People are Asking...Who Are You Now?

Everyone is more than what they "do," but what people do and have done is a good start to getting to know some one. Like many people who have lived a long while in Haines, I have done a lot of different things. Currently I am the owner of two owner/operated businesses: Outlier Productions and Outlier Farm. Outlier Productions capitalizes on my education and training while Outlier Farm is an attempt to turn my long-standing passion for growing flowers into a seasonal vocation.

Through Outlier Productions I provide services to school districts, to municipalities, and to private individuals. I am currently under contract to the Haines Borough School District to provide special education services. I have provided similar services for the Chatham School district, both in Klukwan and in Gustavus. I also have a contract with the Haines Borough to file the federal quarterly reports for the $50,000 Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant given to analyze and retrofit the Public Safety Building.

I was previously under contract to the Haines Borough as the Energy Sustainability Coordinator (2008-2010) and before that to write the final report for the Haines Peak Oil Task Force, under direction of the Task Force. My work as a consultant, be it for the municipality or for the school district, is heavily data based and requires staying up to date with the appropriate regulations and advances in knowledge. I continue to investigate local and state energy issues. I was recently invited to address the Southeast Alaska Integrated Resource Plan Advisory Work group on issues encountered locally while serving as the Haines Borough Energy Sustainability Coordinator.

I launched Outlier Farm last season. My business plan involves securing subscriptions for bouquets which I deliver on a regular schedule. I used personal savings to capitalize Outlier Farm. I know that transportation costs drive price. The USDA considers growers in Alaska, along with Guam and Hawaii, to be geographically challenged. That is true, but I wouldn't for a minute trade my farm in Haines for a farm in California!