- ABOUT US -
Our Mission
Address food security in Alaska by providing local, high quality, healthy, shelf-stable products that can be enjoyed year round.
Vision and Goals
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Support Alaskan farmers by purchasing local produce whenever possible.
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Offer an environmentally friendly, low energy, and low cost method of food preservation in an effort to eliminate food and farm waste.
Ben Masters
Ben Masters grew up in Silverdale, Washington amongst the remains of an apple orchard planted generations before by his family. He spent his youth pruning and revitalizing the old trees and developed a quirky, and possibly genetic passion for all things apple. Once he turned 21 and discovered hard cider, there was no looking back.
Ben moved to Anchorage, Alaska in 2008 to attend Alaska Pacific University and it didn’t take him long to start missing the fresh-picked apples of his childhood. Entirely unsatisfied with the price and quality of produce found in stores, he became determined to do something about it.
Alaska Bug Bites, LLC was born out of this desire for quality produce at an affordable price. Over the course of the next few years, he is working to establish a large-scale orchard producing fresh apples and pears, juice, hard apple cider, and a variety of other fruits and vegetables.
Jessie Rard
The two things Jessie loves most are food, and being upside down. He grew up learning to cook and preserve with fresh produce from his family’s garden, or wild ingredients foraged from the surrounding area.
Jessie met Ben in 2014, eventually moving to Anchorage in 2016 to help build the off-grid small business life of their dreams. When not busy with Alaska Bug Bites, Jessie is immersed in the world of circus arts whether it be training, teaching or performing.