Food

One problem plaguing the Russian colony was meeting its most basic need: finding enough food to feed its population. The Russians who came to Alaska between 1741 and 1867 always had trouble getting the food they needed. 

Part of the trouble was because they wanted food they were used to eating. In particular, this meant bread, which was a major part of most workers' diets in Russia. Although the Russians in Alaska tried to grow the grain crops necessary to make bread, they were unsuccessful. Damp weather and a short growing season in coastal Alaska, where most Russian settlements were located, worked against farming. As a result, flour or grain had to be imported to Alaska. But the 5,000-mile journey in treacherous waters between Sitka and Russia meant supply ships were unreliable and few and far between.

The constant pressure to obtain more furs and a shortage of workers limited the Russians' ability to produce the food they needed in Alaska. Russians also did not have the hunting skills that Alaska's Natives had developed over the centuries. At many locations, Russians depended on trade with Natives to get sufficient food. Even though it was forbidden, the Russian colony often traded furs with American and British ships for food. On more than one occasion, this foreign trade averted severe food shortages.

The Russian-American Company's difficulty in supplying adequate food to its workers in Alaska was very important.  Importing food from other places, trading for it, or spending valuable labor to produce it all increased costs. And increased costs created additional pressure to get more furs.

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