Despite chilly spring, farmers markets are everywhere

As May turns to June, more farmers markets are sprouting – just like everything around Alaska.

In downtown Anchorage, Duane Clark is joining the crowd at Town Square Park, which includes food carts and live music. Clark will be at the park 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. He says this week he will have tomato and strawberry plants, as well as potted herbs, jams, salsa, zucchini relish, honey, grass-fed beef, yak and Alaska seafood. Clark's regular Thankful Thursdays market at The Mall at Sears continues too.

The Peters Creek Farmers Market opens Thursday, says Martine Linder. The market is open 3-8 p.m. at American Legion Post 33 in Peters Creek.

Anchorage Farmers Market

Sarah Bean of Arctic Organics says the recent cold spell has slowed some things around the farm.

"We are continuing to plant our field, even some succession crops, in spite of the slow growth we've witnessed so far due to the cold weather," she says. "I'm afraid the result will be a series of bumper crops later this summer. Needless to say, we were spoiled by last year's unusually warm spring. This year, admittedly, it's a little more like normal."

So bundle up and head to the market for vegetable and flower seedlings; tomato plants; hanging baskets, including petunia, mixed flower, mixed herb and nasturtium; fertilizer blends; and arugula, basil and lettuce from the greenhouse. Other vendors include Ed & Tina's Krauts & Pickles, Fee's Seafood, Happy Valley Chickens' eggs, Mom's Garden, Persistent Farmer, Seldovitsch Farm, Sun Fire Ridge and Turkey Red Café breads and treats.

Spenard Farmers Market

Andrea Trent, the Spenard Farmers Market manager, says that "this Saturday the Spenard Farmers Market will be fully equipped to meet all your grilling needs for the summer season."

Peters Creek Catering will offer brined and ready-to-cook Alaska pork by the pound, as well as their salmon rub seasoning. Butcher Block No. 9 and Charcuterie will join the market with "a variety of tantalizing local meat products just waiting to be thrown on the grill. Don't forget to pick up some homemade barbecue sauce from Steele Grillz, which comes in three delicious flavors," Trent says.

Fresh salad greens and herbs will be abundant for your summer feasts from vendors such as Simple Living Farm, the Ba-Lescas Brothers, Chugach Farms, Alaska Seeds of Change and Four Tern Farm. Plants and flowers will be available from Glacier City Gardener, Wild Rose Natural Harvests, Dirt Girl 907 and the Alaska Flower Lady.

South Anchorage Farmers Market

The South Anchorage market adds returning farmers Rempel Family Farm and Country Garden Farms to the growing lineup.

Mark Rempel says the early-season offerings include organic arugula, mint, salad mix, purple carrots, green cabbage, stripetti winter squash, parsnips and several varieties of potatoes and parsnips. The Rempels also have yak meat.

"As we get into June the vegetable farmers will be arriving weekly," says Arthur Keyes, founder of South Anchorage Farmers Market. "And this coming weekend, Mary from Edible Alaska will be at the market to roll out the summer edition of Edible Alaska."

Farm 779 will have two varieties of kimchi, along with coconut kefirs, kombucha teas, kvass, vegan and gluten-free snacks and cookies. Farm 779 also is at the Thankful Thursdays market.

Fresh Alaska seafood is always popular, and Arctic Choice will have fresh Copper River reds and kings, along with troll-caught king salmon from Frederick Sound. Other fresh options include side stripe and spot shrimp, cod, halibut, rockfish and sablefish, and oysters from Simpson Bay and Karheen Passage.

Look for several other regular vendors, including, Drool Central, Joan's Jams and Jellies, Alaska Pasta, Earthworks Farm, Fire Island Rustic Bakeshop, Zoi Food for Life, Blue Poppy and Wild Scoops.

Center Market

The thrice-weekly market will have a little bit of everything, including fresh lettuce; potatoes; carrots; chicken, duck, turkey and goose eggs; a huge selection of pork cuts, including chorizo, chops, ground pork, sausage, roast, ribs and fat; raspberry jam; and Alaska Sprouts items, as well as Evie's Brinery jarred krauts and kimchi.

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

Local farmers markets

Monday in the Valley: Colony Farmers Market, noon-7 p.m., Palmer Depot

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

Wednesday outside of Anchorage: Highway's End Farmers Market, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Delta Junction; Homer Farmers Market, 2-6 p.m., Ocean Drive; Tanana Valley Farmer's Market, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., 2600 College Road, Fairbanks

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; Fourth Avenue Indoor Market, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. 33 W. Fourth Ave., Suite 200

Saturday in Anchorage: Anchorage Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., 15th Avenue and Cordova Street; Anchorage Market & 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; Fourth Avenue Indoor Market, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., 33 W. Fourth Ave., Suite 200; South Anchorage Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., O'Malley Sports Center; Spenard Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., 2555 Spenard Road

Saturday outside of Anchorage: Highway's End Farmers Market, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Delta Junction; 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 & Visitor Center; Tanana Valley Farmer's Market, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., 2600 College Road, Fairbanks

Sunday in Anchorage:  Anchorage Market & Festival, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Third Avenue between C and E streets; Fourth Avenue Indoor Market, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. 33 W. Fourth Ave., Suite 200

Sunday outside of Anchorage: Tanana Valley Farmer's Market, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., 2600 College Road, Fairbanks