Food and Drink

Get ready, Anchorage -- farmers markets are back for the summer

It's too early to say "summer." But that's what comes to mind when the outdoor farmers markets start opening for the season.

And that time is now.

Opening this weekend are the Anchorage Farmers Market, the South Anchorage Farmers Market and the Anchorage Market and Festival.

To say marketgoers are excited would be an understatement.

Anchorage Farmers Market

The long-running market is back starting at 9 a.m. Saturday at 15th Avenue and Cordova Street. Since it's early in the season, most vendors will feature bedding plants, perennials, hanging baskets and a few early produce items.

"The Anchorage Farmers Market prides itself on being the longest-running farmers market in Anchorage -- some of the vendors having been participants in the original farmers market in downtown Anchorage back in the 1980s," says Sarah Bean of Arctic Organics (she's also one of the market organizers). "The market has deliberately chosen the unembellished ambiance of a no-frills, farm-to-city market of locally grown and produced farm products and foods, because we want to make buying local produce easy and affordable -- more a part of the urban dwellers weekend routine, rather than a major outing.

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"We are excited that we have a long-standing list of established producers participating in this year's market, and we welcome the new farmers you will meet at the market as the season progresses."

Vendors for the opening weekend include: Arctic Organics, Bushes Bunches, Matanuska Gardens, Northern Flowers, Seldovitsch Farm, Turkey Red Café & Bakery and The Persistent Farmer.

"We are busily taking advantage of the early spring, with the first crop of lettuce already planted in the cold frame, and the first seeds going into the field this week," Beans says. "The soil was workable remarkably early this year, with so little snow to melt, and no deep-freeze to thaw. Let's hope the warmer temperatures translate to a longer growing season for Alaskan eaters!"

Bean says they will have fresh arugula from the greenhouse at the market.

Rob Wells, The Persistent Farmer, will have a selection of dahlia starts, along with fern plants, stevia in terra cotta pots, tomato plants and five varieties of seed potatoes.

South Anchorage Farmers Market

The South Anchorage market is opening its 11th season on Saturday. The market is open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the parking lot at the O'Malley Sports Center, near the intersection of O'Malley Road and Old Seward Highway.

Barbara Landi, one of the market organizers, says there are several things that make all farmers markets special, including the South Anchorage market.

"You can chat with the person who planted the seeds that grew into that awesome zucchini," she says. "These are not faceless huge corporate farmers, they are real people just like you and me.

"I think the market becomes a habit, a Saturday routine for folks who care about the freshest possible products. I see many of the same people who come with their dogs, and the dogs socialize while the people socialize. The music and other entertainment add to the experience. Quite a few customers are old farmers themselves who can remember back to their parents or grandparents farms."

Highlights for the opening weekend include:

?Arctic Choice will have a wide selection of Alaska seafood, including fresh halibut, cod and oysters. "For the white king salmon lovers, we had some of those beautiful Bear Cove white kings smoked and are vacuum packed," Kristy Schenk says. Other items to look for include crab, razor clams, shrimp and ikura.

Sweet Caribou will have a "Mother's Day extravaganza" on Saturday. "We have designed several new flavors designed to tell your mother "thank you'' like no store-bought chocolates ever could," owner James Strong says. Flavors include lemon lavender, strawberry jasmine and apple cranberry, Earl Grey, chai tea, passionfruit, Mexican hot chocolate, blood orange chocolate, rose lychee, chocolate cherry, mimosa, chocolate marshmallow and bananas Foster.

La Grassa will have a wide selection of pastas, including original, spinach and organic lemon pepper noodles, along with Alaska roasted parsnip, goat cheese and herb ravioli; vegan basil strozzapreti; asparagus and fontina cheese ravioli; vegan pea and pine nut pesto ravioli; and kale and feta ravioli. Most of the items will also be available at Wednesday's indoor Center Market at the Mall at Sears.

Other vendors include Gray Owl Farm with flowers and baskets; Flattop Farm with tomato plants; Drool Central with treats and meals for dogs; Farm 779 with fermented foods and body care products; Earthworks Farm with honey and bee-product body care items; Maryjane's Bread with breads and cinnamon rolls; Glacier Valley Farm with hanging tomato baskets; Alaska Pasta; Blue Poppy; Northern Flowers; Mat-Valley Meats; and Honey Bucket Ranch.

Anchorage Market and Festival

The popular market opens for its 25th season on Saturday. The market is open both Saturdays and Sundays at Third Avenue and E Street.

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"Wow, that quarter of a century went quick," says Bill Webb, owner of Webb's Consulting & Management Services Inc., the company that owns and manages the market. "We are looking forward to at least another 25 years of family fun. What a great way to use an empty parking lot on weekends."

The market draws locals and tourists who shop for Alaska-made arts and crafts, local foods, pet products, jewelry, knives and ulus, photography, clothing and more.

Center Market

No doubt vendors and visitors alike hope for good weather as the outdoor markets open this weekend. That's not an issue for the continuing indoor Center Market at the Mall at Sears.

Alex Davis of A.D. Farm will be at the market on both days with his pork products, storage vegetables, eggs, Alaska Sprouts items and barley products from Alaska Flour Co.

The Bannock Shack will be at the market with fry bread.

Wednesday's market will include Sweet Caribou with macarons, sugar cookies and cupcakes; Farm 779 with coconut kefir, red beet kvass, krauts, kombucha and other items; and Country Health Foods will have beef, yak, lamb, honey and salsa. Country Health Foods also will be at Duane's Top Shelf Artisan Market in the Valley on Friday and Saturday.

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

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Local farmers markets

Monday in the Valley: Depot Farm Market, noon-6 p.m., Palmer Depot

Wednesday in Anchorage: Center Market, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., The Mall at Sears, Benson Boulevard and Denali Street

Friday in the Valley: Duane's Top Shelf Farmers Market, 2-7 p.m., 1507 N. Double B St., Palmer

Saturday in Anchorage: Anchorage Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., 15th Avenue and Cordova Street; Anchorage Market & Festival, Third Avenue and E Street, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Center Market, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., The Mall at Sears, Benson Boulevard and Denali Street; South Anchorage Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., O'Malley Sports Center

Saturday in the Valley: Duane's Top Shelf Farmers Market, noon-7 p.m., 1507 N. Double B St., Palmer

Sunday in Anchorage: Anchorage Market & Festival, 10 a.m.-5p.m.Third Avenue and E Street.

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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