Gail Niebrugge wrote about her experience at Country Garden Farms during the 2011 Farm Tour here.

“Thursday several neighbors and I attended the Mat-Su Bureau Farm Tour, sponsored by the State of Alaska Department of Agriculture and the Mat-Su Farm Bureau.  It was a very enlightening and informative experience.  Our first stop was the Country Gardens Farms where they have perfected the process of growing sod.  I was fascinated with the sod machine that stripped grass from the ground, rolled it and stacked it onto palettes.  It is pretty cool to have this resource available in south central Alaska.

RollingSod

“We were told that farmlands in the fertile soils of Palmer are dwindling and land is being sold for subdivisions.  Farmers have a difficult time making a living today and are faced with the difficult choice when retiring of whether or not to sell the land for development and enjoy the fruits of a lifetime of labor, or keep the farm for future generations with an uncertain financial outcome.  Food for thought.”

Gail Niebrugge, Alaskan artist

 

SodMachine

Thanks, Gail!