Kelp and crab meal may be on the menu for Alaska livestock

By Laura Weingartner

The Binkley Room at Pike’s Waterfront Lodge was abuzz with energy on Friday morning, Nov. 15, as farmers, researchers, agricultural agency folks and students gathered for two days of connecting and learning from one another. 

The University of Alaska Fairbanks Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Extension was well-represented. Researchers and Cooperative Extension Service agents gave talks on topics ranging from using mulch to insulate soil to the science behind home preservation methods. 

Jim Vinyard, University of Alaska Fairbanks’ new livestock nutritionist, spoke to a packed room about his plan for future livestock nutrition research based on the needs of Alaska producers. 

Livestock owners in Alaska often rely on expensive or unreliable options for protein-rich animal feed, such as soybeans, canola or field peas. 

“Alaska can do grass, hay and haylage really well,” Vinyard said. But “we have a hard time growing a reliable source of protein” for animal feed. Furthermore, due to mineral-poor soil, locally-grown products don’t always have the minerals livestock needs. 

He plans to focus on alternative feeds that are convenient, local and cost-effective, including capitalizing on products from the mariculture industry, such as kelp and crab meal. 

Vinyard wants to know how kelp breaks down in cattle rumen and if the nutrients are bioavailable, that is, if they can be absorbed and used by the animal. The advantage of kelp as feed, Vinyard explained, is that the four kelp species he will focus on are grown at different times of the year and they have a high mineral content, which could replace supplemental minerals some livestock are fed. 

Crab meal, made from the by-products of the crabbing industry, is a good source of protein for cattle and has already been shown not to affect cow milk’s quality or taste. Vinyard plans to study the nutritional value of crab meal on beef cattle, sheep and possibly reindeer. 

He also wants to establish nutrient requirements for other livestock species, like yak and reindeer, to increase potential markets for producers. 

Vinyard had the opportunity to speak with many livestock growers, who were excited to have someone in the area focusing on improving their production. Several mentioned that they had been feeding kelp to their livestock for a long time but were either sourcing it from outside Alaska or feeding it fresh without any guidance on how best to use it.

Vinyard hopes his research will help them incorporate a more consistent local product and use it to its fullest potential nutritionally. 

During the conference, Jodie Anderson, IANRE director, announced a $2 million equipment grant from the governor’s office to be used by Vinyard and Jakir Hasan, a plant breeder at UAF, who also presented his research developing new small grain varieties for Alaskans. 

The funding will be used to purchase improved farm equipment, infrastructure to house animals and the animals that will be used in livestock nutrition research, grain and oilseed drying facilities and grain quality analysis equipment. 

“This funding will move the timing of my research efforts up six months to a year,” Vinyard said. 

New or improved equipment will help Vinyard, Hasan, and other researchers working at the UAF farms continue their work to strengthen Alaska’s food system.