Offering soil sample collection and analysis, integrated pest management plans, irrigation water management, grazing management, water testing and feed testing. 

Call Catherine Hadley at 907.460.8628

or send her an e-mail:

• Port City: Price $71/plus tax. One double bed and a trundle bed. Looks out on the parking lot. They have 8 of these rooms reserved for us.
• Port Bay: Price $80/plus tax. One double bed and a trundle bed. View of the bay. They have 8 rooms reserved for us.
• Mid-Ship City: $80/plus tax. 2 double beds. Looks out on the parking lot. They have 2 rooms reserved for us.
• Mid-Ship Bay: $107/plus tax. 2 double beds. View of the Bay. They have 4 rooms reserved for us.
• Mid-Ship King: $107/plus tax. 1 King bed. View of the Bay. They have 7 rooms reserved for us.
• Starboard Bay Suite: $134/plus tax. Two rooms: 1 King bed and the other room has 1 Queen bed. 

Gold Nugget Farms, Palmer, R to L Gerald Huppert, Josh Lutz, Teri Bernowski, Paul Huppert

• 2015 models are now included.
• The Farm Bureau membership requirement is reduced from 60 to 30 days.
• The new Bonus Cash offer now stacks with one additional offer such as the Owner Loyalty program, which gives you the opportunity to receive more than the $500 Farm Bureau offer.
• The $500 offer is eligible for purchases both in Alaska and in most other states.

NEW PROGRAM IN VETERINARY MEDICINE AT UAF

By Milan P. Shipka, PhD, Professor of Animal Science and Extension Livestock Specialist, Program Chair; Agriculture and Horticulture Extension; Associate Director; Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station School of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences Cooperative Extension Service University of Alaska Fairbanks.

The Colorado State University (CSU) College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (CVMBS) and the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) have formed a collaborative program to train doctors of veterinary medicine.

http://csu-cvmbs.colostate.edu/dvm-program/Pages/uaf-csu-collaborative-veterinary-program.aspx

The new program is referred to as a 2+2 program because students accepted to the program will be able to remain at UAF through the first two years of their Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree program and then will move to CSU for their third and fourth years of the degree. 

The DVM degree will be granted by CSU. Students may complete pre-veterinary medicine training at UAF in any program by performing well in the prerequisite courses that are required to apply for acceptance to CVMBS http://csu-cvmbs.colostate.edu/dvm-program/Pages/DVM-Program-Entrance-Requirements.aspx.

The Veterinary Medicine Program at UAF will accept 10 students per year and students accepted to the program will be accepted to both UAF and CSU concurrently. This means UAF-based students of veterinary medicine are in the same academic class (year of graduation) from day 1 of their DVM program as students attending CSU for their first two years of the program. 

Students at UAF will have identical courses as CSU students, but those courses will be taught by UAF professors with some involvement of CSU faculty members. After the first two years of their DVM program the UAF-based students will move to CSU and step right in with the rest of their class. Important in this is that Alaska students will receive preference for admission each year IF they have the proper background experience and compete with other students from the standpoint of preparation, grades (overall and in required coursework), and in other endeavors associated with their interest in veterinary medicine. 

For information on the 2+2 Veterinary Medicine program at UAF contact Dr. Arleigh Reynolds, Associate Dean for Veterinary Medicine at ajreynolds@alaska.edu and/or Dr. Todd O'Hara, Professor and Coordinator of Pre Vet/Veterinary Student Services at tmohara@alaska.edu.  For more information or to schedule an appointment, email the department at uaf-vet-med@alaska.edu and visit the website www.uaf.edu/vmed.

As stated above, students may complete the pre-veterinary medicine studies in any degree program at UAF, UAA or UAS. Coursework required to be completed in order to apply for the DVM program include all the general University requirements for a Bachelor of Science degree as well as physics and advanced courses in biology, chemistry, and biochemistry. 

Some Bachelor of Science degrees require many of these same courses in the undergraduate degree program meaning that with good planning a student will complete the requisite courses required for application to the DVM program without too many extra credits beyond the BS degree requirement. 

The School of Natural Resources and Extension (SNRE) BS degree program, Natural Resource Management (NRM), is one such degree program. SNRE is encouraging students interested in the DVM degree to first major in NRM at the undergraduate level and complete the pre-veterinary medicine requirements while completing the BS in NRM. Persons with interest should contact the SNRE recruiter, Martha Westphal at mmwestphal@alaska.edu or 907-474-5276.

In my opinion, this is a great opportunity for our Alaska students. This will require less time away from our state and will potentially provide new doctors of veterinary medicine trained in Alaska related issues. Make no mistake about it, the competition will be keen and our Alaska students must meet the same rigorous standards required of students from Colorado. For academically motivated students interested in veterinary medicine this is a real opportunity.

The cows and heifers at Wolverine Farm are tagged! How are your spring preparations coming?

CLASSIFIED ADS

Vendors for Center Market Wanted:  The Center Market at The Mall at Sears in Anchorage is looking for vendors with unique Alaska grown or produced products.  The Center Market is a year round, indoor farmers market.  We are looking for vendors to join us on Wednesdays for this spring.  We will start our Saturday market in August.  For more information, e-mail Alex Davis at adfarorganic@gmail.com.

For Sale:  2008 Dodge 3500 Pickup.  4 door crew cab, 6.7 L inline diesel engine, turbo charger, duel rear wheels.  Black with Leer Topper.  5th wheel attachment, 6 speed automatic.  Excellent condition with all the bells and whistles. Super chip included.  151,000 miles.  Please call Jeannie Pinkelman in Delta Junction at 907-895-4006 or 895-4594.

Farm for Sale in North Pole:  A 9 acre commercial operation farm/nursery/tourism lodge business at 2100 Nelson Road in North Pole.  A 30'x40' attached, insulated greenhouse, fully landscaped grounds, tree nursery, large vegetable garden (only natural fertilizers used), woods in blueberries and cranberries.  There is a 2-story log lodge, stainless commercial kitchen, covered porches, and gazebo for weddings.  Good well water.  28 HP hydraulic John Deere tractor with bucket, rototiller attachments and many, many other features.  $378,000.  Contact Tracy Pulido at info@chenalakesfarm.com.

40 Acres for Sale in North Pole:  Gorgeous parcel that is a mix of large spruce, birch, willow and grassland.  East borders Chena Lake Recreation Area at the end of Repp Road in North Pole.  Great spot for farm, rural estate or hunting/fishing aurora-viewing lodge.  Can be subdivided into 5-acre lots.  Short walk to river or lake.  Road access, power about ¼ mile away.  Very private, but easy access to town.  Owner financing is available.  $117,000 OBO. Contact Tracey Pulido at info@chenalakesfarm.com.

For Sale:  Drill stem pipe.  160 pieces of 2 7/8 inch and 3-½ inch.  Each piece is thirty-two (32) feet long and ¼ inch thickness.  Selling for $1 per foot.  Call Mike at 907-301-7942 at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center in Portage Glacier.

FARM BUREAU CALLS FOR TAX CHANGES

Farmers and ranchers need tax certainty to thrive in a modern economy, and making permanent deductions that expired in 2013 is a good first step, the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) told the House Ways and Means Committee.  "One of the major goals of tax reform should be to provide stable, predictable rules for businesses so that they can grow and create jobs," American Farm Bureau President Bob Stallman said.  "Farm Bureau believes that Congress should end its practice of extending important business tax provisions for one or two years at a time.  This practice makes it very difficult for farmers and ranchers to plan and adds immense confusion and complexity."  Stallman addressed the committee as part of a hearing addressing the economic disruption cause by the end of a series of tax deductions over the past several years.  Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-Mich.) recently introduced a discussion draft of the Tax Reform Act of 2014 in an effort to stimulate discussion of how the tax code could be simpler and fairer.

MAY 1ST NURSERY CROP INSURANCE DEADLINE

USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) reminds nursery growers of the May 1st sales closing date for Nursery Multi-Peril Crop Insurance coverage.

This insurance provides protection for wholesale nurseries producing and marketing nursery plants grown in standard nursery containers or in the field. Coverage is based on a plant inventory value report that declares a value of insurable plants the lower of a nursery grower's own price or prices contained in a Plant Price Schedule maintained by USDA.

New policy applications may be filed at any time, however, all applications, including those for new or amended coverage are subject to a 30-day waiting period before coverage begins.  Local crop insurance agents are available to provide program details. A list of crop insurance agents is available at all USDA Service Centers or at http://www3.rma.usda.gov/tools/agents/.

Alaska Perfect Peony Farm, photo credit: Rita Jo Shoultz

LIKE DISCOUNTS?

Join the Alaska Farm Bureau!  We offer many discounts to all of our members: 

• Office Depot:  Up to 80% off preferred products.  Free Shipping to Alaska on orders over $50.00.  
• COUNTRY Financial:  Offering ID Theft, Home, Auto, Life policies and Financial Planning.  Farm policies are sold only to Alaska Farm Bureau Members.
• Choice Hotels:  Up to 20% off when you stay at any Comfort Inn, Quality, Clarion, Roadway Inn, Econo Lodge, Mainstay Suites, and Suburban hotels.  Must use their website www.choicehotels.com or call 1-800-258-2847.  Discount code:00228830.
• Grainger:  10-50% discounts on merchandise purchased online and at the Anchorage store.  Free shipping on merchandise sent to Alaska that is ordered on-line at www.Grainger.com.  Your account must be set up with them as a Farm Bureau member.
• GM Discount:  $500 discount on all GMC, Chevrolet and Buick new cars and trucks.  All vehicles are eligible for the discount except the Chevrolet Volt and Cadillac. Must be a member for 60 days.  You print your own certificate at www.fbadvantage.com/deals/gm.  You will need to enter your Alaska farm Bureau membership number.
• Prescription Drug Program:  Discounts for you, your family and your employees.  There are no enrollment forms, no claim forms.  There are 50 participating pharmacies in Alaska including Wal-Mart, Sam's Club, Fred Meyer, Safeway and drug stores around the state.  Discounts for those with and without insurance.  Request cards from the Alaska Farm Bureau Office at 907-803-4752 or janehamilton99737@yahoo.com.
• NAPA Discount:  10% discount at all NAPA stores in Alaska, except for those in Tok, Kodiak and Southeast who are not participating in this program.  For Fairbanks and Delta, use code 0495. Elsewhere in the state use code 3276.
• Farm Bureau Bank:  Significant savings on all business and personal financial needs-credit cards; deposit accounts including money market savings and IRA's; vehicle, student, home loans and much more at www.farmbureaubank.com.
• AVIS Car Rental:  Discounts on vehicles rented both inside and outside of Alaska at participating rental offices.  Use AVIS Code A298802.
• CASE-IH:  $300-500 discounts on equipment purchased at CASE-IH dealerships in Anchorage, Fairbanks as well as in the Lower 48.