Spring through autumn, farmers keep an eye on the daily weather — rain, wind, frost and whatever else nature throws at them.
With this week's weather forecast calling for extreme cold, they're talking about the weather in the middle of winter too.
"Winter brings us its harshest weather yet," said Duane Clark of the Thankful Thursdays market, while highlighting the Yensis onions he has for a tasty French onion soup.
Said Liz Eldridge of the Spice & Tea Exchange: "We will be bringing an assortment of healthy green teas and warming drink recipes to beat the weather this week."
And Alex Davis of A.D. Farm and the Center Market said, "We don't know how you have been coping with the cold, but my wife has been making jams to help keep the chill out of the house."
Look for those onions, tea mixes and jams at the Mall at Sears at this week's markets from Wednesday to Saturday. Here are some of the market highlights:
Center Market
The Center Market is open three days weekly — Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.
Davis will be at the market with those recently created jams including blueberry, raspberry, mixed berry blends and Alaska cranberry butter. He also will have pork products, vegetables, goose and chicken eggs, grass-fed beef, goat, honey, Mosquito Mama balsamic vinegar, Alaska Sprouts items and barley products from Alaska Flour Co.
The pork lineup includes bratwurst, loin roast, pork chops, fresh side sliced and slab, ground pork, Italian sausage, spicy sausage, breakfast sausage patties, ribs, roast, bone for broth, fat for rendering, liver, feet and hocks. Davis also is taking orders for pigs set to be butchered in the spring.
The vegetable crop includes four colors of carrots, three varieties of beets, spaghetti squash, fingerling potatoes, Yukon gold potatoes, German butterball potatoes, magic Molly potatoes and fiesta potatoes.
Earthworks Farm will be at all three markets this week with skin and body care items made with locally sourced honey and beeswax. Look for moisturizing cream, lotions, lip balms and deodorant. Dee Barker said they will have new soap creations at this week's markets, including Klondike Gold and Northern Lights.
"And we now offer dried chaga chunks for making an Alaskan, antioxidant-rich tea, just in time for the cold season," Barker said. "Our gourmet Matanuska honey rounds out that hot cup of tea with more delicious goodness."
Rempel Family Farm will be at Saturday's market. The Rempel booth features yak meat, orange and purple carrots, red and green cabbage, purple onions, snow apple turnips, red beets, kohlrabi, daikon radish, parsnips, six kinds of winter squash and 13 varieties of potatoes.
Thankful Thursdays
Plenty of vendors are lined up for Thursday's market. Eggs, spices, dog treats and jams are some of the highlights.
Clark said in addition to his onion selection, he will have potatoes, honey, salsa, zucchini relish, jams, grass-fed beef and yak meat, and smoked salmon.
Daisy Nicolas said she'll unveil a new mini paw-shaped crunchy dog treat at the market made from organic sweet potato, organic pumpkin puree, fresh bananas and organic coconut flour. Other popular items include fresh-baked pumpkin chicken "muttfins" and fish chips.
Eldridge said in addition to the green teas, the Spice & Tea Exchange will have plenty of spice options for "your game day needs" as football season nears its end. Additionally, Three Bears Farm will have jams and Non Essentials will have eggs at the market.
Steve Edwards lives and writes in Anchorage. Contact him at akmarketfresh@gmail.com.
Local farmers markets
Monday in the Valley: Colony Farmers Market, noon-6 p.m., 610 S. Valley Way, Palmer
Wednesday in Anchorage: Center Market, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., The Mall at Sears, Benson Boulevard and Denali Street
Thursday in Anchorage: Thankful Thursdays market, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., The Mall at Sears, Benson Boulevard and Denali Street
Friday in Anchorage: Center Market, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., The Mall at Sears, Benson Boulevard and Denali Street
Saturday in Anchorage: Center Market, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., The Mall at Sears, Benson Boulevard and Denali Street