Matanuska Experiment Farm and Extension Center

08/20/2026

Bug of the Week! This week’s bug of the week is the Clearwing grasshopper, Camnula pellucida. As grasshoppers go, the Clearwing is one of our smaller species. Grasshoppers go through what we call incomplete metamorphosis, which means the young just look like the adult. So, no life altering transformation like in the Butterflies. As they grow they also develop wings, with only the adults having truly functional wings. So, if you see a grasshopper fly, that’s an adult. For the Clearwings, adults in Alaska arrive in the middle of July and trickle into August. The males are smaller than the females at about ¾ of an inch, while the female may reach an inch. When at rest the Clearwing’s wings have noticeable mottled forewings. When they take to the air, or you catch one, you can see how the rear wings are clear. The adults and nymphs usually lack reddish hues often seen on many of our other species. But this species has a wide distribution so there is lots of variation.

This species, like many other grasshoppers, will mate in the summer and lay their eggs in a clutch in the soil near host plants. These clutches have about 20 eggs in them and in this species there often are areas where many females lay their clutches near each other. Partially because of this aggregation of eggs, as well as other factors like climate, this species can become a major agricultural pest on grains, their preferred food. Pest outbreaks seem to build up over a few years but can reach population sizes which cover thousands of acres. Thankfully for us they are most pesty on early grain seedlings, which is also when they are not quite running yet because of our short summer. But if the conditions are right, they still can flourish, impacting mid-season grains growth and overflowing into our vegetable gardens in the early fall.

Joey Slowik, IPM Technician
[email protected]

This image is from inaturalist.org

08/20/2026

This is a fun food preservation alternative to canning! Check it out!

Curious about drying your fruit and veg?🌞🍎🥕 Drying is one of the simplest methods of preservation, requiring little outlay of special equipment and expense. It can be done outdoors or indoors in an oven or specially built dehydrator. Most foods can be successfully dried.

🧠👉To learn more, check out our publication at https://www.uaf.edu/ces/publications/database/food/drying-fruits-and-vegetables.php
Or our videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaq6r5nsLDdeABgh5bATXRcWgRjySBhHC

08/19/2026

TL;DR: It's National Potato Day🥔and we’re celebrating by sharing a great potato leek soup recipe from the UAF Cooperative Extension Service publication “Potatoes.”

Happy National Potato Day! Every year on August 19th, the humble potato is given its well deserved day in the spotlight. If you love potatoes (who doesn’t!?), check out the recipe for Potato Leek Soup below from the UAF Cooperative Extension Service publication “Potatoes.” This publication is rich with recipes, and you can read it online here: https://www.uaf.edu/ces/publications/database/food/potatoes.php

If you want to learn more about National Potato Day, check out the National Day Calendar's website here: https://nationaldaycalendar.com/celebrations/national-potato-day-august-19, where they answer important questions like:

Q. Are there other potato holidays?
A. You bet your sweet potato there is! November is Sweet Potato Awareness Month. In February, we celebrate National Eat a Sweet Potato Day and in March we celebrate National Tater Day. And we can't forget National French Fry Day in July.

Let us know if you make this soup, and post your favorite potato recipe in the comments!

📸This photo was taken at last year’s MEFEC Community Potato Harvest by Aimee Young.

Finally, here’s the recipe ⬇

🥔Potato Leek Soup🥔

2 tablespoons canola oil
4-5 medium russet potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
3 large leeks, cleaned and thinly sliced
6 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock)
Salt, to taste
1-2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ cup heavy cream
⅓ cup minced parsley or chives
Heat the oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven, over medium heat. Add the leeks and potatoes.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have begun to soften and brown slightly, about 8 to 12 minutes.

Add the vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender.

Blend until smooth either using an immersion blender or by carefully transferring to a blender in batches.

Add the cream, and season to taste with salt. Garnish with minced herbs.

08/19/2026

Upcoming workshop: Mushroom Identification 🍄 In this intensive course, you will learn how to identify some of the common species of mushrooms in Southcentral Alaska. We will start with an overview of biology, ecology, and uses, and then take a walk and learn how to identify some species we find.

On Saturday September 19th, Mycologist Christin Swearingen will give an introduction to mushroom field guides and dichotomous keys, making collections, and learning which features to hone into when identifying mushrooms. We will learn about both edible and inedible mushrooms.

🔸Cost: $100.00
🔸When: September 19th from 9am - 4pm
🔸You must register to attend. Register here: https://bit.ly/PalmerMushroom26

📍We will meet at the UAF Matanuska Experiment Farm and Extension Center 1509 S. Georgeson Drive, Palmer. In the afternoon, we will be collecting mushrooms from a different location, so prepare to carpool or drive yourself to an alternate location.

What to bring:
We will break for a short time for lunch, so a sack lunch is recommended.
A collecting basket or tackle box that can keep your mushrooms separate.
Optional: pocket knife, hand lens, water bottle, and notebook.
Snacks and water bottle, as needed.

This class will be mostly held outside, please dress accordingly.

❓For more information, contact the MEFEC front desk at [email protected] or call 907-745-3360.

Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made five business days in advance to [email protected] or 907-474-5211. Language access services, such as interpretation or translation of vital information, will be provided free of charge to individuals with limited English proficiency upon request to [email protected]. ▪️The University of Alaska (http://www.alaska.edu/alaska) is an equal opportunity/equal access employer and educational institution. The university is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination (http://www.alaska.edu/nondiscrimination) against individuals on the basis of any legally protected status.▪️This work is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

08/13/2026

Did you know that if your jam or jelly doesn’t gel you can remake it? Your berry harvest is too precious to give up on if your batch doesn’t set up on the first try.

Sarah Lewis, Home, Health and Family Development Agent with the Cooperative Extension Service, says "You can try remaking a soft jelly or jam at any time after it was originally processed, as long as the jars have remained sealed and there is no sign of spoilage. It’s always an uncertain outcome whenever remaking soft jelly or jam, but you can give it a try if you’re not satisfied with the texture or you’re not happy with an unexpected syrup."

Check out “Remaking Soft Jams or Jellies” here: https://www.uaf.edu/ces/publications/database/food/remaking-soft-jams-or-jellies.php We also welcome you to come to our office in Palmer to browse our collection of many more free publications!

Don’t worry… you can get it to set!

08/12/2026

Happy International Youth Day, and excellent work Alaska 4-H members!

08/10/2026

This is an excellent publication- check it out!

08/10/2026

Mark your calendars because the tour is coming up! Join us this Thursday 8/13 at noon!

Upcoming farm tour featuring our new cows and Livestock Nutritionist Dr. Jim Vinyard! This free walking tour of the Matanuska Experiment Farm and Extension Center is next Thursday, August 13th, at noon.

This one-hour outdoor tour will highlight Dr. Vinyard’s research about raising livestock in Alaska. 🐂 He will discuss the unique challenge of limited access to local feed. Learn about his research which aims to identify new feed ingredients that can be grown and harvested here in Alaska, such as seaweed, salmon meal, crab meal and novel forages.

Dress for the weather and be prepared for uneven and muddy terrain. 👢

📍Location: Matanuska Experiment Farm and Extension Center, 1509 S. Georgeson Drive, Palmer. Meet in the lobby of Kerttula Hall.

We will hold the tour by the cow pen, so join us, meet our cows and learn about their specialized diet.

For more information, contact the Farm's front desk at 907-745-3360.

Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made five business days in advance to [email protected] or 907-474-5211. Language access services, such as interpretation or translation of vital information, will be provided free of charge to individuals with limited English proficiency upon request to [email protected].

The University of Alaska (http://www.alaska.edu/alaska) is an equal opportunity/equal access employer and educational institution. The university is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination (http://www.alaska.edu/nondiscrimination) against individuals on the basis of any legally protected status.

This work is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

08/07/2026

If you have noticed aphids in your garden, check out this helpful info!

Aphid invasion! 🐜🌱 These tiny, pear-shaped insects use piercing mouthparts to suck plant sap and can quickly build large colonies! Aphids reproduce rapidly, with many species giving birth to live young without mating, allowing populations to explode in the right conditions. When colonies become crowded, winged aphids develop and disperse to start new colonies. This cluster may simply be the result of one aphid finding a perfect feeding spot. Plant stress and high nitrogen can contribute to outbreaks, but sometimes it’s just a matter of being in the right place at the right time!

IPM strategies for aphid management:

🌱 Avoid excessive fertilization. High nitrogen levels can cause plants to put on lots of new, tender growth which is attractive to aphids. Using slow-release fertilizer formulas can help moderate nitrogen release.

🏡 Plan your garden thoughtfully. Choose varieties that are well-suited to our cooler Alaska climate. Avoid aphid-prone plants, or place them in areas where honeydew secretions won't become a nuisance (e.g. away from decks, vehicle parking areas, etc.).

🧑‍⚕️ Reduce plant stress. Follow the seed packet or label instructions and place plants in their preferred amount of sun/shade and soil conditions. Provide supplemental water during hot/dry periods.

🔎 Monitor your plants regularly to catch pest issues when they are still small. Small infestations of aphids can easily be removed with a damp cloth. Prune and discard heavily infested stems.

❌ AVOID broad-spectrum insecticides. Broad-spectrum insecticides can have unintended consequences for other insects in the garden, including pollinators and natural predators of aphids. Spot treatments of products containing insecticidal soap or neem oil can be used as needed. Before purchasing and applying any pesticide product, read the label, and be sure to follow all label directions.

❌ DO NOT release commercially-available convergent lady beetles. Not only are they ineffective, but they are wild-collected outside Alaska, and harbor diseases that can be spread to our native lady beetles.

08/05/2026

Upcoming farm tour featuring our new cows and Livestock Nutritionist Dr. Jim Vinyard! This free walking tour of the Matanuska Experiment Farm and Extension Center is next Thursday, August 13th, at noon.

This one-hour outdoor tour will highlight Dr. Vinyard’s research about raising livestock in Alaska. 🐂 He will discuss the unique challenge of limited access to local feed. Learn about his research which aims to identify new feed ingredients that can be grown and harvested here in Alaska, such as seaweed, salmon meal, crab meal and novel forages.

Dress for the weather and be prepared for uneven and muddy terrain. 👢

📍Location: Matanuska Experiment Farm and Extension Center, 1509 S. Georgeson Drive, Palmer. Meet in the lobby of Kerttula Hall.

We will hold the tour by the cow pen, so join us, meet our cows and learn about their specialized diet.

For more information, contact the Farm's front desk at 907-745-3360.

Accommodation requests related to a disability should be made five business days in advance to [email protected] or 907-474-5211. Language access services, such as interpretation or translation of vital information, will be provided free of charge to individuals with limited English proficiency upon request to [email protected].

The University of Alaska (http://www.alaska.edu/alaska) is an equal opportunity/equal access employer and educational institution. The university is committed to a policy of nondiscrimination (http://www.alaska.edu/nondiscrimination) against individuals on the basis of any legally protected status.

This work is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.