Climate change could enable Alaska to grow more of its own food – now is the time to plan for it

Transplanting lettuce seedlings from greenhouses to fields in mid-May at VanderWeele Farm in Palmer, Alaska. Tracy Robillard, NRCS Alaska/Flickr

Gardeners in Alaska know that it’s hard to grow big, juicy tomatoes here. But as the climate rapidly warms in the far north, that could change.

Anchorage reached 90 degrees Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) for the first time on record in 2019. Arctic sea ice is rapidly receding, and average annual temperatures are 3-4 F higher statewide (1.7-2.2 C) compared with those in the mid-20th century.