activity!
Thank you!

08/25/2026

So, how do we do "soil and water conservation?"

One way is through our support of USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) programs.

Koniag Inc. has recently taken advantage of an NRCS program called the Regenerative Pilot Program (https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/regenerative-pilot-program), which financially supports growers while they make more holistic and sustainable production choices. KSWCD staff visited Koniag land on Afognak Island to complete some soil sampling (and pick some berries) that qualifies Koniag for this program while they complete timber site preparations. Once soil samples are submitted and analyzed, Koniag will receive financial support to complete their work.

This is one example of NRCS assistance for a large-scale growing operation in Kodiak. However, the NRCS offers many programs for producers of all sizes. Check them out here (we recommend EQIP grants here in Kodiak!): https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives.

Please reach out to us to help you get started for next growing season!

08/18/2026

Protecting livestock from bears starts with a plan.

Alaska producers are invited to join Supervisory Wildlife Biologist Marc Pratt of USDA Wildlife Services on August 19 at 6 p.m. for a practical seminar on strategies for protecting livestock from bears.

Kodiak Best Western
236 E Rezanof Dr., Kodiak, AK 99615

Come learn practical, producer-focused strategies directly from a wildlife professional for reducing bear conflicts and protecting your livestock.

Share this with a Kodiak-area producer who should be there

August 19 | 6 p.m. | Kodiak Best Western

08/14/2026

Hey YOU! The Kodiak Community Gardens are waiting for YOU to come visit tomorrow from 11-3pm. Come learn and get ideas for next year while exploring all 24 garden beds! We are stop #3 on the tour--just look for the yellow balloons on Larch Street. See you there!

08/07/2026

Foxglove: this pretty plant is an invasive species in Alaska. After they bloom, please consider pulling and double bagging them before disposal at the landfill. If you like to enjoy the flowers but don't want the hundreds of seeds to spread, the best time to cut them back is after they bloom and before the seeds mature to prevent seed spread. Be careful not to get the sap into any wounds or sensitive areas such as eyes and mouth as it is toxic when ingested.

07/27/2026

Attention hikers! What do you do if you locate orange hawkw**d on the trails?

Here's what we recommend:
- Take pictures with distinguishing landmarks
- Document the specific coordinates
- Carry a small zip-lock bag on all of your hikes

For small infestations (a few plants): w**d them out ensuring that you remove the roots and creeping rhizomes placing them in a sealed bag.

For a large infestation: pick the flower heads placing them in a sealed bag.

- Dispose of any invasive plant material by double bagging for the landfill or burn plant material if they aren't going to seed.

Regardless of the size of the infestation, we want to know if you encounter orange hawkw**d outside of our containment areas (highlighted in red on the map photos). Please share photos and location coordinates which are critical to helping us find the sites.

With our limited resources, it is difficult to be everywhere at once and a full community effort in removing hawkw**d from these hard to access points is what we need. Together we can protect our wildflower meadows and wildlife habitats!

07/23/2026

07/22/2026

Successful day one of clearing this section of the bike path of orange hawkw**d flowers! See you tomorrow from 1-3 if you’d like to lend a hand!