Most spring-hungry Southcentral residents are crying, whining or spitting mad at this week's weather.
You should be a farmer.
Alex Davis, owner of A.D. Farm and one of the founders of the Center Market, says things are a bit tough in the Valley right now.
"I don't know how you are feeling about winter but I think if I have any worm activity in my field it is ice worms," he says. "I am supposed to start starts in the next week or so but it being in the 20s, I'm quickly losing ambition toward the project. I need to dig some dirt, more like chisel, scrape and blast it out of the ground."
But the late winter weather isn't going to stop Davis and other determined vendors from providing another week of produce and other goodies at the Center Market.
The Center Market is headed toward its third year of weekly openings in Anchorage.
"Did you know that this month will mark us coming in to Anchorage 156 weeks straight, which would put us at about 220 markets over the last three years," Davis says. "Things have come a long way since I started calling 25 people a week and met them in Nobles Diner up to Thanksgiving eight years ago. We have worked hard to get you the best the Valley has to offer and sometimes nice things from a little farther away.
"We have had our hard knocks along the way and our bumps in the road, but we have stuck to the crazy dream that you can be a little farm in Alaska and still provide for people year-round. ... I would rather work for all of you than have a regular job. Come on by the market this week to see what is available, the carrots are about to run out, but we are still very strong on the meats."
As Davis mentions, the 2012 vegetables are getting light -- Davis has purple carrots, icicle carrots and parsnips, while the Rempel Family Farm has red beets, stripetti squash and 10 kinds of potatoes.
But the meat supplies are good.
Davis has pork chops, roast, loin roast, steak, breakfast sausage patties, Italian sausage, ground pork, spicy sausage, fresh side slice and slab. He also is taking orders for 40-pound boxes of mixed pork cuts.
"Come on by the market to take a peak in the coolers to see what you could be bringing home with you," he says. More information also is available at www.adfarmorganic.com. Davis also will have fresh duck and chicken eggs this week, along with barley flour and cereal from Delta.
Duane Clark's Country Health Foods will have a good supply in the "meat aisle" too -- grass-fed beef, locally raised duck and Alaska seafood. He also will have local honey, goat cheeses and items from Alaska Sprouts including clover, bean, fresh tofu, sunflower, daikon radish, pea shoots, micro-mustard, micro-arugula, sprouted 3-bean mix, red onion sprouts, live basil, butterhead lettuce and romaine lettuce.
Steve Edwards lives and writes in Anchorage. If you have a suggestion for a future Market Fresh column, please contact him at sedwards@adn.com.
By STEVE EDWARDS
Daily News correspondent