Join host Mike Chmielewski and his guests, Aimee Young, Farm Manager from the Matanuska Experiment Farm and Extension Center, and Samantha Blumenkonig, 4-H Program Coordinator for the farm. Listen in as they discuss the Mat-Su Experiment Farm’s participation in the 2026 State Fair.

The Matanuska Experiment Farm is a working research farm serving Southcentral Alaska. It has 260 acres of cultivated land and 800 acres of forestland for research or demonstration purposes, including barns, feed storage facilities and pastureland. The experiment farm has a complete complement of farm equipment to produce and harvest grain, forage (hay and silage) and other crops. There are also field and laboratory facilities for research on soils, plants and livestock.

Image Credit: FFA/4H of Alaska

Ron Harvey has walked through the doors of the Palmer Bar and Grill every day for decades. He doesn’t drink alcohol. He was back again for the bar’s 90th birthday in July. He was sipping his root beer.

Bar co-owner Sherman Liefer says that loyalty defines the place. A lot of old timers come in. They say that the bar that was the first place they had a drink.

Palmer’s two oldest institutions are a church and a bar.

Presbyterian minister Bert Bingle arrived in town in May 1935. This was four days ahead of the first colonists. Bingle joked he was relieved the Lord kept pace with the lawyers and barkeeps. This is according to local historians Margaret Miller and Ray Bonnell.

By Liefer’s account, the bar started in 1936. Neal and Marie Wright opened it across the street from the depot. Locals called that spot “the wrong side of the tracks.”

The joke around town was that the Colony sold the milk, and the bar sold the booze.

Ninety years later, both the church and the bar are still serving.

Old photographs and decades of State Fair posters cover the walls of the Palmer Bar and Grill. It’s like a scrapbook of the 90 years that started with Bingle and the Wrights.

This scrapbook is now in the hands of Liefer and his cousin Wes Artz. They bought the bar on July 11, 2020. The partners treat the day they signed the lease as the bar’s birthday. July 11 this year marked the bar’s 90th birthday. It’s the oldest continuous business in Palmer.

Researcher Doug Vandegraft helped Liefer pieced together the ownership history of the bar. Liefer admits the records are less than perfect. One ad in an old business directory has the founding year of the bar off by about a decade.

The bar has moved several times. It spent time in the basement of Bert’s Drug Store as the Palmer Cocktail Bar. It moved into the old Piggly Wiggly grocery store next to Bert’s Liquor Store.

The bar also changed hands several times. Five owners ran it between 1965 and 1985. Mary Lou Coddington and Jack Burnett bought it in 1985. They ran the bar for 35 years before deciding to sell.

Leifer was interested in the bar because he wanted to own a piece of history. Leifer said, “What cooler place was there than the Palmer Bar?”

Coddington and Burnett had several offers for the bar. They chose the Leifer and Artz. That trust has stuck with Liefer.

What he did not imagine was the responsibility that came with owning a piece of history. Leifer was stunned. He never dreamed of being on a community board.

He has served as president of the Greater Palmer Chamber of Commerce board. He now sits on the State Fair board. This is fitting since the fair also turns 90 this year.

The bar did that. Liefer says, “When you belong to something like this, you inherit a vested interest.”

Liefer manages the books and handyman projects for the business while Artz manages the bar and grill. Liefer credits Artz and the staff for the bar’s growth. He says that they work to make it a gathering place first, and a bar second.

Liefer likes to hear that the Palmer Bar has some of the best service and food in town.

The bar was named Palmer Business of the Year in 2023. It won Battle of the Beverages at Colony Days and Colony Christmas in 2024 and 2025. They did not enter in 2026.

Leifer’s goal is for the bar to feel the same when it turns 100 years old as it does now.

Page 2 airs weekdays at 7 a.m., 9 a.m., 11:50 a.m., and 6 p.m.

Tune in at 89.7 in Palmer, 89.5 in Sutton, 88.3 in Chickaloon and Glacier View or online at bigcabbageradio.org.

Please support Page 2 News and Big Cabbage Radio. Become a member: Donate today at bigcabbageradio.org.

Emily Forstner reported this Page Two article and yours truly, Lee Henrikson produced it. If you have an idea for a Page 2 topic, please email us at page2@radiofreepalmer.org.

That’s it for today and the news on Page Two on Tuesday, August 4, 2026.

Photo credit: Downtown Palmer 1940-1950 Palmer Museum of History & Arl–Wimmer Collection

Join host Kenni Psenak as she interviews Bill Hill, candidate for the U.S House from Alaska

Bill Hill

Photo Credit: wheeldogpac.com

Join host Kenni Psenak as she interviews David R. Ambrose II, candidate for the U.S House from Alaska

David R. Ambrose II

photo credit: elections.alaska.gov

Join host Kenni Psenak as she interviews Reece Roberts candidate for the U.S Senate from Alaska

Reece Roberts

Photo Credit: Ballotpedia.org

Join host Kenni Psenak as she interviews Heather McElwain, candidate for the U.S Senate from Alaska

Heather McElwain

Photo Credit: elections.alaska.gov

Join host Kenni Psenak as she interviews Scott Kohlhass, candidate for the U.S Senate from Alaska

Scott A. Kohlhass

Photo Credit: Ballotpedia.org

Fred Becker sees the growing food insecurity in the Mat-Su Valley. He is the executive director of the Mat-Su Food Bank. He is figuring ways for the food bank to respond.

Becker has led the food bank for the past two years. He had a long career in the private sector before this. He received the Mat-Su Health Foundation Burt Hall Award this year. The recognition came as a surprise to him. He says it belongs just as much to the staff, volunteers, and community partners who work together every day to help local families.

The Mat-Su Food Bank focuses on more than handing out food, Becker says. It expanded its mission to include building long-term food security. Along with providing groceries, the food bank offers educational programs that teach families practical skills. These include how to build a home pantry, buy food in bulk, preserve food safely, and prepare healthy meals that stretch a family’s food budget.

The food bank is located between Palmer and Wasilla. It works with about 30 partner organizations throughout the Valley. The partners include local food pantries, children’s programs, tribal organizations, and other nonprofits. The Mat-Su Food Bank operates the Betty White Food Pantry for direct food distribution and the Food for Kids program. This program helps children during the summer when school meals aren’t available. The food bank serves communities across the Mat-Su Borough. It has assisted neighboring regions during times of need.

Becker says community support makes everything possible. Funding comes from grants, local donations, and longtime partners like the Mat-Su Health Foundation. He says the greatest strength of the organization is its volunteers. Some have volunteered week after week for more than 25 years. They sort food, stock shelves, and welcome neighbors with dignity and respect.

Demand for food continues to increase, says Becker. This is especially true for working and military families. They are struggling with higher food prices and rising living costs. The food bank has expanded its hours to better serve these residents. It is now open on selected Friday evenings and Saturday mornings. Many of the people using those hours are first-time visitors.

Looking ahead, Becker says the food bank hopes to expand to a larger facility. This would allow it to store more emergency food supplies and improve disaster preparedness. He notes that the Valley could become isolated if highways close or other emergencies occur. This makes local food reserves important.

The food bank is also working toward zero food waste. Surplus food from grocery stores and other community partners is carefully sorted by volunteers. Usable food goes to families in need. Anything that can’t be consumed is composted through a partnership with the Knik Tribe to create healthy soil instead of filling local landfills.

Fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, eggs, bread, and protein are the items that families need most. These items help stretch grocery budgets while providing nutritious meals.

Becker has a challenge for everyone in the community. If you have the time, volunteer. If you’re able, donate. And if you see a neighbor in need, lend a hand. As he put it, strong communities are built when neighbors help neighbors.

This article is based on the interview with Fred Becker on July 31. Listen to the interview on bigcabbageradio.org in Valley Edition under podcasts. See matsufoodbank.org for more information.

Page 2 airs weekdays at 7 a.m., 9 a.m., 11:50 a.m., and 6 p.m.

Tune in at 89.7 in Palmer, 89.5 in Sutton, 88.3 in Chickaloon and Glacier View or online at bigcabbageradio.org.

Please support Page 2 News and Big Cabbage Radio. Become a member: Donate today at bigcabbageradio.org.

Mike Chmielewski reported this Page Two article and yours truly, Lee Henrikson produced it. If you have an idea for a Page 2 topic, please email us at page2@radiofreepalmer.org.

That’s it for today and the news on Page Two on Monday August 3, 2026.

Image from matsufoodbank.org

Join Dr. Jill Valerius and host Lee Henrikson as they begin a 3-part discussion on keeping healthy bones.

image credit: cleveland clinic

On  Sun. Aug 2 at 5 p.m. we will air interviews with candidates for the U.S. Senate and U.S House for the Aug. 18 primary election. The interviews are each about 25 minutes long and will be available on bigcabbageradio.org after they air.

We interviewed three candidates for U.S. Senate: Scott Kohlhaas, Heather McElwain and Reece J. Roberts.

We interviewed two candidates in the U.S. House race: David Ambrose and Bill Hill.

We sent requests  to candidates for the two primary races. Kenni Psenak did the four interviews with candidates who responded.

We will air interviews with other candidates ifthey respond prior to Aug 16.