From Blooms to Bio-Innovation: How One Peony Grower Is Redefining Alaska Manufacturing

When most people think of Alaska manufacturing, they picture seafood, metals, or construction materials. But Mike Williams of EagleSong Peony Farm is proving that innovation can bloom from the soil itself.

Featured in Alaska Business Magazine’s November issue, Mike’s story highlights how Alaska’s peony industry—once known mainly for its stunning cut flowers—is now pushing into value-added production and bio-manufacturing.

“We’re looking beyond the bouquet,” Williams says. “Peonies have compounds that can be used in natural dyes, skincare, even food products. We’re finding new ways to use what Alaska already grows.”

With about 100 commercial growers statewide, peonies are a bright spot in Alaska’s agriculture economy, contributing roughly $90 million annually. But what makes EagleSong’s work special is its focus on what comes after the bloom.

Williams has installed a commercial distiller to extract oils and botanical compounds from peony seeds and roots. Working with researchers and other producers, he’s testing natural food-dye and flavoring applications—and exploring compounds with potential medical or industrial uses. These dehydrated extracts have a long shelf life, opening the door to year-round production and export.

“This is manufacturing at its most local,” says AKMA Co-Founder Lacey Ernandes. “Mike is taking a crop grown right here in Alaska and turning it into a shelf-ready, value-added product. That’s the kind of ingenuity that builds resilient local economies.”

Why It Matters for Alaska Manufacturers

• It’s proof that agriculture is manufacturing. Processing, distilling, and packaging locally grown ingredients creates jobs, infrastructure, and intellectual property right here in the state.

• It bridges rural and urban economies. Extracts, oils, and natural compounds can be shipped easily, turning remote farms into high-value producers.

• It strengthens Alaska’s “Made in Alaska” story. Products like peony oil, kelp seed, or wild-berry concentrate expand what it means to be Alaska-made—and keep more of the value chain at home.

This kind of cross-sector creativity—agriculture meeting chemistry meeting small-scale manufacturing—is exactly what AKMA was built to support.

🌱 What’s Next

AKMA is helping members like Mike connect with processors, packaging suppliers, and logistics partners to turn natural resources into finished goods that can compete in both local and export markets.

“Innovation doesn’t always look like an assembly line,” says AKMA Co-Founder Megan Militello. “Sometimes it looks like a farm in full bloom.”

If you’re experimenting with new ways to turn raw materials into finished products—whether it’s food, fiber, metal, or mariculture—we want to hear from you.

📩 Share your story at connect@akmfg.org📍 Or join AKMA and connect with other innovators shaping Alaska’s next manufacturing frontier.

📖 Source: Julie Stricker, “Beyond the Blooms: Peony Producers Persevere,” Alaska Business Magazine, Nov 6 2025. Read the full article →