berries

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• Sitka Local Foods Network hosts annual meeting and potluck dinner on Saturday, Jan. 21

Please join the Sitka Local Foods Network for its annual meeting and potluck dinner at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 21, at the Sitka Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Hall (408 Marine St., parking lot is off Spruce Street).

Join us as we honor our four years of existence and prepare for our fifth year. During this time, the Sitka Local Foods Network has worked on several initiatives — creating the Sitka Farmers Market, building St. Peter’s Fellowship Farm, hosting the Let’s Grow Sitka! garden education event, and more. We supported projects to plant more fruit trees around Sitka, get more local fish served in school lunches and increase Sitka’s ability to compost, and we are working toward starting the Sitka Community Greenhouse and Education Center. We also received a 501(c)(3) non-profit status from the IRS, so people can make tax-deductible gifts to help fund our work.

Our annual meeting and potluck is open to the public, and all Sitka residents are welcome to attend. We will feature local and slow foods, but we really value your attendance. This is our opportunity to say thank you to those who have helped us grow, and it is your chance to learn more about what we’re doing and how you can help.

As we enter 2012, Sitka and the rest of Alaska face some serious food security issues. According to a recent survey by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service, the weekly cost for food for a family of four in Sitka has gone up 44 percent over the past five years. With rising fuel prices, this trend does not figure to change in the near future. Sitka still imports about 90-95 percent of its food from the Lower 48 or other countries, which means transportation is a big part of our food cost. The Sitka Local Foods Network is looking for input from Sitka residents about how we can work to improve Sitka’s food security. We also are working with the Alaska Food Policy Council, which is a statewide organization working on food security issues.

So mark your calendar to attend our annual meeting and potluck dinner at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 21, at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Hall, 408 Marine St. For more information, contact Kerry MacLane at 752-0654.

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• Alaska chef Robert Kinneen creates webinar series about cooking with traditional foods

Local food from Sitka is featured prominently in the new Fresh49.com webisode series about using traditional foods created by Alaska chef Robert Kinneen of Anchorage and Dr. Gary Ferguson, ND, the director of the Wellness and Prevention program at the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC).

Guest chef Robert Kinneen of Anchorage demonstrates a dish using scallops during the first Sitka Seafood Festival in 2010.

Guest chef Robert Kinneen of Anchorage demonstrates a dish using scallops during the first Sitka Seafood Festival in 2010.

The first webisodes in the series are about the Store Outside Your Door, and they feature traditional foods Kinneen gathered around Sitka with Steve Johnson, a Tlingít elder-in-training from Sitka. Some of the webisodes featuring Sitka include a foraged salad, Alaskan fresh rolls, venison skewers and rockfish fumet. There is a Store Outside Your Door page on Facebook, as well as a channel on YouTubewhere people can find the webisodes.

Even though he currently lives and works in Anchorage, Kinneen is no stranger to Southeast Alaska. He is Tlingít and was born in Petersburg. Kinneen is a graduate of the Culinary School of America and has been a chef at several of Anchorage’s top restaurants over the years. He also has been a guest chef at the first two Sitka Seafood Festivals.

Dr. Ferguson, who is Aleut originally from Sand Point, is a Doctor of Naturopathy who earned his degree from the National College of Naturopathic Medicine. He has a special interest in diabetes treatment and prevention, which is one of the reasons Dr. Ferguson and Kinneen got together to do the series. Research has shown that traditional diets can play a big role in diabetes prevention.

In the first webisodes, they also worked with health educator Renae Mathson of Sitka (Tlingít), who works with the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) Diabetes and Health Promotion programs, and registered dietitian Desirée Simeon (Tlingít/Haida), who works with ANTHC. They currently are filming webisodes from other parts of Alaska, featuring traditional foods from those areas.

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• Rising grocery prices raise food insecurity concerns in Sitka

(NOTE: The following letter to the editor appeared in the Friday, Dec. 9, 2011, edition of the Daily Sitka Sentinel.)

Dear Editor,

Many in Sitka are feeling squeezed not only by rising fuel costs, but also by escalating food costs. The September 2011 Alaska Food Cost Survey, conducted by University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service, calculated Sitka’s weekly food cost for a family of four as $198.41. This is a 44-percent increase since 2006, when the same market basket cost was $138.14. Sitka’s food costs are 57 percent higher than in Portland, Ore., 37 percent more than in Anchorage and 30 percent more than in Juneau.

Feeding America 2011 statistics report that 11.7 percent of Sitka’s borough is “food insecure.”  This translates to 1,030 Sitkans and other Baranof Islanders who sometimes are completely without a source of food on a regular basis.

Kids Count Alaska 2009-2010 reports that 46 percent of Sitka’s school age children and youth live in families receiving some form of public assistance i.e., Denali KidCare, food stamps, or Alaska Temporary Assistance. This is a 10-percent increase since 2007.

Alaska behavioral risk factor data from 2009 show that only 23 percent of Alaskans consume the recommended five fruits and vegetables each day and only 17 percent of adolescents eat five daily servings of fruits and vegetables. One of the primary reasons for this low intake is inadequate access to affordable, quality produce.

These combined statistics paint a picture of increasing vulnerability when it comes to securing nutritious food on a regular basis. In the nutrition and public health world, this tenuous access to healthy food is known as food insecurity. So, how can Sitka, collectively and creatively, respond to food insecurity? Sitka can respond by INCREASING ACCESS TO AFFORDABLE LOCAL FOOD.

The Sitka Local Foods Network is working towards improving access to nutritious, local foods through five interconnected strategies. Together, these five strategies can move Sitka toward a more food-secure future. They are:

  1. Promoting traditional and customary food gathering and preservation.
  2. Developing the Let’s Grow Sitka gardening campaign to assist Sitkans in learning to grow some of their own food.
  3. Growing the number of community gardens to augment the garden behind Blatchley Middle School. The 4-year-old St. Peter’s Fellowship Farm is a recent example.
  4. Coordinating regular Sitka Farmers Markets during the summer growing and gathering seasons.
  5. Creating a community greenhouse and promoting commercial greenhouses to increase year-round access to local fruits and vegetables.

If you are interested in supporting this effort, please commit to one of the following actions:

  • Attend the Let’s Grow Sitka extravaganza as part of Artigras from noon-3pm on March 11, 2012, at the ANB Hall to learn how to grow your own food
  • Volunteer to work at St. Peter’s Fellowship Farm this spring or the Sitka Farmers Market this summer
  • Support the Sitka Farmers Market which begins July 7, 2012, and runs every other Saturday morning through Sept. 15, 2012.
  • Mail a tax-deductible, year-end contribution to the Sitka Local Food Network at 408-D Marine Street, Sitka, AK 99835.

Together, we can make food security a reality in Sitka.

Sincerely,

Sitka Local Foods Network Board and Friends
(Lisa Sadleir-Hart, Charles Bingham, Kerry MacLane, Doug Osborne, Ellen Frankenstein, Maybelle Filler, Robin Grewe)

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• Sitka Conservation Society hosts wild foods potluck on Wednesday, Nov. 2

The Sitka Conservation Society will host its second annual wild foods potluck on Wednesday, Nov. 2, at Harrigan Centennial Hall. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with food served at 6 p.m.

Come celebrate Alaska’s bounty with friends and family. Bring a dish featuring food fished, foraged, hunted or cultivated in Southeast. If you don’t have any wild foods to share, just garnish your dish with a local plant. After dinner is served there will be a short presentation by SCS Community Sustainability Coordinator Tracy Gagnon about the Fish To Schools program.

There also will be presentation by Sitka High School musicians and booths from the Sitka Local Foods Network, the Slow Food Southeast Alaska group, the Sitka Sound Science Center, Sitka Trail Works, Recycle Sitka, Sitka Bicycle Friendly Community Coalition, Sitka 4H Club, Sitka Maritime Heritage Society, Southeast Alaska Conservation Council, Mt. Edgecumbe High School Youth for Environmental Action, Sitka Seafood Festival and more.

Prizes will be given for first place in the following categories: Best Entree, Best Side, Best Dessert, Most Creative, and Incorporation of the Most Local Ingredients. Entries should include a wild/local food. Pick up an entry form at the front table when you arrive at the potluck.

This event is open to the entire community; you do not need to be a Sitka Conservation Society member to attend. Non-alcoholic hot drinks will be provided.

For more information, contact Ashley Bolwerk at the Sitka Conservation Society office at 747-7509.

• Wild Foods Potluck flier (opens as PDF file)

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• Make plans for the last full Sitka Farmers Market of the summer this Saturday (Sept. 10) at ANB Hall

PHOTO COURTESY OF SITKA LOCAL FOODS NETWORK Sitka Local Foods Network board vice president Linda Wilson, left, and former SLFN board member Lynnda Strong, right, present Amanda Hershberg, owner of The Cupcake Bar by Twinflower Sugar Craft, with the Table of the Day Award from the fourth Sitka Farmers Market of the season on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2011, at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall. The prize included fresh produce, preserves and a set of Alaska Grown tote bags. The fifth and final Sitka Farmers Market of the season is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10, at ANB Hall (235 Katlian St.). There will be a smaller market held as part of the annual Running of the Boots fundraiser for the Sitka Local Foods Network on Sept. 24 at the Crescent Harbor Shelter.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SITKA LOCAL FOODS NETWORK Sitka Local Foods Network board vice president Linda Wilson, left, and former SLFN board member Lynnda Strong, right, present Amanda Hershberg, owner of The Cupcake Bar by Twinflower Sugar Craft, with the Table of the Day Award from the fourth Sitka Farmers Market of the season on Saturday, Aug. 27, 2011, at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall. The prize included fresh produce, preserves and a set of Alaska Grown tote bags. The fifth and final Sitka Farmers Market of the season is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10, at ANB Hall (235 Katlian St.). There will be a smaller market held as part of the annual Running of the Boots fundraiser for the Sitka Local Foods Network on Sept. 24 at the Crescent Harbor Shelter.

Be sure to attend the fifth and final Sitka Farmers Market of the summer, which takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 10, at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall (235 Katlian St.).

This will be the last of five full Sitka Farmers Markets this summer, with the schedule running on alternate Saturdays (July 16, 30, Aug. 13, 27 and Sept. 10). There will be a small market as part of the Running of the Boots fundraiser for the Sitka Local Foods Network on Sept. 24 at the Crescent Harbor shelter.

The markets feature local seafood (fresh, frozen, and cooked, ready to eat), locally grown and harvested fruits and vegetables, baked bread, locally picked berries, jams and jellies, cooking demonstrations, live entertainment, locally brewed and roasted coffee, music, local arts and crafts, and a variety of other items gathered or made in Sitka. We emphasize local products and lots of fun. We are the first farmers market in Southeast Alaska to accept WIC coupons.

For more information about the market or hosting a booth, contact Sitka Farmers Market Manager Linda Wilson at 747-3096 (evenings or weekends) or lawilson87@hotmail.com. By the way, we always need volunteers to help set up and take down the market before and after the event.

Also, any family gardeners with extra produce to donate or sell during the Sept. 10 Sitka Farmers Market, please contact Linda Wilson. Due to the recent rainy weather, some of our usual gardeners are low on produce for the markets. Your help is greatly appreciated.

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• SEARHC, UAF Cooperative Extension Service to host ‘Basics of Food Preservation’ classes

University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service Tanana District Agent Roxie Dinstel demonstrates proper home canning techniques (Photo courtesy of the UAF Cooperative Extension Service)

University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service Tanana District Agent Roxie Dinstel demonstrates proper home canning techniques (Photo courtesy of the UAF Cooperative Extension Service)

Are you looking for ways to safely put up your grub? Do you have extra salmon or veggies you want to preserve for eating this winter? Two “Basics of Food Preservation” classes will be taught Wednesday, Aug. 31, in Sitka.

The first class takes place at noon on Aug. 31 at the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) S’áxt’ Hít Mt. Edgecumbe Hospital Litehouse Cafeteria conference rooms. The second class is at 7 p.m. at Kettleson Memorial Library.

Both one-hour classes will be taught by University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service Tanana District Agent Roxie Dinstel of Fairbanks, who will cover safe canning and preserving for various types of foods. Roxie helped create the UAF Cooperative Extension Service‘s new Preserving Alaska’s Bounty online tutorials for home canners, which can be found at http://www.uaf.edu/ces/preservingalaskasbounty/. (Note, Adobe Flash Player required to view tutorials, but it can be downloaded from the site.) She also helped write several of the UAF Cooperative Extension Service’s publications on canning, which are available from your local UAF Cooperative Extension Service office (at the University of Alaska Southeast-Sitka Campus in Sitka) or can be downloaded online at http://www.uaf.edu/ces/publications/.

In addition to the two classes on home canning, Roxie also will be available to test pressure gauges for home canning equipment owned by Sitka residents. These tests can tell you if your gauge is still accurate, or if it needs to be replaced for safe canning.

These classes are sponsored by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service, Kettleson Memorial Library and SEARHC Health Promotion. All are welcome to attend, and the classes are free. For more information, please contact Martha Pearson at 966-8783 or martha.pearson@searhc.org.

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• Make plans for the fourth Sitka Farmers Market of the summer this Saturday (Aug. 27) at ANB Hall

PHOTO COURTESY OF SITKA LOCAL FOODS NETWORK Sitka Local Foods Network board members Cathy Lieser, left, and Lisa Sadleir-Hart, right, present jewelry maker Kiki Norman of Art Glass By Kiki with the Table of the Day Award from the third Sitka Farmers Market of the season on Saturday, Aug. 13, 2011, at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall. The prize included fresh produce, preserves and a set of Alaska Grown tote bags. The next Sitka Farmers Market is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27, at ANB Hall (235 Katlian St.).

PHOTO COURTESY OF SITKA LOCAL FOODS NETWORK Sitka Local Foods Network board members Cathy Lieser, left, and Lisa Sadleir-Hart, right, present jewelry maker Kiki Norman of Art Glass By Kiki with the Table of the Day Award from the third Sitka Farmers Market of the season on Saturday, Aug. 13, 2011, at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall. The prize included fresh produce, preserves and a set of Alaska Grown tote bags. The next Sitka Farmers Market is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27, at ANB Hall (235 Katlian St.).

Be sure to attend the fourth Sitka Farmers Market of the summer, which takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 27, at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall (235 Katlian St.).

This will be the fourth of five full Sitka Farmers Markets this summer, with the schedule running on alternate Saturdays (July 16, 30, Aug. 13, 27 and Sept. 10). There also will be a small market as part of the Running of the Boots fundraiser for the Sitka Local Foods Network on Sept. 24 at the Crescent Harbor shelter.

The markets feature local seafood (fresh, frozen, and cooked, ready to eat), locally grown and harvested fruits and vegetables, baked bread, locally picked berries, jams and jellies, cooking demonstrations, live entertainment, locally brewed and roasted coffee, music, local arts and crafts, and a variety of other items gathered or made in Sitka. We emphasize local products and lots of fun. We are the first farmers market in Southeast Alaska to accept WIC coupons.

For more information about the market or hosting a booth, contact Sitka Farmers Market Manager Linda Wilson at 747-3096 (evenings or weekends) or lawilson87@hotmail.com. By the way, we always need volunteers to help set up and take down the market before and after the event.

Also, any family gardeners with extra produce to donate or sell during the Aug. 27 or Sept. 10 Sitka Farmers Markets, please contact Linda Wilson. Due to the recent rainy weather, some of our usual gardeners are low on produce for the markets. Your help is greatly appreciated.

Also, don’t forget to vote for the Sitka Farmers Market in the America’s Favorite Farmers Markets contest by following the links at https://sitkalocalfoodsnetwork.org/2011/07/06/%E2%80%A2-don%E2%80%99t-forget-to-vote-for-the-sitka-farmers-market-in-this-year%E2%80%99s-america%E2%80%99s-favorite-farmers-markets-contest/. Search for the Sitka Farmers Market by using the zip code or state directories. You also can vote by clicking the contest logo at the top of this site’s right column.

Voting opened on June 1, and the deadline to vote is midnight EST on Wednesday, Aug. 31 (8 p.m. Alaska time on Tuesday, Aug. 30). The online voting form asks what you like best about the market, so be prepared to type something in the box. The top boutique, small, medium and large markets win a large quantity of “No Farms, No Food” totebags to distribute at a market in September, in addition to other prizes to help organizers run a better market. Click here for more information about the contest, and click here for a FAQ page with more details.

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• Celebrate National Farmers Market Week by going to the Sitka Farmers Market on Saturday

PHOTO COURTESY OF SITKA LOCAL FOODS NETWORK Sitka Farmers Market representative and Sitka Conservation Society community sustainability organizer Tracy Gagnon, second from left, presents Sitka Spruce Catering owner Jeren Schmidt, third from left (with daughter Novah Lee Schmidt in backpack), with the table of the day award as Jeren's co-workers Tam Conatser, left, and Linda Bergdoll-Schmidt, right, watch. The table of the day award was for the second Sitka Farmers Market of the summer on Saturday, July 30, 2011, at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall in Sitka, Alaska. Sitka Spruce Catering uses locally grown veggies, herbs and other local products to create the food it provides through its catering operation. Jeren, Tam and Linda received a tote bag full of bread, veggies and other prizes from the market. The next Sitka Farmers Market is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 13, 2011, at ANB Hall. To learn more about the Sitka Farmers Market and other Sitka Local Foods Network projects, go to http://www.sitkalocalfoodsnetwork.org/.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SITKA LOCAL FOODS NETWORK Sitka Farmers Market representative and Sitka Conservation Society community sustainability organizer Tracy Gagnon, second from left, presents Sitka Spruce Catering owner Jeren Schmidt, third from left (with daughter Novah Lee Schmidt in backpack), with the table of the day award as Jeren's co-workers Tam Conatser, left, and Linda Bergdoll-Schmidt, right, watch. The table of the day award was for the second Sitka Farmers Market of the summer on Saturday, July 30, 2011, at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall in Sitka, Alaska. Sitka Spruce Catering uses locally grown veggies, herbs and other local products to create the food it provides through its catering operation. Jeren, Tam and Linda received a tote bag full of bread, veggies and other prizes from the market. The next Sitka Farmers Market is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 13, 2011, at ANB Hall. To learn more about the Sitka Farmers Market and other Sitka Local Foods Network projects, go to http://www.sitkalocalfoodsnetwork.org/.

Aug. 7-13 is National Farmers Market Week this year, as declared by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, so celebrate the week by attending the Sitka Farmers Market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 13, at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall (235 Katlian St.).

Farmers markets are a great way to connect with the community, while also purchasing local produce, wild fish, locally baked bread and arts and crafts. Besides providing access to fresh local produce, farmers markets create strong economic engines in communities, promote local health and bring a diverse group of people together. They also help consumers meet and get to know the people who produce their food.

“The Sitka Farmers Market serves as a family friendly place for people to meet and to visit with other members of the community,” said Sitka Local Foods Network Vice-President Linda Wilson, who also serves as the Sitka Farmers Market manager. “Some people spend an hour or two just going around mingling with folks and chatting, catching up on the local news, telling jokes, and sharing ideas and information. There is a lot of good energy around during the market.”

Farmers markets have been growing nationally, from 2,863 in 2000 to 7,175 in 2011, a jump of 150 percent. While Alaska doesn’t have as many farmers markets as other states, it did have the highest percentage of new markets in the country last year, up 35 markets in 2011 or 46 percent. The national rate of new market growth was 17 percent.

This Saturday will be the third of five full Sitka Farmers Markets this summer, with the schedule running on alternate Saturdays (July 16, 30, Aug. 13, 27 and Sept. 10). The markets feature local seafood (fresh, frozen, and cooked, ready to eat), locally grown and harvested fruits and vegetables, baked bread, locally picked berries, jams and jellies, cooking demonstrations, live entertainment, locally brewed and roasted coffee, music, local arts and crafts, and a variety of other items gathered or made in Sitka. We emphasize local products and lots of fun. We are the first farmers market in Southeast Alaska to accept WIC coupons. You also can vote for the Sitka Farmers Market in the America’s Favorite Farmers Markets contest by following the links at https://sitkalocalfoodsnetwork.org/2011/07/06/%E2%80%A2-don%E2%80%99t-forget-to-vote-for-the-sitka-farmers-market-in-this-year%E2%80%99s-america%E2%80%99s-favorite-farmers-markets-contest/.

For more information about the market or hosting a booth, contact Sitka Farmers Market Manager Linda Wilson at 747-3096 (evenings or weekends) or lawilson87@hotmail.com. By the way, we always need volunteers to help set up and take down the market before and after the event. Your help is greatly appreciated.

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• Make plans for the second Sitka Farmers Market of the summer this Saturday (July 30) at ANB Hall

PHOTO COURTESY OF SITKA LOCAL FOODS NETWORK Sitka Local Foods Network Board Member Doug Osborne, left, and Sitka Farmers Market Co-Director Mandy Griffith, right, present the Table of the Day Award to Dave Nicholls, second from left, and Charlotte A. Vanchura Candelaria of Sitka Sea Salt during the first Sitka Farmers Market of the summer on Saturday, July 16, 2011, at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall in Sitka, Alaska. Sitka Sea Salt is a new business that will manufacture sea salt for chefs and restaurant use. Dave and Charlotte received a tote bag full of bread, veggies and other prizes from the market. The next Sitka Farmers Market is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 30, 2011, at ANB Hall. To learn more about the Sitka Farmers Market, go to http://www.sitkalocalfoodsnetwork.org/.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SITKA LOCAL FOODS NETWORK Sitka Local Foods Network Board Member Doug Osborne, left, and Sitka Farmers Market Co-Director Mandy Griffith, right, present the Table of the Day Award to Dave Nicholls, second from left, and Charlotte A. Vanchura Candelaria of Sitka Sea Salt during the first Sitka Farmers Market of the summer on Saturday, July 16, 2011, at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall in Sitka, Alaska. Sitka Sea Salt is a new business that will manufacture sea salt for chefs and restaurant use. Dave and Charlotte received a tote bag full of bread, veggies and other prizes from the market. The next Sitka Farmers Market is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 30, 2011, at ANB Hall. To learn more about the Sitka Farmers Market, go to http://www.sitkalocalfoodsnetwork.org/.

The second Sitka Farmers Market of the summer takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, July 30, at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall (235 Katlian St.), and this market promises to be bigger than the first one.

This will be the second of five full Sitka Farmers Markets this summer, with the schedule running on alternate Saturdays (July 16, 30, Aug. 13, 27 and Sept. 10). The markets feature local seafood (fresh, frozen, and cooked, ready to eat), locally grown and harvested fruits and vegetables, baked bread, locally picked berries, jams and jellies, cooking demonstrations, live entertainment, locally brewed and roasted coffee, music, local arts and crafts, and a variety of other items gathered or made in Sitka. We emphasize local products and lots of fun. We are the first farmers market in Southeast Alaska to accept WIC coupons. You also can vote for the Sitka Farmers Market in the America’s Favorite Farmers Markets contest by following the links at https://sitkalocalfoodsnetwork.org/2011/07/06/%E2%80%A2-don%E2%80%99t-forget-to-vote-for-the-sitka-farmers-market-in-this-year%E2%80%99s-america%E2%80%99s-favorite-farmers-markets-contest/.

According to Sitka Farmers Market Manager Linda Wilson, there will be a lot of new booths at this market who weren’t around for the first one. So far, the tentative vendor list looks like this:

INSIDE:

  • Raven’s Peek Roasters – roast coffee, specialty nuts
  • Food Demonstration
  • Amanda Hershberg – cupcake bar
  • Alaskans Own – frozen fish
  • Gimbal Botanicals – teas, beach asparagus
  • Down to Earth U-Pick Garden – produce, plants, flowers
  • Sarah Williams – Athabascan handcrafts
  • Syliva Falk – hand crafted jewelry
  • Charlotte Candelaria – Sitka Sea Salt
  • Dave Nichols – locally produced music on CD
  • Kiki Norman – glass jewelry
  • D.J. Robidou – graphic art
  • Backbay Botanicals – wildcrafted herbal remedies and lotions
  • Kelly Tidwell – jewelry made from wild gathered items
  • Bobbie Daniels – angora rabbits, small animal feed
  • Tamara Conaster – jewelry, produce, baked goods
  • Episcopal Church Women – frozen black cod
  • Big Brothers Big Sisters – non-profit
  • Sitka Food Cooperative – new food co-op sign-up information
  • Bonnie Bell Baker – home made aprons and sewn items
  • Evening Star Grutter – produce, jam
  • Teruvina – baked goods, bread
  • Sandra Greba – art and crafts
  • Joella Swanson – local beach stone and metal clay jewelry
  • Charles Bower – local author
  • Braveheart Volunteers – nonprofit
  • Lisa Teas – art
  • Jennifer Ihde – art, crafts
  • Dianna Raymond – jam, jellies
  • Bridget Kaufman – bread, baked goods

OUTSIDE:

  • Sitka Local Foods Network/Sitka Farmers Market – produce, rhubarb jam, logo t-shirts
  • Kerry MacLane – grilled black cod
  • Grace Larsen – fry bread
  • Kari Johnson – crepes
  • Marivic Carbonez – Filipino food
  • Marcelino Mabalot – prepared foods
  • Judy Johnstone – produce
  • Mandy Griffith – baked goods
  • Baranof Island Brewing – root beer, logo items, baked goods from spent grain
  • Mary Todd Anderson – coffee

 

For more information about the market or hosting a booth, contact Sitka Farmers Market Manager Linda Wilson at 747-3096 (evenings or weekends) or lawilson87@hotmail.com. By the way, we always need volunteers to help set up and take down the market before and after the event. Your help is greatly appreciated.

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• Don’t forget Saturday is the first Sitka Farmers Market of the summer

The first Sitka Farmers Market of the summer takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Saturday, July 16, at Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall (235 Katlian St.).

This will be the first of five full Sitka Farmers Markets this summer, with the schedule running on alternate Saturdays (July 16, 30, Aug. 13, 27 and Sept. 10). The markets are a good place to buy local, Sitka-grown veggies, wild fish harvested from the waters around Sitka, fresh bread backed in Sitka, arts and crafts made by Sitka artists, and more. We usually have a demonstration table where people cook up food samples, a music tent and a kids’ table.

For more information, contact Sitka Farmers Market Manager Linda Wilson at 747-3096 (evenings or weekends) or lawilson87@hotmail.com.