Anchorage Daily News

Do the sunny days have you itching to start gardening?

Click to enlarge

Story tools

Comments (0)

E-mail a friend

Print

Share on Facebook

Digg this

Seed Newsvine

Send link via AIM

Follow on Twitter

Font size : A | A | A

Maybe you're ready to add some farm-fresh basil to your recipes.

If so, you'll be smiling this Saturday when the Anchorage Farmers Market opens for the season. The market is 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Central Lutheran Church parking lot, 15th Avenue and Cordova Street.

The market has seven vendors signed up for the first weekend. Visitors should expect garden starts, perennials, hanging baskets, fertilizer, local cheese and ice cream, herbs and rustic breads.

While the early season supply will be a little limited, it's time to think about the market.

"I'm sure people are ready for some local produce -- even if it's just a little early in the season," said Sarah Bean of Arctic Organics, a market organizer and one of the market's vendors. "It's definitely early for produce, but we have seeded arugula in the greenhouse for the first four weeks of market and have a few pots of basil to cut from too."

Other vendors include Johnny Moose Farm, L&R Greenhouses, Bushes Bunches, Aurora Nursery, Sun Fire Farms and Turkey Red Café.

The Anchorage Farmers' Market is open Saturdays through Oct. 17.

The 15th and Cordova market will be joined by the South Anchorage Farmers Market on May 9. The South Anchorage market will be open 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Subway/Cellular One Sports Centre at the corner of O'Malley Road and the Old Seward Highway.

The following weekend, the Anchorage Market and Festival will open at Third Avenue and E Street. The market and festival is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Alison Arians, one of the South Anchorage market organizers, encourages visitors to sign up for the market newsletter at www.south anchoragefarmersmarket.com. The newsletter gives a look at what vendors will present that weekend at the market as well as recipes.

She said shoppers shouldn't expect too much produce early in the season.

"Early in the season we're seeing more things like perennials and sod and fish," she said. "There will be lots of starts and perennial flowers, shrubs -- things like that. I wouldn't expect arugula on May 9, but you'll probably find storage potatoes and onions and stuff."

Arians' own Rise & Shine Bakery won't have fresh bread at the market until June 13. She said the chilly temperatures don't treat the bread very well.

Dale Walberg of Mile 5.2 Greenhouse in Eagle River said the supply of 4-inch potted tomatoes, chili peppers and herbs "has never been better." In addition, the workers there have been in the fields this week uncovering perennials and berry plants that were wintered over outside. Berry and fruit options include: strawberries, red raspberries, gold raspberries, blueberries, lingonberries, bear berries, currants, rhubarb and apple trees.

All farmers probably echo what Bean said: "Field prep is going well, providing we don't get any snow again, like we did last year. ...The geese were late arriving to the Valley this year. We're hoping that isn't a sign of a cold, late spring."

Steve Edwards lives and writes in Anchorage. If you have suggestions for a future Market Fresh column, please e-mail sedwards@adn.com.

ADVERTISEMENT