Our Team

Our Consulting SE-Alaska Fruit Growers

Rob Bishop, Game Creek Farm, Hoonah, AK — alaskaapplefarms.com

Rob Bishop is among the most advanced tree-fruit growers in the Southeast Alaska region.  His home and commercial orchard/nursery is at Game Creek Farm near Hoonah. Rob is also a Hoonah contractor.

The Bishop farm and nursery business is a holistic enterprise, engaging his entire family in the effort and the rewards.  His nursery offerings include grafted, regionally appropriate fruit varieties and rootstocks, and he has begun marketing fresh fruit in Juneau.  Rob is growing fruit trees outdoors, and indoors using a high tunnel.

Ed Buyarksi, Juneau, AK–Ed’s Edible Landscaping, Juneau, AK

Ed Buyarski has lived, gardened and planted fruit trees in Wrangell, Petersburg, Sitka, Haines and Juneau, beginning in 1983.  His horticultural experience is wide ranging, including tree-fruits, vegetables and flowers—experience and a growing passion that led to the creation of his business Ed’s Edible Landscaping.

Ed shares and teaches enthusiastically on a range of horticultural and landscaping topics, including pruning and grafting.   For the last 25 years, tree-fruits—for fresh eating, pies, juice and preserves—have contributed to a more balanced and locally sourced diet for his family, friends and neighbors.

Blythe Carter, Haines, AK–Blythe’s Gardens, Haines AK

Blythe Carter of Haines has established over 100 dwarf fruit trees on her small property in a south-facing Haines neighborhood.  Blythe’s orchard offers a compact example of Permaculture–a strategy that is working, even in heavy clay soil.  Her rural residential operation includes ducks, rabbits and a vegetable garden.

This summer Blythe began marketing her tree-fruits at the Haines Farmer’s Market, including sweet plums (see photo).  Blythe’s knowledge includes diseases and pests of fruit trees and she is skilled in a range of orchard skills.

Rob Goldberg, Haines AK 

Rob Goldberg and his wife Donna Catotti began cultivating apples, cherries, plums and pears on their property south of Haines, beginning in 1988.  Rob’s interest in fruit trees was heightened by his neighbor, the late Nancy Sogge.  Rob wrote the first primer for local orchardists:  A Brief Guide to Growing Fruit Trees in and Around Haines, Alaska.

In 2010, Rob and Donna built a 24′ x 48′ wood framed greenhouse covered with a tough, UV resistant 11mil woven polyethylene. Today, Rob and Donna have two-dozen fruit trees growing indoors and a similar number outdoors.   The greenhouse protects the trees from snow, wind, excessive rain, animals, and birds.

Rob’s a big fan of growing fruit trees in a greenhouse–“The greenhouse extends the growing season by at least two months”—adding heat that significantly improves the quality of the fruit, and allowing many more varieties of fruit to reach full ripeness.  Fruit trees in the Goldberg/Catotti greenhouse include sweet cherries, plums, pears, apples and raspberries.

Burl Sheldon, Project Manager/Co-Creator

Burl Sheldon is a struggling but enthusiastic orchardist.  He and his wife Nancy Berland planted their first fruit trees in 2006 and Sheldon tends a second orchard owned by friends.  Burl is a musician, builder, former Alaska secondary school Math and Science teacher.  His interest and knowledge about fruit trees has been strongly influenced by Author, Michael Phillips.

Project Professional External Support

Darren Snyder, UAF Cooperative Extension Agent

Darren Snyder is the UAF Cooperative Extension Service’s Agriculture and Horticulture Agent for Southeast Alaska. Darren has served our region since 2008, providing support to both personal and commercial growers, teaching both introductory and Master Gardener courses, hosting conferences and helping develop and support community garden projects throughout Southeast Alaska.

Contact Darren (at darren.snyder@alaska.edu) if you’d like support to improve your growing success, need a University partner for grants or other projects, need a soil amendment recommendation or have any other growing needs.

Project Leadership

Sue Chasen, Orchard Project Director

Sue Chasen is the President of the Chilkat Valley Historical Society and serves on the Board of Directors of the American Bald Eagle Foundation.  Sue is a retired scientist and is the project’s liaison to the Alaska Division of Agriculture (funder) and serves as Project Director.  She co-created the CVOP with Burl Sheldon, the project manager. 

Carolyn Goolsby, American Bald Eagle Foundation, Henderson Farm Committee

Carolyn Goolsby is the director of the Haines Borough Public Library and is on the Board of Directors of the American Bald Eagle Foundation, where she serves on the organization’s Henderson Farm Committee. She comes to the project with a wealth of diverse knowledge and a deep commitment to addressing food insecurity through permaculture.