Global Food Collaborative

Delta farmer, Bryce Wrigley, is anxious to engage with others on moving Alaska toward more self-reliance on energy, as well as food.

As head of the Delta Soil and Water Conservation Council and the Alaska Farm Bureau, he is squarely placed in the middle of the energy and food storm in Alaska.      Last year's energy price hikes reeked havoc with old agricultural business models at the same time that the fertilizer plant that had been supplying fertilizer to Alaska's farmers since itclosed its doors.

It was a wake-up call on nearly every piston of the agriculture engine.      Fortunately, Bryce and a group of Delta farmers and ranchers were already experimenting with new technologies and products that could open the door to commercial opportunity and make some solid headway toward self-reliance on energy and food.

Bryce Wrigley grew up on an Idaho farm where they raised a variety of forage including wheat and barley.    He and his family had a somewhat typical farm raising grains and animals such as sheep and cattle.    While his family had farmed there for generations, they were limited by land for expansion.      In 1983, he heard about Alaska's Delta Barley Project and decided to head north.   Once he arrived he encouraged his father, also a farmer, to relocate in Delta.       In 1984, they started farming assessing the best fit for their new farm.    They experimented with barley, oats, broccoli, oat hay, potatoes, hogs and other items and quickly realized their niche was barley, which was purchased exclusively for feed.

While sitting on a surplus of 800 tons of barley during the past few years, Bryce and his fellow farmers began looking for other markets for barley including utilizing it to replace home heating fuel.    The Woodway, a stove distributor in Fairbanks, carried pellet stoves that were built to burn grain.   Made by Harman Stove Company, these pellet stove had success with corn.
 
Gary Sonnichsen was the first to purchase a Harman pellet stove and a year later Bryce did the same. Their experiment - how would it work with barley?   The results have been superb.

The stove is easy to install and operate.    According to Bryce, it is nice looking stove that fits well in his home.  It has a 3" pipe through wall and does not sacrifice the integrity of the much-needed insulation of a residence.   Another benefit, the exhaust pipe is not hot due to the efficiency of the stove and barley feed.    It turns on/off automatically to maintain a constant temperature.    

One of the best parts of this ready-made energy solution is the pellets require no manufacturing.  They are used in their raw form.  That's another cost saving AND carbon friendly benefit.      "God made it pellets", says Bryce.   Once it is separated from the straw the kernel can become feed or fuel.  Since we have maximized our utilization on feed, we are seeing the potential for Alaska to utilize the pellets as fuel, especially to those regions that are off the grid.    Individuals can purchase the pellets in super sacks (1500 pounds) or family-friendly 50# bags. 

The first bottom line to these farmers is cost.  Does the barley pellets reduce costs of fuel for their homes?    Yes.   Bryce claims in his own 2-year experience, that traditional heating fuel oil costs 50% more per million btu's then barley. So, not only has it been a cost savings, but it has withstood some of the harshest winter temperatures of interior Alaska.   

This is big news for Fairbanks, where they have additionally been combating outdoor burning boilers.    The smoke density is a chronic challenge for this northern city.    Barley is dense and has complete combustion.  That combined with the merits of the design of the Harman stove, its stirring stick and adequate airflow - support a complete combustion utilizing barley pellets.   

The Bigger Picture

Bryce and his fellow farmers see an opportunity to collaborate with others on ways to transport and distribute barley pellets to those that may be experiencing energy challenges throughout Alaska.   The pellet stoves cannot only be used in homes, but they be used with boilers that heat warehouses and businesses with exisiting hot water heat systems.  The impact to reduced fuel costs, exhaust  pollution, carbon footprint at the same time to support commercial diversification of Alaska's existing and sustainable barley production is one that Bryce wants to see fully explored.      He's interested in engaging transportation and distribution companies, utilities, villages and communities.    

Over the past several months, Bryce has been proactively speaking out about Alaska's self-reliance on food and energy.       At the same time, he is actively encouraging one such solution - Alaska Barley.

Please call or write directly to Bryce for more information.

Bryce Wrigley
(907) 895-4033 home
(907) 895-4032 farm

The Woodway                   (Harman Pellet Stoves #PC45)
918 College Road Fairbanks, Alaska