The Alaska State Fair has come and gone. Duane Clark of the Thankful Thursdays market says the "end of the fair brings a flurry of harvest activities. Barley, oats and hay for the animals. Apples, raspberries and many other fruits show up at the market."
And the weather appears to be cooperating — at least when it comes to temperatures.
"It looks like we'll get through this full moon without a frost," says Sarah Bean of Arctic Organics and the Anchorage Farmers Market. "That helps with the harvest immensely, since frost shouldn't breathe down our necks too hard for another week. Everything is sizing up and eager to get out of the ground. We're enjoying any sunny day we get among so many cloudy/windy/rainy days!"
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Market highlights include:
Mountain View Farmers Market
"This week, Made With Love Designs and Triangle Shirts will display fantastic designs," market manager Mahdi Akal says. "Also this week, come taste the delicious cupcakes from Eva's Cupcake Bakery."
Vendors include Fresh International Gardens, The Vang Family Farm, Ba-Lescas Brothers, and Black Bear Farms and The Smokehouse BBQ.
Muldoon Farmers Market
Jerrianne Lowther says the changing seasons offer great opportunities to at Saturday’s Muldoon market.
"We've had a great summer and are looking forward to a bountiful fall," Lowther says. "Lots of late-season crops from eight farms and gardens, seafood from The Shrimp Guy, jams and jellies from Alley Berry Jellies. We've moved on from greens to golds (carrots, pumpkins and beets) — and reds and purples (tomatoes, beets, potatoes, cabbages and cauliflower) and more."
Anchorage Farmers Market
The Arctic Organics crew is busy harvesting loads of autumn crops, including potatoes, carrots and beets. Bean says the potato lineup this week includes Yukon gold, magic Molly purple, magic Myrna fingerlings, Desirée pink, German butterball, yellow Finn and red French fingerling — all of them either loose or in 5-pound bags. The carrots come in two colors, while the beets come in three varieties.
Other produce at the Arctic Organics stand includes celery, red onions, leeks, red bell peppers, tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, lots of cauliflower choices, kohlrabi, snow apple turnips, rutabaga, spinach, kales, rainbow chard, collards, beet greens, mustard greens, turnip greens, watercress, mache, escarole, sorrel, baby and bunched arugula, greens mix and leaf lettuces.
Other vendors include Brown Dog Farm, Ed & Tina's Krauts & Pickles, Happy Valley Chickens' eggs, Mom's Garden, Seldovitsch Farm, Stockwell Farm, Sun Fire Ridge, Turkey Red Café breads and treats, Vang Family Farm and VanderWeele Farm.
Spenard Farmers Market
Market manager Andrea Trent says about 25 vendors are expected at Saturday’s market.
Farmers include Alaska Seeds of Change, Four Tern Farm, Brown Dog Farm, Chugach Farms, Midnight Sun Farm, Dinkels Veggies and the Ba-lescas Brothers.
"We'll have a smorgasbord of delicious food options available, such as Grandma's Old Kitchen, Yeti Dogs, Los Tacos, Peters Creek Catering, Goodies for Good, Manuel's Churros and The Magpie food truck," Trent says.
Thankful Thursdays
Clark says to look for loads of veggies this week, including potatoes, carrots, beets, zucchini, kale, tomatoes and cucumbers. He also will have grass-fed Alaska-grown beef and yak, along with items from Alaska Sprouts.
Farm 779 is featuring fermented pickles and onions from produce grown at Glacier Valley Farm at the market this week.
"We will also have our long, slow ferments and our original kimchi featuring locally sourced Valley grown veg," says Julie Meer.
Other items at the Farm 779 booth include coconut kefir ferments, dipping sauces, triple fermented ginger turmeric kombucha tea, beet kvass, vegan and gluten-free snacks and cookies. Farm 779 will also be at both the Wednesday and Saturday South Anchorage markets.
South Anchorage Farmers Market
As usual, plenty of vendors are lined up for both the Wednesday and Saturday South Anchorage markets.
On Saturday, the Rempel Family Farm signals a definite switch to autumn with first-of-the-year sugar pumpkins. That's in addition to their huge lineup of produce, including orange and purple carrots, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes, sugar snap peas, green beans, celery, spaghetti squash, broccoli, cauliflower, snow apple turnips, kohlrabi, green and purple bunch onions, cucumbers, spinach, herbs, arugula and loads of other options.
Drool Central will have fresh-baked treats for dogs. This week, Daisy Nicolas is highlighting Sweet P, which includes organic sweet potatoes, organic yellow split-pea flour and homemade goat kefir.
Center Market
Alex Davis of A.D. Farm will have cuts of pork along with loads of vegetables at the market on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Vegetables include red and green cabbage, zucchini, green beans, cucumbers, kohlrabi, sugar snap peas, red beets, golden beets, four varieties of cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce, collards, kale, strawberries, rhubarb, snow apple turnips and other items. The pork lineup includes thick-cut pork chops, regular chops, ham steak, ground pork, sausage, ribs, fresh side, feet and fat.
Davis also has eggs, raspberry jam and items from Alaska Sprouts, Alaska Flour Co. and Mosquito Mama.
Steve Edwards lives and writes in Anchorage. Contact him at akmarketfresh@gmail.com.
Local farmers markets
Tuesday outside of Anchorage: Eagle River Farmers Market, 3-7 p.m., Eagle River VFW Post; Farmers Fresh Market, 3-6 p.m., 33955 Community College Drive, Soldotna
Wednesday in Anchorage: APU Farmers Market, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., 4225 University Drive; Center Market, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., The Mall at Sears, Benson Boulevard and Denali Street; Farmers Market at Airport Heights, 3-7 p.m., 2530 E. 16th Ave.; Northway Mall Wednesday Market, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Northway Mall; South Anchorage Wednesday Market, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., near Dimond Center Hotel
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; Soldotna Wednesday Market, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Soldotna Creek Park; Tanana Valley Farmer’s Market, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., 2600 College Road, Fairbanks; Wasilla Farmers Market, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Iditapark
Thursday in Anchorage: Mountain View Farmers Market, 3-7 p.m., 3543 Mountain View Drive; Thankful Thursdays market, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., The Mall at Sears, Benson Boulevard and Denali Street
Thursday outside of Anchorage: Peters Creek Farmers Market, 3-8 p.m., American Legion Post 33
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., 333 W. Fourth Ave.
Saturday in Anchorage: Anchorage Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-2 p.m., 15th Avenue and Cordova Street; Anchorage Market and 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., 333 W. Fourth Ave.; Muldoon Farmers Market, 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Begich Middle School; 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 and Visitor Center; Soldotna Saturday Farmers Market, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., East Corral Avenue and Kenai Spur Highway; Tanana Valley Farmer’s Market, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., 2600 College Road, Fairbanks
Sunday in Anchorage: Anchorage Market and Festival, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Third Avenue between C and E streets; Fourth Avenue Indoor Market, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., 333 W. Fourth Ave.
Sunday outside of Anchorage: Tanana Valley Farmer's Market, 11 a.m.-4 p.m., 2600 College Road, Fairbanks