Alaska News

Market Fresh: Outdoor farmers markets are springing up across Anchorage

For Valley farmer Arthur Keyes, the early warm-up and snowless fields means this is "a great spring."

Keyes and nearly a dozen other vendors will open the South Anchorage Farmers Market on Saturday. The South Anchorage market is 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the O'Malley Sports Complex. Also joining the market options this weekend is the visitor-friendly Anchorage Market & Festival, open Saturday and Sunday downtown near the intersection of Third Avenue and E Street.

"It's hard to believe that the market is starting again," says Keyes, organizer of the South Anchorage market and owner of Glacier Valley Farm. "This will be our 10th season.

"This is the earliest I have ever been able to plant thanks to the dry spring. We planted lettuce, onions, cauliflower, broccoli and carrots on May 1. I predict we will have early crops this year."

Earthworks Farm will be at the market with handmade beeswax and honey skin and body care items.

"And for something sweet for mom, we will have our raw spun honey for the South Anchorage Farmers Market," says owner Dee Barker. "We look forward to seeing our summer customers again this farming season!"

Joining Glacier Valley Farms and Earthworks Farm will be Gray Owl Farm with baskets and plants; Drool Central with dog treats, including four varieties of probiotic treats; Flattop Farms with tomato plants; Pam's Produce with sprouts, eggs, honey and chocolate-dipped strawberries; Maryjane's Bread with a variety of breads and sweets; Sweet and Sassy Kettle Corn; La Grassa; and Arctic Choice Seafoods.

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The Anchorage Market & Festival is returning for its 24th year. Among the highlights are items popular with Alaska visitors -- ulu knives, jewelry, handmade arts and crafts, photography and clothing. Of course, food is always popular and the market has a long list of new vendors featuring barbecue chicken and ribs, chicken wings, catfish, po-boy sandwiches, bahn mi sandwiches, pho and other treats.

Center Market

A new vendor is joining the Center Market this week at the Mall at Sears.

James Enochs' A Sauce Company will be at the market on Wednesday and Saturday with Caribbean-style sauces, including a mango habanero recipe with roots in the Bahamas.

"I spent 12 years in the Army, and as you can imagine I traveled the world and tasted just about every kind of food from around the globe, and now I bring the best of those flavors to the Anchorage market in a bottle of sauce for their enjoyment," Enochs says.

Alaska Vegan & Gluten Free is at Wednesday's market with a new item on the menu -- two-grain edamame veggie layered salad with orange ginger dressing. The salad includes quinoa and millet grains, edamame, carrots, red and green pepper and spices; the dressing includes fresh orange, apple and lime juice, fresh ginger and spices. Other menu items include Moroccan tagine, lentil vegetable soup, red beans and wild brown rice, bread and other items. Alaska Vegan & Gluten Free is at the market from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Julie Meer says things are busy at Farm 779. "The bees are awake and things are buzzing at Farm 779! We feature delicious raw lacto-fermented, pro-biotic packed whole food products," she says. "This week at the center market we will be bringing our delicious new raw coconut cinnamon hunny bunn. Great for the glycemic index and nixing the sugar cravings while feeding the brain and energizing the body."

Farm 779 also will have coconut bacon, krauts, beet kvass, kefir and kombucha.

Sweet Caribou is back on Wednesday and Saturday with loads of macarons and cupcakes. "Our cupcake fundraiser for Nepal earthquake relief has been so successful that we're going to extend it through this Wednesday," says owner James Strong.

A.D. Farm will have purple and white carrots, fresh eggs, cuts of pork and Alaska barley products; Country Health Foods will have beef, yak, Alaska shrimp and local honey; Alaska Black Cod has a variety of tasty options; Wednesday-only vendors include Earthworks Farm and La Grassa.

Anchorage Farmers Market

Arctic Organics will have arugula and basil from the greenhouse, along with fresh hanging baskets featuring nasturtium, petunia and lobelia/marigold.

Rob Wells, The Persistent Farmer, will be at the market with dahlia starts, seed potatoes, tomato starts and a few ferns for those ready to changing their landscape.

Other vendors include: Bushes Bunches, Matanuska Gardens, Northern Flowers, Rivergarden, Seldovitsch Farm and Turkey Red baked goods.

Top Shelf Artisan Market

The Palmer market will feature Jonesers with apple cinnamon black tea, vanilla bean nectar and other options; Country Health Foods will be at the market with local grass fed beef and yak, seafood and salsa; and Farm 779 will be there with their coconut and cashew kefirs, coconut bacon, cinnamon hunny bunn raw coconut snacks and two kraut selections.

From the sea

The biggest news in the seafood world is no news.

"The Copper River has not been announced yet but everyone is anticipating a mid-May opener," says John Jackson of New Sagaya Markets. "I have heard from sources down in Cordova that the river is pretty much ice free. Hopefully, the fish will cooperate and be headed in as well."

In the meantime, there are still some good Alaska seafood options -- rockfish, Pacific cod and black cod, according to Jackson. He says New Sagaya stores will have Alaska golden king crab ($15.99 per pound) and red king crab ($19.99/pound) on sale for Mother's Day.

Dannon Southall of 10th & M Seafoods says they will have headed and cleaned 10- to 20-pound halibut for $10.25/pound and they are looking forward to fresh Alaska shrimp. "In the next few days, we should see our first delivery of fresh side stripe shrimp. These cold water beauties work well in any dish," Southall says.

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Steve Edwards lives and writes in Anchorage. Contact him at akmarketfresh@gmail.com.

Local farmers’ markets

Monday: Depot Farm Market, noon to 6 p.m., Palmer Depot

Wednesday: Center Market, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Mall at Sears, Benson Boulevard and Denali Street

Friday: Top Shelf Artisan Market, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., 550 S. Alaska Street, Palmer

Saturday: Anchorage Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Central Lutheran Church, 15th Avenue and Cordova Street; Anchorage Market & Festival, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Third Avenue between C and E streets; Center Market, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mall at Sears, Benson Boulevard and Denali Street; South Anchorage Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., O'Malley Sports Complex at the corner of Old Seward Highway and O'Malley Road

Sunday: Anchorage Market & Festival, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Third Avenue between C and E streets

Steve Edwards

Steve Edwards lives and writes in Anchorage. He writes the Market Fresh column weekly and can be reached akmarketfresh@gmail.com.

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