Foundroot seeks new fields
By Kyle Clayton
Citing erosion and the possibilities of contamination stemming from December floods, the American Bald Eagle Foundation board won’t allow the use of its Henderson field for agriculture this summer, frustrating gardeners and farmers who lease the land each year.
The farmers say they are confused by the board’s decision and don’t understand why they can’t use the land pending findings of contamination. The dispute has highlighted uncertainty over the board’s vision for the long-term use of the land which may or may not include current users.
“This is a major scientific situation,” ABEF executive director Cheryl McRoberts told the field’s renters in a letter this month. “The damage is so extensive to the land it is going to take considerable time and funds to bring the farm back to a status where it is safe to plant in the soil…We do not know when the gardens will reopen, or if they will.”
The gardeners, who sell their produce at the Haines Farmers Market, were told they had until May 31 to remove their property from ABEF land.
“We just don’t understand,” said gardener Sue Waterhouse. “We’re continuing what Bob Henderson wanted. We have customers that come every year because they want organic vegetables out of Bob Henderson’s garden.”
Henderson, a former teacher, Mayor and agriculturist, left his 14-acre homestead to the foundation on his death in 2015 under the condition that it remain a single parcel for 20 years and that it be used for agriculture. He sold produce, eggs and dairy products to residents for years.
Foundroot owners Leah Wagner and Nick Schlosstein, who sell produce from a farm stand, point to the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) advice to get crops in the ground as soon as possible to prevent additional erosion as a reason they’re confused by the board’s decision.
The ABEF received a grant from the NRCS several years ago to build a high tunnel greenhouse on the land on the condition that it produce a commodity crop in the soil. NRCS public affairs specialist Tracy Robillard said they’ve recommended to the foundation that it plant a “cover crop” to get a root system established as soon as possible.
“A cover crop is typically used in the off-season to help get a deeper system of roots in the soil to provide more cohesion. You could still grow a vegetable crop as well. You just want any living roots in there,” Robillard told the CVN. “To protect that soil, we would recommend getting a living root system in that soil as quickly as possible.”
Wagner and Schlosstein have made a living from selling seeds and farming the land for the past five years. Schosstein said they offered to test the field’s soil, remove debris and fill in the ruts at their expense to keep their planting season on schedule, in the event the test results came back negative.
“These offers were rejected for reasons that weren’t made clear,” Schlosstein said “This is a devastating loss for us, financially and personally. We had an employee arranged, a following for our local farm stand, and several wholesale accounts between Haines and Juneau that rely on us.”
ABEF board president Gary Matthews said he understands the gardeners’ frustration, but the land belongs to the foundation and its long-term use has yet to be decided, an uncertainty that has caused conflict between the land’s users and the board. He said some gardeners have felt a sense of propriety over the farm. It’s possible the board will decide to use the land for a different purpose, he said, a decision the board will discuss after the test results come back.
“The communication between the board and the gardeners hasn’t been that good,” Matthews said. “There have been a lot of issues over the years. We still don’t know what we want that (land) to be. There are some long-term things we would like to potentially see happen there, but we haven’t decided what our goals are for the site. It may be that we get the (test) results back and we say (to the farmers), go ahead.”
ABEF board member Carolyn Goolsby said the board is trying to protect the foundation from liability in the event the land is contaminated. “If it is contaminated, we don’t want anything harvested out of it,” Goolsby said. “Once the gardeners have their stuff in the ground, we can’t tell them not to harvest it.”
Wagner said the ABEF board is allowing them to tend last season’s garlic, tulips, daffodils and strawberries that are now growing so they don’t lose those crops.
McRoberts said the board has applied for a Chilkoot Indian Association grant to help repair the field. Test results are expected in one to two weeks, Mathews said, after which the board will discuss how to proceed.