Local farm to expand farmland
Sunnyside Farms of Haines is working to add between 5 to 12 acres to its farm.
Co-owner Scott Hansen negotiated a lease for 20 years for land on three properties owned by Robert and Nancy Loomis along the Chilkat River north of the golf course. Hansen said he needs to develop healthy soil in the area and expects to produce food in as soon as three years.
“It depends on how much energy I have,” Hansen said. “(The land is) very young. Geologically it’s just a newborn. We need to develop soil. I’m going to import a lot of organic material.
Hansen and his family run the farm. They’ll slash brush in the area and chip it, and spread fish waste in an effort to develop the soil. Sunnyside Farms produces potatoes, brassicas, carrots, garlic and strawberries. They farm land near their home off Cathedral View Drive and at the Covenant Life Center.
They sell their produce in town, in Juneau, on the Salt and Soil Marketplace, and hope to develop a roadside stand near the Loomis property. They can be reached at 766-3538.
The farm received a conditional use permit from the Haines Borough Planning commission for the farmland this month and is awaiting a permit to fill land in the area from the Army Corp of Engineers.
Long vacant Main Street building turns into vacation rental
Josh Benassi’s Jay Bird Construction is wrapping up a reconstruction project that turned a vacant three-story building on Main Street into a three-unit vacation rental.
The building, purchased last year by Bob and Joanie Sundstrom, went mostly unused aside for storage. The structure was originally built in the mid-90s with plans to house six, one-bedroom apartments, Benassi said.
“When we came in here it was a deep dark hole with no windows or doors,” Benassi said.
He typically works more limited jobs such as roofing, siding, window replacement and decks but enjoyed remodeling the structure and wants to orient his business to new construction. For this project, he refurbished antique furniture and built custom shelving.
“I’m leaning more toward building from the ground up. I like remodeling. It’s really fun,” Benassi said. “I have to think a lot more.”
New fruit, produce grower offers goods
Blythe Carter has enacted her long-time goal of starting a flower business. Blythe’s Garden began this month, a flower, vegetable and herb garden.
“In the spring I’m going to be providing quality flowers and vegetables, herbs and perennial starts,” Carter said. “Later on, through the summer, I’ll start selling fruits and vegetables at the Farmer’s Market. I’ve done it a little bit as a hobby. Now I’m really concentrating on it. It’s now my job.”
Carter will grow tomatoes, fruits, carrots, lettuce and other salads. She has an orchard that’s been cultivating for the past five years complete with apple, plum and cherry trees at her home on Comstock Road.
“I have about a little over an acre and the garden takes up probably about three quarters of the space, between the orchard and whatnot. I bought another lot below but it’s not ready to bear fruit yet, especially after a moose came in and decided to prune some of my fruit trees for me,” Carter said. “Thankfully, they were all young and it’s not as much of a setback.”
She can be reached at [email protected] or on her Facebook page Blythe’s Garden.