The U.S. Department of Agriculture says it's National Farmers Market Week through Saturday.
If the USDA paid attention, they'd know that just about every week is farmers market week in Alaska. We have market options nearly every day of the week. Pick your favorite market, or try a new one, and celebrate with some beets, kohlrabi, kettle corn, sweets or whatever.
You'll have lots of options.
"What a great week this has been," says Carol Kenley of Kenley's Alaskan Vegetables & Flowers, which will be at the South Anchorage Wednesday market. "The vegetables have loved the rain and now the sunshine -- it couldn't be better!"
And all the sunshine and warm temperatures has at least one grower thinking maybe they planted the wrong items this year.
"Why didn't we grow cantaloupe and peaches this year?" asks Sarah Bean of Arctic Organics and the Anchorage Farmers Market. "We're having another heat wave in Southcentral Alaska when we should be heading into the rainy month. Zucchini is producing with a vengeance in this heat. Now is the time to freeze them, make zucchini relish and zucchini bread! Basil is also loving it! It's still a good time to get large bunches in order to put pesto in the freezer for winter."
Below is a rundown of some of the market highlights.
South Anchorage Farmers Markets
On Wednesday, Kenley's will have tomatoes, basil, onions, snow apple turnips, celery, carrots, beets, raspberries and other items.
"Last week we had baby carrots, but this week they are more like teenage carrots," Kenley says. "We love all of the colors that carrots come in now, from the traditional orange, to white, purple, yellow and red.
"Now peas come in just one color so far, and that is green and we will have green peas, both shelling and snow peas. They are popular, so come early for these."
Saturday's South Anchorage market will have its regular full lineup of vendors. This week the market will host the antique tractor club.
Rempel Family Farm will have first-of-the-year purple carrots, along with regular carrots, sugar snap peas, artichokes, green beans, collards, green onions, spinach, zucchini, lettuces, cauliflower and loads of other vegetables, flowers and yak meat.
Kristy Schenk of Arctic Choice reminds shoppers that seafood goes great with fresh market vegetables.
"With this gorgeous weather this week, what better than to fire up the barbeque to grill some fresh Alaskan seafood with your farm fresh veggies," she says. "Sockeye and kings are running for at least another week and would be tasteful over the grill on a cedar plank. Side-stripe shrimp marinated and grilled or put on a kabob with your veggies will cause the taste buds to dance."
Drool Central will have a variety of tasty treats for your favorite pet too, including pupsickles made with homemade chicken broth and Alaska salmon. "What better way to quench that doggy thirst with the ultimate pure natural treats?" asks owner Daisy Nicolas.
Center Market
Country Health Foods will have grass-fed beef, local honey, herbs, turnips, heirloom tomatoes and Alaska Sprouts items on Wednesday. He also will be at the Muldoon market on Saturday.
Sweet Caribou will be at Wednesday's market with French macarons, including "a twist on an old classic -- a chocolate birthday cake," says James Strong. Other macaron flavors include coconut lime, passionfruit, chai tea, blood orange, and chocolate salted caramel. They also will have samoas, a bar made with shortbread, Belgian chocolate ganache and salted coconut caramel. Sweet Caribou also will be at Saturday's South Anchorage market.
Farm 779 will have locally sourced Alaskan sourdough bread, along with Parmesan herb focaccia squares, four varieties of nut based no dairy kefirs, red or golden beet kvass, krauts and other items on Wednesday and Saturday.
Muldoon Farmers Market
New this week is Holly Andrews from Glacier Valley Farm with alliums, English cucumbers, summer squash, strawberries and tomatoes.
Arctic Wonder Marketplace will have fresh baked breads, onions, blue potatoes, cabbage, cucumbers, zucchini, broccoli and tomatoes. Dinkel's Veggies will have tomatoes, green beans, cauliflower, broccoli, green and yellow zucchini, sweet onions, cabbage, leaf lettuce, potatoes, strawberries and raspberries. The Dinkels also will be at Northway Mall and in Wasilla on Wednesday and at Saturday's Spenard Farmers Market.
Spenard Farmers Market
Plenty of onions, cabbage, garden greens and zucchini a the market.
But Rene Haag suggests guests "stop by and cool off with Carmen's delightful and creamy gelato while lounging in the warm Alaska sun, listening to some sweet tunes by our local musical talent."
Vendors include Fire Island Rustic Bakeshop, Alaska Black Cod, Urban Bamboo and others.
Anchorage Farmers Market
Vendors include Arctic Organics, Bushes Bunches, Northern Flowers, Persistent Farmer, Rivergarden Flowers, Seldovitsch Farm, Stockwell Farm, VanderWeele Farm, The Vang Garden and Turkey Red baked goods.
Rob Wells, The Persistent Farmer, will be at Saturday's market with a variety of dahlia blooms, which he describes as "colorful … all different sizes and forms."
Arctic Organics' new items include red cabbage, beet greens, salad onions, mache, radicchio Treviso and sorrel. Additional produce includes cabbage, cauliflower, daikon, snow apple turnips, broccoli, zucchini, tomatoes, rhubarb, rainbow chard, collards, turnip greens, escarole, watercress, three types of kale, radishes, greens mix, arugula and loads of other options.
Alaska Agriculture Appreciation Day
Show your farm love from noon to 5 p.m. Thursday at the Matanuska Experiment Farm, 1509 S. Georgeson Drive in Palmer. Alaska Agriculture Appreciation Day will highlight the wide variety of agricultural endeavors in the 49th state through a small county fair, open house and farmers' market.
The day includes a goat-milking demonstration, games for children, a petting zoo, prize giveaways, hay wagon rides, a greenhouse tour and live music. Special activities include a "sheep to shawl" demonstration by the Mat-Su Fiber Arts Guild. The event is free. More information is available at uaf.edu/snre.
Steve Edwards lives and writes in Anchorage. Contact him at akmarketfresh@gmail.com.
Alaska farmers markets
Monday in Palmer: Depot Farm Market, noon-6 p.m., Palmer Depot
Tuesday out of town: Eagle River Farmers Market, 3-7 p.m., VFW Post Parking Lot, Eagle River; Farmers Fresh Market, 3-6 p.m., Kenai Peninsula Food Bank, Soldtona
Wednesday in Anchorage: Alaska Pacific University Farmers Market, 11:30 a.m.-7 p.m., APU campus in front of Grant Hall; Center Market, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., The Mall at Sears, Benson Boulevard and Denali Street; Northway Mall Wednesday Market, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Northway Mall; South Anchorage Wednesday Market, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Dimond Center
Wednesday out of town: Homer Farmers Market, 3-6 p.m., Ocean Drive; Soldotna Wednesday Market, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Soldotna Creek Park; Tanana Valley Farmers Market, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., 2600 College Road, Fairbanks; Wasilla Farmers Market, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Nelson and Weber streets intersection
Thursday in Peter's Creek: Peter's Creek Farmers Market, 3-7 p.m., American Legion Post 33, Old Glenn Highway
Friday in Palmer: Friday Fling, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., across from the Palmer Visitor's Center; Willow Farmer's Market, 2-7 p.m., Mile 68 Parks Hwy.
Saturday in Anchorage: Anchorage Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Central Lutheran Church, 15th Avenue and Cordova Street; Anchorage Market and Festival, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Third Avenue between C and E streets; Center Market, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., The Mall at Sears, Benson Boulevard and Denali Street; Muldoon Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-2p.m., Begich Middle School, 7440 Creekside Center Drive; South Anchorage Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., O'Malley Sports Complex at the corner of Old Seward Highway and O'Malley Road; Spenard Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., Spenard Road and 26th Avenue
Saturday out of town: Central Kenai Peninsula Farmers Market, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Kenai Spur Highway and East Corral Street, Soldotna; Homer Farmers Market, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Ocean Drive; Kenai's Saturday Market, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Kenai Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center; Tanana Valley Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., 2600 College Road, Fairbanks.
Sunday in Anchorage: Anchorage Market and Festival, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Third Avenue between C and E streets
Sunday in Fairbanks: Tanana Valley Farmers Market, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., 2600 College Road