History
Born in 1903, Louise Kellogg grew up in Chicago, Illinois. She developed her love of farming by spending the summers of her youth at her family’s farm out of the city. From Chicago, Louise moved to New York to attend Vassar College when she turned 18. Graduating in 1925, she then moved with her family to California.
There, she continued to break the mold by and became one of the first few female pilots of the day. Between flying and volunteering as the Chair of the Outpatient Clinic of Pasadena Hospital, Louise kept very busy. Given her impressive education, unique skills, and a passion for her country, Louise enlisted in the Women’s Army Corps in 1942 during World War II.
After an honorable discharge in 1945, Louise’s childhood passion for farming was calling. By 1948, it was time for Louise to head north to Alaska where the impacts of her generosity and pioneering spirit continue to this day. Her sights were set on farming, and although no farmer would sell land to a woman, Louise was not to be deterred. She purchased a 240-acre unfinished farm that included 10 cows, a cabin, and an unfinished barn. Just a few years later, her farm became the most extensive, state-of-the-art operation in Alaska, thanks to Louise’s vision and ingenuity. Under Louise’s leadership, over time the Farm grew to over 1,000 acres with more than 120 cows.
Louise wanted to be involved and active in her community and in education. In 1957 she began to serve on Alaska Methodist University (now APU) Board of Trustees. As a trustee for over 20 years, Louise created the DeWolf-Kellogg Trust, which allocated 700 acres of the Farm for AMU. In creating this Trust, she created a place for students to come and be one with nature, and to learn from it. As Louise once said “let there be no doubt about it. My aim is to protect the land for use by private educational institutions, for without the serenity of the fields and woods, animals and friendly birds in their natural setting, a private educational institution can only offer book learning, not a real education.”
Board of Trustees
Our vision is to pioneer a robust and resilient Alaskan food system by training farmers, researching innovative techniques, building inter-organizational collaborations, increasing the availability of fresh local produce, educating consumers about the health benefits of Alaskan grown food, honoring traditional diets, and designing diverse opportunities for a range of students to explore food, farming, and flourishing communities.
