It's a new year and there's a new farmers market in Anchorage.
Well, it's more of "same market, different day."
The Center Market at The Mall at Sears is adding a Friday market starting this week. The new Friday market is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. indoors at the mall. The Center Market's current Wednesday and Saturday formats are not changing. With the addition of the Friday market and the Thankful Thursday market, the mall will have a farmers market on site Wednesday to Saturday.
"We are excited to add Friday for a day when the people of Anchorage can get high quality food at the Center Market," said Alex Davis, owner of A.D. Farm and market organizer. "Some shop on workdays and other people shop on the weekend.
"But now you can come Friday to pick up a rack of ribs for Saturday lunch."
Davis said the first Friday market will include several vendors, including A.D. Farm, Catherine's Cupcakes, Monica's Confection Connection and Jonsers.
Davis said his own farm's growing production make another market feasible.
"We put about 40 percent more vegetables in storage this fall than ever before," Davis said. "When we added the Saturday markets four years ago, it was in part due to my farm's production being up. And it is definitely up."
Davis will be at all three markets this week with a large selection of produce, pork cuts, raspberry jam, goose and chicken eggs, barley products and items from Alaska Sprouts and Mosquito Mama. Davis' storage vegetables include carrots in four colors, five varieties of potatoes, three varieties of beets, kohlrabi and spaghetti squash. His pork cuts include bratwurst, loin roast, chops, fresh side, ground pork, sausages, ribs, bones, fat, liver and feet. Davis also has cuts of young goat at the market.
Other market vendors include:
Earthworks Farm: Dee Barker says she's excited about a new soap being unveiled for 2017 — Steller's jay lavender.
"I've been longing to make a lavender soap but wanted to make something with an interesting and different design, but I came up with nothing specifically inventive and I got a little discouraged and put it on the back burner," she said. "Finally, we have a soap that emulates the beautiful coloring of the Alaska Steller's jay. This soap also has a hefty spike of lavender essential oil, which is considered relaxing according to aromatherapists."
Look for the new soap, along with additional soaps, Abeille Alaska beeswax and honey skin and body care products, and honey at the Earthworks booth on Wednesday and Saturday.
Catherine's Cupcakes: The cupcakes are available daily at the kiosk in the Mall at Sears and at the Center Market on all three market days. Cupcake varieties include Purple Carrot made with Alaska-grown purple carrots and a Red Velbeet make with beets from A.D. Farm.
Rempel Family Farm: The Rempels will be at Saturday's market with loads of vegetables. Look for organic orange and purple carrots, red and green cabbage, purple onions, snow apple turnips, red and golden beets, parsnips, kohlrabi, seven kinds of winter squash and 13 varieties of potatoes. Also available is grass- and veggie-fed yak cuts.
Monica's Confection Connection: Look for a selection of sweet treats on all three Center Market days this week. Highlights include brittle, gummies, caramel, marshmallows and fudge. This week's fudge flavors are chocolate, raspberry cheesecake, red velvet, mint chocolate and peanut butter and chocolate.
Thankful Thursday
Duane Clark said four vendors are scheduled for the Thursday market — Clark's own Top Shelf Artisan Market, Non Essentials, Drool Central and the Tea & Spice Exchange.
Clark will have Yensis onions, potatoes, carrots, honey and honeycomb, jams, salsa, zucchini relish, grass-fed beef and yak, and smoked salmon products from Tilgner's Seafoods.
"Tea & Spice exchange will have salts, tea blends and spice medleys; Drool Central will have dog treats galore and Non Essentials will have eggs and baked items, Clark said.
Steve Edwards lives and writes in Anchorage. Contact him at akmarketfresh@gmail.com.
Local farmers markets
Monday in the Valley: Colony Farmers Market, noon-6 p.m., 610 S. Valley Way, Palmer
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
Saturday in Anchorage: Center Market, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., The Mall at Sears, Benson Boulevard and Denali Street