There are lots of events taking place the next few weeks at SAFM! The market is bursting at the seams!

Here are our days and hours of operation:

Wednesday South Anchorage Farmers’ Market
Dates: July 7-September 29
Hours:  10:00am-4:00pm
Location:  behind the Dimond Center, in front of the Dimond Center Hotel

Saturday South Anchorage Farmers’ Market
Dates: May 8-October 2 (and longer weather permitting)
Hours: 9am-2pm
Location: Subway/Cellular One Sports Centre at the corner of Old Seward and O’Malley

Eagle River Farmers’ Market on Saturday will have Glacier Valley Farm and a couple other vendors.  New hours!  From 10:00 am to 3:00 pm located outside of Mike’s Meats located at 12110 Business Boulevard.

Glacier Valley Farm will have beautiful zucchini, tender green beans, tomatoes, crisp English cucumbers, cabbage, broccoli, a variety of lettuces and big, sweet, strawberries! 

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For the Saturday Anchorage South Side Farmers’ Market:

SPECIAL EVENTS

Matanuska Creamery will announce the name of their new Pepperjack cheese and the winner who submitted the name at the market this Saturday. The winner will receive a block of each type of cheese for their effort. 

UPCOMING EVENTS

The poetry slam has been postponed until September 11th.  We really would like everyone who submits a poem to read their vegetable poetry even if you don’t win one of the prizes. 

The submissions have been wonderful!  Teachers are having their students write and submitting them-it’s awesome.  Get those creative juices flowing and submit your entry by noon, Wednesday, September 8th to .
There are three categories: haiku, rap, and general.  The winners will be notified September 9th via email and hope that you will be available to read your poem at the market on September 11th.  We will have prizes for first, second, and third place, but all poets who submitted entries are encouraged to read their poems.  This is a family friendly event!

1st Prize:  SAFM tote (a $30.00 value).  These are super cool made from the same materials that Alaskan fisherman use for their nets.  Made in Homer so these are truly locally made!  Alison’s Farmer’s Market Cookbook (a $25.00 value) which has been big hit, an Alaskan Farm Bureau hoodie (oops, don’t know how much they go for, but I can say they look incredibly warm and comfy), and a gift certificate for a Glacier Valley Farms CSA box (a $35.00 value!).

2nd Prize:  SAFM tote, Alison’s Farmer’s Market Cookbook, and Alaskan Farm Bureau hoodie.

3rd Prize:  SAFM tote and Alaskan Farm Bureau hoodie. 

WineStyles will be hosting another benefit in support of our troops that day as well.  They will also be featuring Matanuska Creamery cheese in pairings with their wine.  Details will be coming in the next week.

EAT LOCAL CHALLENGE

How did you fair on the Eat Local Challenge?  I have to admit to running into a couple stumbling blocks along the way, but it really did open my eyes as to what is available if you know where to look, ask around, and do a little planning ahead.  And talk to your farmer!  They are a wealth of information.  I would love to hear from all of you who tried it and what you experienced!

I’m going to talk about my experience by categories.  I have to say that the challenge itself wasn’t terribly difficult this time of year.  But it raised more questions for me than I thought.  It also heightened my awareness of local businesses.

For dairy and eggs that is fairly easy.  We have the Matanuska Creamery for cow dairy products.  Right now, they don’t have everything in the diary aisle, but they are working on it.  If a gallon of milk is too much for your household you can freeze what you don’t think you’ll use in time!  I was pleasantly surprised to find that the gallon of milk still tasted fresh near the end of the container.  It is because it is locally produced and comes to the store weeks fresher than what is shipped up here.  For their ice cream, you need to go to smaller, independent stores in order to find it.  The “why” question pops into my head.  Their cheese you can find a couple of the larger stores and yes, they make cheese curds! 

There are other farms that provide goat and sheep milk products.  However, no local butter unless you try goat butter (I found it a bit challenging).  I supposed I could buy the cream and make the butter myself, but again, you would need a little planning.  For yoghurt, sour cream, and buttermilk, I was only able to find goat products.  The goat cheese was some of the best I have ever had.

For me, nothing beats a local egg.  However I know that once the farmers’ markets end, it might be a little more work to find them.  Natural food stores and Organic Alaska has locally grown eggs as well.

Vegetables were the easy part of the entire Eat Local Challenge.  Incredibly easy, but not in the big stores.  Some stores do carry local items, but I knew there was more of a variety than what they represented.  Thankfully I also get a Glacier Valley Farm CSA box.  Did you know we have a local, year-round CSA?  That was the easiest part of the Eat Local Challenge for me.  Fresh, beautiful produce that is 100% local this time of year. 

Fruit this time of year is labor intensive, but fun.  I love blueberries and they are ready to be harvested!  We also have huckleberries, raspberries, strawberries, currants, bear berries, and cranberries will be ready in a few weeks.  You can find raspberries and strawberries at the farmers market, but I know of only two people that carry strawberries and they are at the SAFM:  Arthur’s Glacier Valley Farm and Mary Jane and her Sitka strawberries. 

Seafood was easy, but you do need to sort out between what is local and what is imported. 

Meat and poultry is where I hit some roadblocks and I found out about some options too late in the game.  Lots of people hunt up here, so for most folks moose and caribou are tucked away in their freezer.  If my friend Sandy hadn’t given me some of her lovely caribou it would have been even more difficult this week. 

Towards the end of the week I did find out that there is a place near Kodiak that is just starting to produce grass fed beef.  It was purely by accident that I found out about it.
I am also looking forward to having some locally raised elk or buffalo from Tom Pettit.  He is working on getting his herd up to sustainability numbers so I might have to wait a little, but it is so worthwhile.

There are farms in the Valley that raise poultry.  But I wonder why we can’t find it in the stores?  There is a place where you can order your locally grown chicken, ducks, and goose, but you need to plan ahead.  My August order won’t be ready for me until October. 

Local pork is available through many sources.  We have been ordering pork through Organic Alaska which gets it in from a place in Delta Junction.  We share a quarter of a pig with another couple.  It’s difficult to go back to store pork products once you have had it.  Yes, it really tastes like pork!  We trade on who gets custody of the ham.  I have never EVER had a ham like that before.  The deal is though we invite the other couple over and they provide all the side dishes. 

Some things cannot be grown here: coffee, tea, spices, sugar, legumes, beans, wheat, to just name a few.  But we do have local coffee roasters, a wonderful tea and spice store, and other items that are available through locally owned and operated businesses.  Locally owned breweries and now distilleries as well!  I’m looking forward to trying the locally made gin this weekend.

I came away from the entire experience wanting to know more about why certain policies are the way they are.  But more importantly, I also found that I could do a better job in supporting local businesses.  And ask.  Ask your farmer, ask your store owner.  Chances are there is someone out there that has just what you are looking for.

Here are list of sources that I used or found out about. 
glaciervalleycsa.com
riseandshinebread.com
pitchfork ranch
organicalaska.com
http://www.alaskameat.com/
Lunachick Mountain Farmstead
http://arctichomesteader.squarespace.com
232-5683
summitspiceandtea.com

PRODUCE

VanderWeele Farms has a great variety of lettuce including Red Oak, Bibb, Lollo Rosso, green and red leaf, and Red and Green Romaine.  Check out their white, purple, yellow or “cheddar” and lime green cauliflower!  Incredibly beautiful and tasty! Radishes and red and green cabbage will also be there along with their famous potatoes.

Glacier Valley Farm will have beautiful zucchini, red, ripe tomatoes, tender green beans, crisp English cucumbers, broccoli, cabbage, a variety of lettuces and big, sweet, strawberries!  If people would like to know what is going on at Arthur’s farm he has a Facebook page.  Here is the link:  http://tinyurl.com/29rgvfo

This Week Rempel Family Farms will have Spaghetti squash, Red Kuri squash, parsnips, daikon 4 kinds of beets, lots of carrots, 7 kinds of potatoes, 5 kinds of cabbage, multiple choices of greens, sugar snap peas, and now that we are getting some SUN, some green beans.

Stockwell Farms will have a wide variety of greens including baby bok choy, kale, Asian kale and other greens, chard, new potatoes, sweet carrots, and homemade relishes. 

Wolverine Farm will have their delicious tender peas!

Earthworks Farm will be there with a great assortment of lettuces and greens. 

Northern Lights Mushrooms will be there with their beautiful oyster mushrooms. 

FFA (Future Farmers of America) will have a variety of greens and homemade jams.

Gray Owl Farm will have a variety of produce including sweet European (English) cucumbers, pickling cucumbers, fresh fennel and cilantro, Napa cabbage, scallions, raddichio, beets, cauliflower and broccoli, some tasty mustard greens and spinach, and a nice selection of potted herbs.

BAKERY AND FOOD

Rise & Shine Bakery will be bringing their SPENT GRAIN sourdough bread this week, as well as their signature LEVAIN (that’s the French term for naturally-leavened, or sourdough, bread). Both loaves are 100% whole grain sourdough pan loaves, great for toast, sandwiches, and open-faced treats. The spent grain bread has a touch of honey, in addition to the sweetness in the malted barley in the bread, left over from Midnight Sun Brewing Company’s beer-making process, while the levain has just four ingredients: organic whole wheat flour, water, salt, and sourdough (wild yeast). The three-day process of feeding the sourdough gradually to create the bread gives the whole grain bread flavor complexity, nutrition, and keeping quality that you don’t get from loaves made more quickly with commercial yeast.

Dan & Alison will also be bringing their ever-popular FRUITED ALMOND sourdough pan loaf, packed with apricots, golden raisins, dried cranberries, and toasted almonds. It’s great for breakfast toast and snacks. Also look for the FRESH ROSEMARY sourdough hearth loaf, a lighter loaf (made with 60% whole wheat) that is fantastic for sandwiches and as a dinner bread with soups and salads. They will also be baking the ALASKAN POTATO & CHIVE sourdough hearth loaf—a fun and savory loaf that’s delicious for dinner bread and makes lovely sandwiches. 

You might want to stock up a bit this Saturday, since Dan and Alison will be taking their customary “first Saturday of the month off” for the Labor Day weekend. The bread freezes and thaws extraordinarily well because of the long action of the sourdough on the whole grains. 

Mary Jane will be bringing baked goods from French Oven Bakery.  Huge loaves of marble rye, cheddar, jalapeno cheddar, white, and wheat and white sourdough.  Lots of pastries including palmiers, macaroons, and those tempting cinnamon rolls.

Arctic Choice has a great selection of fresh Alaskan seafood.  Fresh King and Silver Salmon, Sablefish (Black Cod) and Halibut fillets for the BBQ. Also fresh SideStripe Shrimp, Cod & Rockfish fillets will be there along with large Spot Shrimp, Razor Clam meats, Halibut Cheeks, Scallops and always a favorite King Crab, along with other seafood treats. 
Matanuska Creamery will have their new Pepper Jack Cheese next week at market.
It has red chilies and hot peppers in.  Be sure to check out their fantastic selection of ice cream and cheese.

Nonessentials has Alaskan honey, barbecue sauce from Apple Branch Pantry and balsamic vinegars made with local fruit such as ligonberry!  Also check out their fresh roasted coffee by Coffee Roastery.  Check to see if they have their tasty salmon wraps!

Three Bears will be bringing their jams and jellies as well.  A wide variety made with local fruit at terrific prices.

Fat Boyz Ribz will be there grilling up their delicious ribs and hot dogs.  Great cole slaw too!  Just follow your nose!

WeBeDogs will have their locally made reindeer and buffalo dogs too.

Denali Kettle Corn will have their sweet treats ready for you! 

PLANTS

Country Garden Farms will also be there with their direct from the field sod. Great prices too!

Gray Owl Farm still has many perennials that they will bring to market including Johnson’s Blue Geranium, Ligularia, Asiatic Lilies, Hosta, Penstemmon, Perennial grasses and Cerastium.  They have a large variety of houseplants and tropicals to choose from including a rainbow of colors in Coleus, Pink Philodendron, Ferns, Red Banana Plants, Scented Geraniums, Hawaiian Ti Plants and New Zealand Flax (Phormiums).  They have locally grown Nugget Bluegrass Seed in 2# bags available and offer free estimates on Delivery and Placement of their pure Nugget Bluegrass Sod.  Stop by and pick up a card to plan an appointment for a free estimate for “Instant Grassification.” Can’t we all just get a Lawn?  The garden is producing and they will offer Kohlrabi, Beets, Napa Cabbage, tender Mustard Greens, Arugula, Spinach, Bunching Onions (Scallions), and from the greenhouse their “so sweet” European Cucumbers and crunchy Pickling Cucumbers as well as a variety of herbs. 

For more information about the market, contact Nancy, South Anchorage Farmers’ Market, at 907-529.7630, .

Cheers! And see you at the market!
Nancy Lampman
South Anchorage Farmers’ Market Reporter