For Alex Davis, the turning calendar means it's time to "kick off 150 more markets in 2018."
That's what happens when you operate the Center Market, a three-times-a-week market inside the Mall at Sears.
Davis will have his usual variety of storage vegetables, pork cuts, jams, eggs and other goodies at the market. The vegetables include green cabbage; kohlrabi; red and golden beets; potatoes; and icicle, orange, purple and yellow carrots. Davis has raspberry jam along with strawberry, pumpkin and apple butter.
The pork cuts at the A.D. Farm booth include loin roast, chops, fresh side sliced, ground pork, Italian sausage, spicy sausage, breakfast sausage, chorizo, fajita meat, ribs, roast, bone, fat, feet and hocks.
Earthworks Farm will be at all three markets this week, "with lots of our own honey in three sizes," says Dee Barker.
In addition to the tasty honey, the hard-working Alaska bees provide the needed ingredients for Barker's Abeille Alaska body products, including moisturizing cream, body lotion, lotion bars and lip balms. "The moisturizing cream and lotion contain our own farm honey and all these products contain Alaska beeswax that is unfiltered and minimally processed," she says.
Rempel Family Farm will be at Saturday's market with jumbo pink banana squash, acorn squash, spaghetti squash, red kuri squash, carrots, parsnips, daikon, snow apple turnips, kohlrabi, beets, green and purple cabbage, purple onions and several varieties of potatoes. The Rempels also have cuts of their Alaska yak meat.
Davis says these items also will be available this week at the market: Wild Child fermented salsa; Alaska Fisherman Seafood Direct with smoked black cod, shrimp, halibut and other seafood; Alaska Sprouts with micro greens, sprouts, tofu and basil; Alaska Flour Co.'s barley products; Mosquito Mama balsamic vinegar; Doggy Decadence treats; Windy River Farm grass-fed beef, Northern Lights Mushrooms; Tonia's Biscotti; Evie's Brinery items, including krauts; Jonsers' hand-crafted nectars and Alaska Seeds of Change.
Thankful Thursdays
Julie Meer of Farm 779 has a surprise this week.
"We will have a fresh cut flowery surprise for our market customers to brighten the week," she says. "Stop by early for beautiful fresh-cut flower stems to brighten your table."
Farm 779 also will have its typical array of fermented foods, including hot kraut, along with other kraut options; peony root and chaga and turmeric and ginger kombucha; ketogenic-compliant cacao chip cookies; beet kvass; coconut kefir and dips; and body products "with no crazy stabilizers," she says. Meer reminds shoppers that she will be out of state at a class next week "learning to do what we do even better."
Duane Clark will have Alaskan birch syrup, local honey, salsa, zucchini relish, jams, grass fed beef, yak, pork, potatoes, carrots and Alaska Sprouts items at this week's market.
Steve Edwards lives and writes in Anchorage. Contact him at akmarketfresh@gmail.com.
Local farmers markets
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; Fourth Avenue Indoor Market, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., 333 W. Fourth Ave.
Saturday in Anchorage: 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
Sunday in Anchorage: Fourth Avenue Indoor Market, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., 333 W. Fourth Ave.