The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the uncomfortable reality that most food in Haines comes from faraway places. Although the supply chain is working for now and is showing no signs of breaking down anytime soon, in recent weeks, both residents and members of the Haines Emergency Operations Center have begun thinking about food security, how best to ensure the community is fed if everything breaks down.
At a townhall meeting last week, EOC deputy commander Carolann Wooton announced that the EOC had formed a Food Security Task Force to address the question of how to ensure Haines is fed in the event of an interruption in barge service due to COVID-19. In a memo to the assembly, Wooton said, based on census data about income levels and the number of people community food programs are currently serving, the task force “estimates that in times of crisis nearly 50% of the community may need assistance with food,” roughly 1,200 people total.
The task force offered two methods to ensure the borough is able to feed people: the “simplest idea,” purchasing 30,000 Meals Ready to Eat (MRE), as used by the military, for either $199,000 or $247,000, depending on the caloric value of the meals; or using the school’s kitchen to mass produce meals using food with a long shelf life such as beans, rice, canned fruit, milk and locally purchased frozen fish from Haines Packing Company. The task force estimates this second option will cost $125,000 plus $16,000 in labor to make 45,000 meals.

While non-perishable supplies are one aspect of food security, Haines would benefit from thinking about food security in a more comprehensive way, said Haines Economic Development Corporation board member and American Bald Eagle Foundation chair Sue Chasen, who has been involved in recent efforts to promote investment in agriculture in Haines. In a letter to borough leaders, Chasen asked that the assembly form a “Food Security Ad Hoc Committee or Task Force” with three areas of focus: agriculture, individual gardens and non-perishable supplies.
Chasen offered to lead the group and proposed short-, mid- and long-term approaches to planning. For this year’s growing season, the group will need to assess the community’s consumption of various crops, the land that could be made available immediately and the supplies available including soil for raised beds and seed potatoes. Kale and potatoes could be some of the most promising crops to try this year because they are well-suited to the climate and high in nutritional value, she said.
Looking ahead, the group would need to begin planning for next year, identifying land that could be developed, Chasen said. Long-term plans could include expanded community gardens, greenhouses, hydroponics and the eventual creation of an agricultural research station.
In her letter to borough leaders, Chasen listed several ways local government could assist in promoting food security including passing an ordinance to encourage buying local produce. Louisiana passed a law in 2011 to provide an incentive worth 4% of the total purchase price to restaurants that buy local agricultural products. The Haines Borough could offer similar financial incentives like tax relief, subsidies, grants or loans for stores willing to purchase local foods, she said.
Chasen said although concerns about supply chain disruption have underscored the need for local food sources, she had already been working on ideas related to food security before the outbreak of COVID-19. She and Haines resident Burl Sheldon, both members of the Chilkat Valley Historical Society, put together an application this winter for U.S. Department of Agriculture funding to assess the viability of growing apples in the valley and received roughly 15 letters of support from the community to include with the grant proposal.
Haines has a history of agricultural activity, Sheldon said. The valley was originally inhabited by subsistence communities, and in the early 1900s, homesteader Charlie Anway grew a variety of crops including apples and strawberries. He said he first became interested in the topic of food security and the possibility that Haines could produce a substantial amount of its food locally through the Anway story.
Sheldon said the benefits of food security extend beyond supply chain issues. He said producing food locally allows for more environmentally responsible farming practices and promotes economic exchange within a community.
Right now, it is cheaper to barge food in from other places than it is to produce it locally, Sheldon said. There is unlikely to be a major shift in food production patterns without an incentive, which is where the coronavirus could have a major impact, he said. In the face of bitter scarcity, local production could become more appealing.
Chasen said she is debating whether it makes sense to proceed with her food security task force idea without the borough’s blessing. The approval of the government would lend her effort credibility, she said, but the Alaskan spirit is “to just get things done.” She said she is currently in discussion with many businesses and organizations involved in agricultural production in Haines.
Chasen said the first steps for this year would be reaching out to grocery stores to see how much food people consume and talking to local farmers about how much seed potatoes they have on hand.