Growing plants in a greenhouse is something that John and Artha DeRuyter have always enjoyed doing, but now they’re going to be doing it with state funding to help their community.

Late in 2024, Artha applied for funding through an Alaska Division of Agriculture program of micro grants for food security. One day last September, John was checking the mail and learned that they received the grant.

Located on Zimovia Highway, less than a half-mile past the Public Safety Building, the 12-by-16-foot greenhouse is slowly coming together.

“We’ve always had greenhouses that I’ve built on our property,” John said. “We’ve done it at the last four places we lived. The last one was in Fairbanks, before we moved here.”

And while it is something the couple has always enjoyed doing together, John said they are happy to be participating in something that directly helps people in the community.

The plan, so far, is to distribute the food personally to individuals they know are in need.

John is a semi-retired psychologist while Artha is a semi-retired florist, so they will be able to devote plenty of time to their greenhouse.

“Unfortunately, there is too much food insecurity and there are some people who really do struggle,” he said.

Though still under construction, the greenhouse outside their home already has raised plant beds with soil, ready for planting to begin.

“We’ll be growing a little bit of everything: corn, cucumbers, squash, tomatoes and green beans. Really, anything we can grow,” John said. “But it will be vegetables only. No fruit.”

The grant is for $5,000, half of which is paid up front and the remainder will come after the greenhouse is constructed and operational.

“We’re realistic about what we’ll get in the first year,” John said. “Some people may not know, a greenhouse takes time to mature. And we’ve never tried to grow in a greenhouse locally before, so there will be some trial and error.”