Heartland Peony Society Member's Auction/Meeting and Keynote speaker

About this event

Saturday Morning: Speaker Martha Lojewski

🎤 Featured Keynote Speaker

Martha Lojewski

President, Alaska Peony Cooperative

We are delighted to welcome Martha Lojewski as our keynote speaker. Joining us from Alaska, Martha will share her expertise and experiences growing peonies in one of the world's most unique horticultural environments.

Learn about the challenges, opportunities, and remarkable success of peony cultivation in Alaska, where long summer days and northern growing conditions produce exceptional blooms. Martha's presentation will provide fascinating insights into Alaska's thriving peony industry and inspire gardeners of all experience levels.

In 2014 Martha Lojewski and her family took a drastic turn of employment to start Mt. McKinley Peonies located in Willow, Alaska. Together they turned the six acre abandoned, junk heap into an Alaskan paradise with one acre of peony plants, three cabins, vegetable garden, healthy forest and varied native berry crops. Martha and family built the farm from the ground up in a rural community, off grid so they had to become very good at fixing things, jury-rigging and inventive problem solvers. Irrigation is an engineering marvel, solar panels power a massive refrigerated truck, and every single aspect of the farm was built with humans in mind. Steps walked, equipment size, efficiency, passive work, integrated pest management, and a work life balance have all been taken into consideration as they refined their property and operation.

Martha is not only a successful, detail oriented and talented farmer, she is also the original founder of the Alaska Peony Cooperative in 2015. The cooperative is a successful, well recognized brand across the United States known for their high quality product and excellent customer service. Martha has authored articles for Johnny's Seeds and Modern Farmer as well as created free downloadable guides for any peony lover to enjoy. She's been interviewed by local news outlets, NPR, featured on podcasts and even recorded an episode for a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation gardening show. Martha brings so much passion into both growing peonies and teaching others how to enjoy the most beautiful blooms from their peony plants as well.

We are excited to host Martha, but she is equally as excited to meet each and every one of the peony enthusiasts that will be joining the annual meeting and auction.