Anchorage Daily News

If you're looking for fresh Alaska fruit, the season has arrived.

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

Arthur Keyes from Glacier Valley Farm in Palmer will have tons of strawberries at markets this week. Well, not tons, but he will have plenty. Last Saturday, Keyes had about 70 pounds of strawberries. He said they were a "huge hit" with shoppers.

"Some people came in the morning and then came back in the afternoon for more strawberries," Keyes says.

Keyes expects to have twice as many berries today at the South Anchorage Farmers Market at Dimond Center. He also will have zucchini at the markets. Keyes also brings produce to the South Anchorage Farmers Market on Saturday. Gray Owl Farm also will have fresh strawberries at the Saturday market.

Other things to look for at Saturday's South Anchorage Market include nine types of leaf lettuce from Vanderweele Farms along with radishes, green cabbage and Chinese cabbage; Rise and Shine Bakery will be on hand with five flavors of whole grain sourdough bread, including fresh rosemary and Alaskan onion and rye; the Red Beet will have breads, gluten-free breads and gluten-free Yorkshire pudding, pound cakes, cookies and brownies, along with farmer's cheese, a soft cheese made from goat, sheep and cow's milk.

Mark Dinkel will be at the Northway Mall market and Wasilla market today and the Center Market and Anchorage Market and Festival on Saturday. The Dinkels will have "zucchini in big numbers" along with tomatoes, pickles, lettuce, beans, new potatoes, broccoli and cabbage. Dinkel says to "come early" for the beans.

Sarah Bean from Arctic Organics and the Anchorage Farmers Market at 15th Avenue and Cordova Street says zucchini loves the hot weather, and we've been having plenty of that. So look for zucchini, broccoli, snow apple turnips with greens, butter lettuces, kale, collard greens, arugula, watercress, rainbow chard and a variety of herbs including basil, marjoram, thyme, sage and chives.

Other vendors at the market include Seldovitsch Family Farm, Johnny Moose Farm, L&R greenhouses, Aurora Nursery, Sun Fire Farms, Turkey Red Cafe, Three Bears Farm and Northern Lights Oysters.

And if all this nice weather doesn't have you smiling at what's available at the markets this week, Mark Rempel has this report for what to look for in the near future: "This sun and heat is hurrying along the corn, beans, peas and pickling cucumbers, so stay tuned."

The Rempel Family Farm will have certified organic broccoli, cabbage, green onions, cilantro, bok choi, cucumbers, zucchini, basil and lettuces at the Wednesday Northway Mall market and the Saturday South Anchorage Farmers Market.

If you're looking for markets, check out these:

• Wednesday: South Anchorage Farmers Market, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., south side of the Dimond Center; Wednesday Market, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Northway Mall parking lot; Wasilla Farmers Market, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., behind the Wasilla Public Library.

• Friday: Friday Fling, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., pavilion across from the Visitor's Center in Palmer.

• Saturday: Anchorage Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., 15th Avenue and Cordova Street; South Anchorage Farmers Market, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Subway/Cellular One Sports Center at the corner of Old Seward Highway and O'Malley Road; Anchorage Market and Festival, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Third Avenue between C and E streets; Center Market, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., University Center Mall.

• Sunday: Anchorage Market and Festival, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Third Avenue between C and E streets.

• Tuesday: Eagle River Farmers Market, 3-7 p.m., Eagle River VFW Post parking lot.

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.

ADVERTISEMENT