July 31, 2009 by Charles Bingham

• Vote for Sitka Farmers Market in the America’s Favorite Farmers Market contest

Do you enjoy the Sitka Farmers Market? If so, vote for us in the America’s Favorite Farmers Market contest sponsored by the American Farmland Trust, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving America’s agricultural resources.

To vote, click here and then search for the Sitka Farmers Market by using the zip code or state directories. The deadline to vote is midnight EST on Saturday, Aug. 8 (8 p.m. Alaska time on Friday, Aug. 7). The online voting form asks what you like about the market, so be prepared to type something in the box. The top small, medium and large markets win a large quantity of “No Farms, No Food” totebags to distribute at a market in September.

By the way, the next Sitka Farmers Market is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. this Saturday, Aug. 1, at Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall (235 Katlian St.). We’re looking forward to seeing you at the market.

This weekend’s market will feature nearly 30 vendors with local fish, produce and arts and crafts. There also will be music on the stage by Ted Howard and friends, and the jam tent outside. As usual, there will be children’s activities.

If you have extra produce from your garden, the Sitka Local Foods Network table (outside by the Sitka Farmers Market sign) accepts donations and does buy some produce to sell at its booth. All money raised by the Sitka Local Foods Network booth goes into various projects sponsored by the 501(c)(3) non-profit group, including the Sitka Farmers Market, community gardens, the proposed Sitka Community greenhouse and other projects.

Click here to vote for the Sitka Farmers Market in the America’s Favorite Farmers Market contest

Click here to learn more about the America’s Favorite Farmers Market contest hosted by the American Farmland Trust

July 28, 2009 by Charles Bingham

• Saturday’s Sitka Farmers Market leads into National Farmers Market Week

This Saturday’s second Sitka Farmers Market of the season will serve as the perfect lead-in for National Farmers Market Week next week.

The Sitka Farmers Market takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 1, at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall (235 Katlian St.) and in the adjoining parking lot owned by the Baranof Island Housing Authority. Recently U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack proclaimed Aug. 2-8 of this year as the 10th annual National Farmers Market Week.

“Farmers markets are good for everyone,” says Stacy Miller, Executive Director of the Farmers Market Coalition, a non-profit organization supporting farmers markets across the country. “They are good for your health, good for your community and good for the economy. Not to mention, farmers markets offer the freshest foods from America’s most entrepreneurial farmers and they preserve our country’s agricultural traditions.”

“The Sitka Farmers Market offers unique varieties of fresh, nutritious food at the peak of flavor, creates a vibrant community gathering place, and provides the opportunity for learning about healthy life choices and local products,” says Linda Wilson, Sitka Farmers Market Co-Coordinator.

The Sitka Farmers Market started last year as a project from the 2008 Sitka Health Summit. We hosted three successful markets last year, and this year we have five on the schedule with Saturday’s being the second of the summer. Even though the Sitka Farmers Markets are new, they’ve quickly become community gathering points whenever they’re held, and ANB Hall is packed with people.

The Sitka Farmers Market features about 20-25 vendors each market who sell locally grown produce, locally harvested fish and locally made arts and crafts. Local musicians perform on the stage inside ANB Hall and in the jam tent outside, local cooks make ready-to-eat dishes and there are activities for the children. The Sitka Farmers Market is the only farmers market in Southeast Alaska authorized to accept WIC vouchers, which can be used by WIC-eligible families to purchase produce.

Booths are available for Saturday’s market for a nominal $5 each, but the emphasis is on locally produced food and arts and crafts. For more information about this week’s market, contact Linda Wilson at 747-3096 (nights) or lawilson87@hotmail.com, or contact Kerry MacLane at maclanekerry@yahoo.com.

Click this link to learn more about the Farmers Market Coalition and why farmers markets are becoming more important in America.

The Gimbal Botanicals booth at the July 18 first Sitka Farmers Market of the season.

Cindy Westergaard sells plants at the July 18 Sitka Farmers Market

July 27, 2009 by Charles Bingham

• More Lower 48 coverage of Sitka Farmers Market

A screenshot of the Red Bluff Daily News (Calif.) with the article about the first Sitka Farmers Market

Last week we made note that a Daily Sitka Sentinel story from July 17 that previewed the first Sitka Farmers Market had been picked up by the Associated Press newswire and found its way into the Augusta Chronicle in Georgia.

Well, this week that same story made another Lower 48 newspaper appearance when it hit the Red Bluff Daily News out of California (unfortunately this time there’s no photo of Florence Welsh with her giant broccoli). It’s always fun to see Lower 48 papers talking about local foods and Sitka.

Click here to see the story in the Red Bluff Daily News (Calif.)

July 24, 2009 by Charles Bingham

• Sitka Farmers Market gets more media play

Screenshot of Anchorage Daily News' Alaska Newsreader blog mention of the Sitka Farmers Market

It looks there’s more media coverage of the Sitka Farmers Market. The Alaska Newsreader blog on the Anchorage Daily News Web site has a link to the Daily Sitka Sentinel story (as it ran in the Juneau Empire) and a link to the Sitka Local Foods Network Web site.

Click here to see the ADN’s Alaska Newsreader item about the Sitka Farmers Market

July 24, 2009 by Charles Bingham

• Georgia newspaper runs article on Sitka Farmers Market

A screenshot from the Augusta Chronicle Web site showing a story and photo about the Sitka Farmers Market

They’re talking about the Sitka Local Foods Network in Augusta, Ga.

The Augusta Chronicle’s Web site ran a version of a story that originally appeared July 17 in the Daily Sitka Sentinel and then was picked up by the Associated Press news wire. The article includes a photo of Sitka gardener Florence Welsh showing off some broccoli and cauliflower she was getting ready to sell at the first Sitka Farmers Market on July 18.

The Juneau Empire also picked up the same article to post on its Web site (the Augusta Chronicle and Juneau Empire both are owned by Morris Publications out of Augusta).

Anyway, click on the links below to check out the article on both newspaper sites.

Click here to read the article from the Augusta Chronicle’s Web site.

Click here to see the article from the Juneau Empire’s Web site.

A screenshot of the Juneau Empire's Web site with the article about the Sitka Farmers Market

July 23, 2009 by Charles Bingham

• Donations and volunteers needed for Sitka Farmers Markets

Did your home garden produce a bumper crop and you have more vegetables than you can handle?

The Sitka Local Foods Network is accepting donations for its vegetable stand at the next Sitka Farmers Market, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 1, at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall. All proceeds from produce sold at the booth go to support community projects sponsored by the non-profit Sitka Local Foods Network.

Volunteers also are needed to help with set up and take down of booths. For more information, call Linda Wilson at 747-3096 (nights).

Lisa Sadleir-Hart, Maybelle Filler and Hilary Martin sell produce at the Sitka Farmers Market booth on July 18.

July 21, 2009 by Charles Bingham

• New photo galleries posted on Shutterfly

Shoppers look for deals at the first Sitka Farmers Market of the summer on July 18, 2009.

There have been a couple of new photo albums posted on the Sitka Local Foods Network page on Shutterfly (a photo-sharing site). There is an album of photos from Saturday’s first Sitka Farmers Market of the 2009 summer. There also is a photo album of photos from 2008 events, and an album of historical photos from 1898 to the late 1920s (used with permission from the Sitka Historical Society and Museum).

Click this link to go to the Shutterfly site where there are some new photo albums posted.

Sarah Williams shows off a hat she made to sell at the Sitka Farmers Market.

July 20, 2009 by Charles Bingham

• Alaska Dream Salmon wins first Table of the Day Award

Julie Jordan of Alaska Dream Salmon receives the Table of the Day award from Kerry MacLane for the first Sitka Farmers Market of the season

Julie Jordan of Alaska Dream Salmon receives the “Table of the Day Award” from Sitka Farmers Markets co-coordinator Kerry MacLane after the season’s first market on July 18. The Sitka Local Foods Network selected her table — which featured three varieties of fresh salmon and rock fish caught on the F/V Saturday — to receive the $25 cash prize, an Alaska Farmers Market Association tote bag, a selection of locally grown herbs and a certificate of appreciation. An identical prize package will be awarded to a deserving vendor at each of the four remaining Sitka Farmers Markets. The second market of the season takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 1, at Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall.

Keep your eye on this site, because a photo gallery from the first Sitka Farmers Market of the season will be posted later this week.

July 20, 2009 by Charles Bingham

• Sitka Farmers Market preview in July 17 paper

In case you didn’t see it, the Daily Sitka Sentinel previewed the first Sitka Farmers Market of the season with a front-page article and photo in the Friday, July 17, 2009, issue of the paper. Click the link below to read a PDF version of the Sentinel story (PDF requires Adobe Acrobat to read, which is a free download from Adobe).

SENTINEL-SitkaFarmersMarket17July2009