(SitNews) - t’s not enough that Bob and Marilyn Krause own a farm near Fairbanks; they feel compelled to share their knowledge with all who care to ask.

“Arctic Woods is a teaching farm,” said Marilyn Krause, who was interviewed for this article. “Our philosophy is to help people learn how to farm and have kids experience farming.”

Bob grew up on a farm in Wisconsin and Marilyn was surrounded by agriculture in Michigan, but they began farming in Alaska just to put good food on the table. What started as a hobby farm with a couple of chickens has grown into a thriving operation with poultry, dairy cattle, goats and sheep. “It kept growing and growing and growing,” Krause said.

Marilyn Krause loves her baby animals at Arctic Woods Farm.
Photo by Nancy Tarnai, UAF

Eggs are a huge seller, as is meat. When customers purchase an animal, the Krauses have it custom slaughtered at a U.S. Department of Agriculture-approved facility. “It works out really well,” Krause said. “We have repeat customers year after year.”

As the Krauses’ three children got involved in 4-H Club and Future Farmers of America, the family added more and more animals. One of their sons worked at the Fairbanks Experiment Farm back when it researched cattle and pigs. “He fell in love with working with pigs and spent a lot of time there,” Krause said. When the farm closed down the hog operation, the Krauses bought a boar and sow to continue the line at Arctic Woods.

A daughter added sheep to the fold when she took an FFA American Degree project. As an eighth grader, she tackled the work thoroughly, doing everything on her own.

Because her own children gained so much from 4-H and FFA involvement, Krause finds it worth her time to assist others in learning about agriculture. She does so in her classroom at Ryan Middle School and in a workshop she teaches called Agriculture in the Classroom.

The Krauses also have an open door policy to help others learn about farming. “We get everyone from 2-year-olds to adults,” Krause said. “Some come once or twice, and some keep returning.”

Knowledge passed on includes how to build a barn, how to keep chickens laying eggs all winter, how to care for animals and how to stay safe on the farm. Kids who participate in the fair learn showmanship skills. “Mainly what we teach is that animals have unconditional love for us,” Krause said. “Children need the responsibility of caring for animals and they learn the rewards of taking care of animals.”

Krause advises would-be farmers to start small. “Farming isn’t about big profits; it’s about quality,” she said. “The meat you produce won’t cost much less than what you buy at the grocery store, but it’s better quality. People think they are going to make millions farming; it’s not going to happen, but there will be a lot of pride in your products.”

The Krauses have a plan to increase profits: move to the lower 48. In a few years when they retire, they plan to relocate to Texas. “It’s really hard farming here,” Krause said. “We have to bring in so much, it’s hard to make a profit.” In Texas, they’ll have a 100-acre farm where the animals can be pasture-raised.

“We’ll miss it here but we’ve moved all our lives,” she said.

For Krause, the best thing about farming is playing with baby animals. “I like being on the farm,” she said. “People ask how can you get up at 60 below and feed and water and move hay. We don’t think of it; we just get up and do it. It’s always fun.”

The worst thing is having to watch when a mother rejects her calf. “There’s not much we can do. It’s a pretty rough go, and it’s sad.”

Whatever happens in Texas, Krause plans to continue sharing agricultural knowledge, whether teaching at a community college or offering workshops. She also loves to teach people about fiber arts.

If agricultural knowledge is in danger of fading away, the Krauses are doing their part to ensure that people have resources and ways to learn what they need to know to raise their own food.

This column is provided as a service by the UAF School of Natural Resources and Extension and the Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station.
Nancy Tarnai is the school and station’s public information officer.
She can be reached at ntarnai@alaska.edu.

SitNews ©2014
Stories In The News
Ketchikan, Alaska

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