A family of intrepid Alaskans has created a beautiful oasis for fresh greens in a place as grey and windy as it gets: Unalaska. Out on the Aleutians, farms are hard to come by. Over the years, many have tried to farm, ranch and garden on these islands that the sea never stops washing with rain, sleet, snow, and wind. Many and tried and few have succeeded, but the fearless folks at Aleutian Greens have created a garden inside a shipping container that creates bounteous crops of greens for the local population.
It is extremely challenging to get fresh vegetables this far out to the remote Alaskan island chain. The grocery stores try to keep the shelves stocked, but transportation, freezing and extraordinarily high prices are all barriers to eating vegetables in this and many rural Alaskan communities. This clever solution, now possible with modern technologies, makes growing huge quantities of fresh greens possible in a compact space, insulated and protected from the harsh weather. This bold new business may change the face of getting vegetables to Alaska by empowering communities to grow their own.
Unalaska is out on the edge of the world in the Aleutian Island chain, trailing out into the Pacific Ocean. Blaine Shaishnikoff, a Qawalangin Tribal Member is a nearly lifelong Unalaska resident who loves this seaside town.
In 2014, Blaine entered the Aleutian Marketplace Contest, a call for creative business ideas for the region. His idea was a vertical harvest hydroponic grow house for fresh salad greens in rural Alaska, built inside giant shipping containers.
He made the finals in the competition and received a lot of exposure to people who support entrepreneurs. He found a strong local partner at the Aleutian Housing Authority (AHA) who thought the idea had merit.
Provided by Aleutian Greens Management
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They grow over 900 plants a week including herbs, lettuces of various types, and a variety of other salad greens. They provide greens for every single restaurant in their small town, as well as one of the major grocery stores.
Provided by Aleutian Greens Management
An average grow takes about 6 weeks from seed to harvest. The farmers start new seeds each week and the business has proven they can churn out fresh greens year-round.
The difficulty and costs of shipping in Unalaska make eating a healthy diet full of fruits and vegetables almost an impossibility. Locally grown greens are part of the solution.
This is a family business and husband and wife as well as their 6 and 8 year old children help out around the farm. Their eight month old baby will be working there as well in no time. Everyone enjoys the healthy lifestyle and the oxygen rich environment.
The costs of shipping supplies to the Aleutians is quite high and getting harvested greens to other nearby communities unscathed is a challenge. They are taking on the job, however, and expanding shipping this year.
This excellent addition to the community has been a big hit, with everyone in town wanting the greens. Since opening, they have had to turn away people at their door all the time and send them to one of the retailers.
They can’t grow greens fast enough to keep up with the demand, so they are expanding. If you find yourself in Unalaska, try the Aleutian Greens. They are fresh, tasty and growing a healthy family business, and feeding a thriving community, in Unalaska.
