Second Harvest: Alaska farms pivot to tourism and event hosting.

• Author: Orr, Vanessa

There's nothing quite like waking up in a beautiful, secluded Alaska lodge and looking out the window to see reindeer wandering outside the window. This view is especially surprising considering that this location, known as The Grove, started out as a private farm about seven miles outside of Talkeetna before opening to guests.

Farming in Alaska can be a tough row to hoe, literally. According to the US National Agricultural Statistics Service, barely more than 1,000 farms generated at least $1,000 in revenue as of 2021, the fewest of any state. To supplement their income, farmers have given their land a second life as tourist destinations, wedding venues, product-tasting sites, and more. Not only does this benefit the farms, but locals and visitors get to spend memorable moments on some of the state's most beautiful homesteads.

The Many Lives of The Grove

When Graham and Mindy Knapp first bought The Grove in 2014, they planned to use the site as a working farm. The property was first developed as the Old Tyme Saloon in the early '80s and was known as the "Sistine Chapel of Alaska" for the vivid murals painted on every part of the ceiling by T.E. Barber, who created the artwork in exchange for beer.

"After the bar closed, the property was owned by a couple of different families and fell into disrepair before being bought by Esther Golton and Jim Kloss, who renovated the entire site," says Graham Knapp. "They used it for house concerts, nonprofit fundraisers, and parties, which made it into what it is today."

The Knapps originally planned to farm the land, and for a while they grew conventional vegetables that they sold at farmer's markets before hitting on the concept of microgreens, which Graham had grown before. The Knapps tried distributing through a membership subscription service.

"The microgreens were a success, but we needed to scale it up to produce more and use mass production to make it viable," Knapp says. "At that point, we had two kids and were confronted with the issue that the farm had to make enough money to support the whole family." The couple's two young children are listed on The Grove's website as "apprentice" and "intern."

While growing microgreens, the Knapps had started tours as a member of Alaska's Farm Tour Route, and they steadily began increasing their tour offerings. They also joined Airbnb, which encourages its properties to offer not only lodging but activities that guests can do while vacationing.

"I was pleasantly surprised at the interest out there; there are plenty of people looking for something to do...