OUR STORY
Farming For the Future Generation
Laura and Dwane Ballou farmed in Indiana to provide fresh organic produce and meat for their family. They moved to Alaska in 2011 and to Wrangell in 2017. In 2020, they purchased land with the dream to turn it into a sustainable farm with an eye towards the next generation in their family, the grandkids. Farming in an area with poor soil that had to be trucked in, cold rainy weather, slug and deer pressure and limited resources is a huge challenge. Shipping costs, a short growing season, and working full time jobs add to the adventure.
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LABOR OF LOVE
ABOUT OCEANVIEW GARDENS
Oceanview Gardens is located in southeast Alaska in Wrangell. Our farm is unique in the fact that our four-acre property did not have soil- it was previously a site for storage of sawdust which was later capped with rock and clay. When our local hospital was built, we were able pay for a local contractor to transport some of the soil that was dug out to our farm. Over the years, this has been sifted to remove stumps and rocks and is fortified with our own compost that is made from wood waste, leaves, crab, fish, and farm waste. Our limiting factor to expanding what we produce is lack of soil.
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NO HERBICIDES ~ NO PESTICIDES ~ NATURALLY GROWN FLOWERS AND VEGETABLES
SUSTAINABLE FARMING
​We are working on achieving a sustainable soil microbiology and reducing soil loss. We use cover crops, drip irrigation, and weed barriers to reduce losing our precious soil as it sits on top of the rock/clay bed and is prone to wash from our frequent and heavy rains. We have one small high tunnel and in 2023 our goal is to install three more to further protect and conserve our soil. We do not use herbicides or pesticides and follow organic practices. Our goal is to achieve no-till agriculture with a healthy soil microbiome using organic fertilizers.