![Penny Steve of Stebbins (left) and [NAME] of [LOCATION] (right) weed Pilgrim Hot Springs garden at Bering Strait Ag Leaders Summit, August 5, 2026. Margaret Sutherland/KNOM](https://bunny-wp-pullzone-nbz5hk1bys.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/102A0238.jpg "102A0238")
Gardeners and community leaders from across Alaska gathered at Pilgrim Hot Springs, about 60 miles northeast of Nome, for the three-day Bering Strait Ag Leaders Summit.
The 22 participants learned techniques for growing food in Alaska’s challenging subarctic conditions, including composting, soil testing, low-till gardening, seed saving and plant propagation. The summit, co-hosted by Kawerak, the regional nonprofit tribal consortium, and the Rural Alaska Community Action Program, aims to strengthen food security in rural communities where fresh produce can be expensive, difficult to ship and sometimes arrives spoiled.
Penny Steve, who manages the community garden in Stebbins, a remote village in Western Alaska, returned home with new techiques and ideas to provide fresh food to her community. The garden distributes locally grown vegetables to residents, starting with elders.
