Interested in buying Alaska's first and only locally manufactured cheese?   Orders are being taken for orders delivered later this Spring (2008).   Country dairy will be manufacturing the product utilizing 100% Alaska dairy.  Packages are available at 3 levels.

• $30 - 2lb block of cheese and a Cheese Futures Certificate.
  
• $90 - 6lbs of cheese and an Alaska birch cheese knife.
  
• $150 - 10lbs of cheese, cutting board made of Prince of Wales greenstone or Alaska birch. 
  

Checks or credit cards accepted at the Alaska Farmers and Stockgrowers, Inc, P.O. Box 871765, Wasilla, Alaska  99687.   Got cheese or questions?  907.746.0044.

Harman’s Repair Station, Inc. has expanded its cargo container business at Ted Stevens International Airport to include rental of canine cargo containers.  They have teamed with Silver Labs Alaska, www.silverlabsak.com, to supply the flying public the necessities of modern canine travel.  They have a full line of containers and trained staff to fit your every need.  You no longer need to worry about purchasing kennel for one trip.  Rent theirs and they will pick up and deliver airport curb side 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with 48 hours notice.  24 hour notice pickup and delivery is M-F 0800 to 6pm, or stop by 3511 Postmark Drive, close to the Post Office, without notice and pick one up yourself.   Special arrangement can always be made to fit your travel needs.  They will also store your kennel if you’d like to free up space at home. 

Hugh Bertmaring is the the Alaska based lead auditor for MSC certification body Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) of Emeryville, CA. and perform MSC Chain of Custody audit work. This includes but is not limited to initial, surveillance, re-assessment audits and document review.

He is based in Anchorage/Kenai Alaska and currently provide MSC COC audit services throughout the State of Alaska as well as the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. Those interested in obtaining MSC Chain of Custody certification or that have general questions concerning the Marine Stewardship Council, may contact me for pertinent information by calling 907 565 5655 or by sending an email to Hugh.    More information on MSC at www.msc.org.  More information on SCS  - Click Here

Table of Contents - May 16, 2008 Issue

Click on Full Story, below for details on these and more stories.

Attention Processors and Manufacturers: Interested in learning more about metal detection best practices?   Sign up for the following webinar scheduled for June 25th at 2pm, EDT.

 “Building an Effective Metal Contamination Detection Program”.  The link below provides information on the webinar content and allows you to register to attend.     Sign up here.

All registered attendees will receive a copy of a new guide “Reduction of Metal Detection – Building an Effective Program”.

Alaska Sea Grant's, Sue Keller has supplied the agenda and ppt presentations from the Aleutians Basin - Energy-Fisheries Workshop last month.   Here's the link.
_____________________________

Sue Keller
Science Editor/Publications Manager
Alaska Sea Grant/University of Alaska
Fairbanks, Alaska 99775-5040
fnsk@uaf.edu
(907) 474-6703 * FAX (907) 474-6285
_____________________________

Where does your food come from?

In a global economy, we know our food may come nearly anywhere in the world. The recent push for locally grown foods is helping people focus on products grown and processed locally. But ask the average school-age child the source of his or her food and the answer will likely be the local supermarket or fast-food restaurant.

Wow!  A great new publication called My PROCESS EXPO 365 News

It is designed to be the global food and beverage and processing industry's leading daily news coverage offered  by PROCESS EXPO and The Food Processing Suppliers Association (FPSA). My PROCESS EXPO 365 News brings you full-text breaking stories on developments in all major sectors of the manufacturing industry, powered by feeds from hundreds of premium news sources.    Check it out - no matter the type food/beverage or bio product you produce.  We think you'll like it.  Here's the link.

Biologist.  Business woman.  Conservationist.  Philanthropist.  Optimist.  Collaborator.

Those are the words that come to mind when talking with Lauren Padawer, Founder and President of Alaska Glacial Mud company.    What also differentiates Lauren from the rest of the pack is that she commercialized a product that people had long discussed had intrinsic healing qualities - in Cordova, Alaska.    Yes, the center for famous Copper River Seafood is also home of a line of nourishing, high quality, beneficial skin care products.   Even the famous Copper River salmon harvesters use it - or at least one does.  Read full story below.

Over the past 25 years, Dave Beach and a core team of professional staff members have built and operated a business around the unique requirements for shipments of fresh seafood transporting through Anchorage. How much seafood? Between 15 and 18 million pounds of fresh seafood each and every year. Product comes from most locations around Alaska (except Southeast) and are handled by Movers, Inc's distribution facility and service company tucked in the center of air cargo activity at Ted Stevens International Airport.

What's new since Mover's 25th is that Lynden International acquired the Anchorage division of  Movers Inc. in April of this year.   Together, the companies will provide a broad spectrum of services for the Alaska seafood industry. See full story below.

PakSense, Inc., Boise, ID, now offers a new time/temperature monitoring label that is seeing a growing footprint in seafood.  According to Amy Childress, Marketing Director for PakSense, "We're seeing the product used for air shipments of fresh seafood from Alaska to the lower 48 states due to its cost, size, ease of use, accuracy and, of course that it is waterproof."    If you haven't taken a look, you may want to check out their demo video.   Labels run about $12 each with readers running ($179) and fully integrated with any windows-based computer.

Stock designs for frequently shipped perishables such as beef, poultry, seafood, produce are available. They offer a label that can be customized with specific temperature ranges and graphics. Stock labels come in seven temperature ranges, three time spans -- six, 15 or 30 days -- to protect perishable products from produce to frozen products. Pressure-sensitive labels are attached to product or packaging prior to shipping, activate by snapping corner. Each configuration allows for 30-minute cool-down period after activation, delays visual alert of temperature excursion for 30 minutes. Color-coding provides easy visual recognition.

Questions?  www.paksense.com
or info@paksense.com
208 629 3358

We heard an outstanding presentation on bio-products at one of Sustainable Seafood Summit last year and a rousing testimonial about the Naturland's label.  We wanted to learn more.

Naturland's promotes organic agriculture and aquaculture the world over and its 46,000 members make it one of the major organic farming associations.              As a forward-looking association, Naturland's main concern is the sustainable use of resources, in ecological, social, and economical respect.

April 2, 2008, Juneau, Alaska – Governor Sarah Palin announced the establishment of the Governor’s North Star Awards for International Excellence. The awards will be presented annually to honor Alaska businesses, schools and other organizations that have improved life in Alaska through international activity. The program provides the opportunity to recognize Alaskans’ international accomplishments in trade, investment, transportation and educational, cultural, humanitarian and scientific exchanges.

“International markets and companies trust Alaska’s stable, transparent business climate. They appreciate the creativity and friendliness they find in our state,” Governor Palin said. “I want to honor Alaskans who connect us all to the world. The North Star Awards are a good way to celebrate the international know-how of Alaskans.”

Alaskans may nominate themselves, others, businesses, schools, organizations or other groups for the awards. Awards may be given in several categories in any given year but will not be given in all categories each year. The Export Council of Alaska and others will assist the State of Alaska in reviewing nominations.

Nominations are due April 30 and should consist of no more than five pages of material explaining the nature and success of the international activities that have occurred in the five-year period prior to the award. Nominations should follow the North Star Awards outline. The outline is available at http://www.gov.state.ak.us/pdf/2008-TradeNominationForm2.pdf.

For more information, contact Patricia Eckert, Governor’s Office of International Trade at (907) 269-7450.

Thank you Gary Jensen - Program Manager for keeping us informed on the developments -

AQUACONTACTS MAIL GROUP NEWS --April 4, 2008
Please note the following federal register notice of the next public meeting of the National Organic Standards Board and several important points relating to organic standards for aquaculture products (finfish and plants):
·   The Livestock Committee will present recommendations on the use of fish feed and open net pens in regards to the development of organic aquaculture standards for finfish.
·  The Crops Committee and the Livestock Committee will jointly present their recommendation on the development of standards for organic aquatic plants in organic aquaculture.
·  The NOSB meeting agenda and proposed recommendations may also be viewed at http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop.
·   Comments on proposed NOSB recommendations may be submitted by May 5, 2008 in writing to Ms. Frances at either the postal address above or via the internet at http://www.regulations.gov only. The comments should identify Docket No. AMS-TM-08-0021. It is our intention to have all comments to this notice whether they are submitted by mail
or the internet available for viewing on the http://www.regulations.gov Web site.
·   Requests from individuals and organizations wishing to make oral presentations at the meeting are due by the close of business on May 5, 2008. Requests to make an oral presentation at the meeting may also be sent by May 5, 2008 to Ms. Valerie Frances at the postal address above, by email at valerie.frances@usda.gov, via facsimile at (202) 205-7808, or phone at (202) 720-3252.
 
Please refer to the full text of the federal register notice below for complete details and information.

Thank you Ron Klein, State of Alaska, Department of Environmental Health - Food Safety for making us aware -- The US Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service offers a new service specifically for small businesses. The FSIS website at www.fsis.usda.gov has a new page designed specifically for small and very small plants.  At the main menu, under BROWSE by Audience, click on Business and Partners to view HAACP and other materials and regulations; register for meetings; locate a FSIS office; review frequently asked questions and answers and other information.  Ask FSIS, another new Web site feature, provides answers to inspection-related questions. http://www.fsis.usda.gov/
Leave us comments below if you think it helps.