Food and Drink

Fall harvest is in full swing at local farmers market – here’s what you’ll find this week

The changing seasons mean fewer farmers' markets to visit. This Saturday will be the final Muldoon Farmers Market of the year.

So get over to Muldoon, says market organizer Jerrianne Lowther.

"Last chance to stock your freezer and fridge with fall vegetables and tomatoes," Lowther says. "The Shrimp Guy is bringing really fresh seafood — shrimp, scallops and more to go with all those colorful veggies. Beets, carrots, broccoli and more kinds of potatoes than you knew there were, including purple mollies that are bright purple clear through.

"We'll see you next June at our new location in Muldoon Town Square."

South Anchorage Farmers Markets

The two South Anchorage markets keep packing in shoppers. On Wednesday, look for produce, mushrooms, flowers and ferments from Farm 779, Stockwell Farm, Earthworks Farm, Two Sisters Farm, Glacier Valley Farm and Far North Fungi.

Saturday's lineup is larger and the vendor booths are overflowing.

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"The fall harvest of everything is well underway by the farmers," Barbara Landi says. "Potatoes are being harvested daily, some carrots, too, though most carrots still remain underground. There's been light frost in a few areas, but so far not a serious killing frost. Still, some crops — peas and beans — are just done."

New vendors joining the market late in the season include Anchor Point Greenhouse with tomatoes and pickling cucumbers; Bogard Food Hub's Richelle Plummer is bringing her specialty-fed, locally raised chickens to market, along with eggs and honey; and All-Dahliad Up and Misty Vanderweele will have loads of late-season dahlias.

Other vendors include Rise & Shine Bakery at its last market of the year with Alaskan potato, spent grain, toasted walnut, Kalamata olive and fruited almond sourdough breads; Northern Fruits with Valley-grown apples; strawberries from VanderWeele Farm, Sun Circle Farm and Don Berberich; Rempel Family Farm with a huge selection of produce, including first-of-the-year jumbo pink banana squash; Arctic Choice with silver salmon, rockfish, cod, halibut and oysters; and Drool Central with plenty of canine treats.

Spenard Farmers Market

"As the weather gets colder, our farmers continue to work hard harvesting late season vegetables for our last two Saturday markets," Market Manager Andrea Trent says. "The fresh Alaska-grown produce options for this Saturday surely will not disappoint."

Trent says highlights will include arugula, basil, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucumbers, dill, fava beans, green beans, jalapeno peppers, kale, leeks, lettuce, microgreens, onions, pickles, potatoes, radishes, salad mixes and more.

Vendor highlights include Aquila Coffee with whole bean coffee, Alaska Seeds of Change with raw stevia, D&L Enterprises with canned pickled vegetables and Midnight Sun Farm with apple butter, rhubarb syrup, jams and jellies (mint jalepeno, fireweed, red currant, black currant and Alaska dandelion).

Thankful Thursdays

Farm 779 will have loads of vegan, gluten-free ketogenic snacks, two varieties of almond cacao "nutrition bombs," according to owner Julie Meer, and coconut kefir, lots of krauts and body products. Farm 779 will also be at both South Anchorage markets this week.

Duane Clark will have apples, potatoes, carrots, cabbage, grass-fed beef and yak, honey, jams, salsa and chaga.

Center Market

The vegetables keep coming for Alex Davis. This week's lineup includes red and green cabbage, cucumbers, kohlrabi, red beets, golden beets, four varieties of cauliflower, broccoli, lettuce, collards, kale, strawberries, rhubarb, snow apple turnips, salad mix and lots of potato options.

Davis also has a huge selection of pork cuts, eggs, grass-fed beef, and items from Tonia's Biscotti, Mosquito Mama, Alaska Flour Co. and Alaska Sprouts.

Anchorage Farmers Market

Sarah Bean of Arctic Organics is loving the fall weather.

"We're trying not to feel too comfortable about this harvest season, but it's pretty nice for freezeup to keep us in suspense for this long," she says. "We are getting the important crops in as quickly as we can, and very much enjoying the lack of extra stress that frosty mornings can add."

Market highlights this week include the debut of Brussels sprouts, lots of potato options; red, golden and Chioggia beets; celery; red and yellow onions; leeks; red bell peppers; tomatoes; zucchini; broccoli; four varieties of kale; rainbow chard; sorrel; greens mix; lettuces; and lots of herbs.

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Other vendors include Ed & Tina's Krauts & Pickles, Happy Valley Chickens' eggs, Mom's Garden, The Persistent Farmer, Seldovitsch Farm, Stockwell Farm, Sun Fire Ridge, Turkey Red Café breads and treats, Vang Family Farm and VanderWeele Farm.

Northway Mall Wednesday Market

Dinkel's Veggies will be back at the Northway Mall this week, along with Wasilla Lake, the Spenard Farmer's Market and the Muldoon Farmers Market.

The veggie lineup includes carrots, green and yellow zucchini, tomatoes, potatoes, sweet onions, broccoli, cauliflower, strawberries, pickling cucumbers and cabbage.

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.

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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; Wasilla Farmers Market, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Iditapark.

Thursday in Anchorage: 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; 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; Tanana Valley Farmer's Market, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., 2600 College Road, Fairbanks
Sunday in Anchorage: 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

Steve Edwards

Steve Edwards lives and writes in Anchorage. He writes the Market Fresh column weekly and can be reached akmarketfresh@gmail.com.

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