Welcome to Roots & Wings Farmstead
Roots & Wings Farmstead is a small farm and art studio in Fairbanks, Alaska — a place shaped by extremes. Winters settle in for the long haul as temperatures drop deep below zero, and the sun barely clears the horizon. Summers come on fast and bright, with light that stretches past midnight and a growing season that has to do its work in about a hundred frost-free days. Despite the extremes — or maybe because of them — we're consistently in awe of the changing seasons and the beauty of this place.
We chose "farmstead" deliberately. A farmstead is more than a farm or a homestead — it's a place that endeavors to make most or all of its living from the abundance created on-site. That's what we're working toward. We're in our first full growing season in 2026, building toward intensive vegetable, herb, and flower production on a few acres in Interior Alaska.
Nicole Pruce—farmer, artist, writer
Nicole is a farmer, artist, and writer at Roots & Wings Farmstead. She holds two degrees from UAF — a B.A. in Art with a focus on painting and printmaking, and a B.S. in Natural Resources Management with a focus on northern latitude agriculture. She's lived in Fairbanks for over 20 years and works on the UAF Grounds Crew year-round.
The farm is where her agriculture education, her art practice, and her connection to this place come together. Nicole handles the planning, growing, and creative side of the operation — from designing garden layouts to capturing the light and seasons of Interior Alaska through paint, ink, and fiber.
Meet the makers at Roots & Wings—
Tyler Pruce—builder, electrician, mechanic, operator, and more
Tyler is the infrastructure backbone of the farmstead. He builds and maintains raised beds, runs equipment, and handles the heavy physical work that makes a small farm functional through an Interior Alaska winter and a breakneck summer. Whether it's framing new growing beds or keeping the driveway clear during the long winter, Tyler's hands-on approach keeps operations moving. He's also Nicole's steadfast partner in figuring out how to make all of this work — bridging the gap between the plan on paper and the reality in the ground.
Daisy—the best dog ever
Daisy was our herding dog and the heart of this place for years. She had boundless energy, an infectious enthusiasm, and an undeniable talent for making everything more fun. She passed in October 2025, and we miss her every day.
What We are Building
Roots & Wings Farmstead is in its first full growing season, and we're building with intention. The plan is intensive vegetable, herb, and flower production — maximizing every square foot of growing space rather than sprawling across acreage. We're growing in raised beds, a greenhouse, and container systems designed to make the most of Interior Alaska's short but powerful season.
The philosophy guiding all of this is Lean farming, drawn from Ben Hartman's work and shaped by permaculture thinking. The core idea is simple: do fewer things, do them well, and build systems that work. That means resource efficiency over abundance for its own sake, planned rest as part of the cycle rather than an afterthought, and value-added products to level out seasonal income and stretch the harvest into the off-season. Permaculture brings the longer view — designing the farm as a whole system where the pieces support each other. The goal isn't just to grow food. It's to build a thriving life here, one rooted in the place we love and shaped by the seasons.
As the farm matures, we're working toward selling at local farmers markets, offering seasonal CSA subscriptions, and developing value-added food products — preserved goods, sauces, dried herbs, and prepared foods that extend the harvest beyond the growing season. We're also building a line of handmade goods that reflect the beauty and creativity behind the farm in the form of art, textiles, and zines.