Our core activites
AVI provides services to socially-disadvantage Alaska Native farmers, ranchers, and other small-scale agriculture producers.
We support and provide Tribal Conservation Districts with NRCS application document assistance, Board and member training, conflict resolution, assisting in developing documents for USDA FSA funding programs and application process
and creating marketing plans.
We provide technical assistance in developing business plans for our stakeholders, including agriculture business assistance, conservation best practices, and ranching opportunities.
Expanding agriculture education statewide
AVI’s instructional strategies establish clear links between course content and learning objectives of our two target groups while introducing content and learning activities in a logical sequence. Our program adheres to the National Agricultural Literacy Outcomes supported by National Agriculture in the Classroom Organization and the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
The AVI Open Education Program platform seeks to expand the agricultural educational needs of Alaska. AVI is poised to deliver agriculture educational programs that include hands-on learning activities, how-to-videos, mini-documentaries, and agriculture-related digital resources with specific learning outcomes, required skills, and proficiency.
Our focus
AVI’s mission, “to provide education, collaboration, and outreach to tribal communities in Alaska to preserve and enhance the natural resources and traditional subsistence way of life.” has benefited and advanced significantly. AVI works closely with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Farm Services Agency (FSA), where AVI was appointed an ARPTAI cooperator (Cohort I) in November 2021, Alaska the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD), the First Nations Development Institute (FNDI), Alaska Food Policy Council, and the Alaska Division of Agriculture.
AVI is expanding its 2025-2030 strategic farming educational program, which is deeply rooted in cultural practices. This approach ensures that knowledge coexists with the acquisition of current sustainable agricultural practices and the transfer of knowledge, fostering a deep respect for local traditions. “As learning in practice, apprentice learners know that there is a field for the mature practice of what they are learning to do.”
