September 15, 2015 by Charles Bingham

• Sitka Local Foods Network recruiting new board members and other volunteers

The 2015 Sitka Local Foods Network board of directors. Front row, from left, Alli Gabbert, Lisa Sadleir-Hart, and Jennifer Carter. Middle row, from left, Maybelle Filler and Michelle Putz. Back row, from left, Charles Bingham, Brandie Cheatham, Matthew Jackson, and Beth Kindig (note, Beth Kindig resigned from the board and was replaced by Kathy Jones).

Are you concerned about increasing access to local food for all Sitka residents? Are you worried about rising food prices in Sitka, or do you want to advocate for more community gardens in Sitka?

Then consider joining the board of directors for the Sitka Local Foods Network for the 2016 calendar year. Due to the pending retirements of a couple of long-time board members, we are trying to build up a pool of possible replacements to help keep us moving into the future.

Board members help direct the Sitka Local Foods Network, a non-profit that promotes the harvest and use of local food in Sitka. In addition to setting the focus of the group, board members also help on a wide variety of projects such as the Sitka Farmers Market, St. Peter’s Fellowship Farm, garden education and mentoring, Sitka Kitch, Blatchley Community Garden, Let’s Grow Sitka, the Sick-A-Waste compost project, the Sitka Community Food Assessment project, Sitka Fish-To-Schools, other school education projects and more.

To apply for a spot on the board, please fill out the application linked below and submit it to sitkalocalfoodsnetwork@gmail.org. For more information, contact Lisa Sadleir-Hart at 747-5985.

We also are looking to increase our pool of volunteers who will help out during the various projects hosted by the network each year (no formal application needed, just send us your name/contact info and what types of projects you enjoy).

The next Sitka Local Foods Network board meeting is at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 12, at the See House behind St. Peter’s By The Sea Episcopal Church (611 Lincoln St.). The board usually meets from 6:30-8 p.m. on the second Monday of each month, except during the summer when board members are busy working with the Sitka Farmers Market and St. Peter’s Fellowship Farm communal garden.

Click here for a copy of the Sitka Local Foods Network board of directors job description. Click here for a copy of the board application.

September 14, 2015 by Charles Bingham

• Scenes from the sixth and final Sitka Farmers Market of the 2015 summer

Sitka Farmers Market Assistant Manager Francis Wegman-Lawless, left, and Sitka Farmers Market Manager Debe Brincefield, right, present the Table Of The Day Award to Kerry MacLane, second from left, and his Sitka’s Blackcod Collars helpers Autumn Mayo, center, and Ilona Mayo, second from right, at the sixth and final Sitka Farmers Market of the 2015 summer on Saturday, Sept. 12, at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Founders Hall in Sitka. MacLane is a regular participant at the Sitka Farmers Market with his grilled blackcod collars/tips served over rice with beach asparagus, kale, and other greens for a garnish. This was the eighth year of Sitka Farmers Markets, hosted by the Sitka Local Foods Network. While the Sitka Farmers Markets are over for 2015, the Sitka Local Foods Network will host a produce booth at the Running of the Boots on Saturday, Sept. 26, near St. Michael’s Russian Orthodox Church. The Running of the Boots is a costumed fun run fundraiser for the Sitka Local Foods Network, where people run a short race in their XtraTufs (aka Sitka Sneakers). Registration opens at 10 a.m., with costume judging about 10:30 a.m. and the race start at 11 a.m. For more information about the Sitka Farmers Markets, Running of the Boots, and Sitka Local Foods Network, go to http://www.sitkalocalfoodsnetwork.org/, check out our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SitkaLocalFoodsNetwork, or follow us on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/SitkaLocalFoods. (PHOTO COURTESY OF SITKA LOCAL FOODS NETWORK)

For our final Sitka Farmers Market of the 2015 season we had our usual fall Sitka weather — if you don’t like it right now wait 15 minutes and it will change.

We had torrential downpours early in the morning as we were setting up the market, but the rains stopped in time for the market to open and the sun even came out for a bit. We had more rainfall about halfway through the market, but it cleared up and was partly sunny for the end of the market and we even had a brief but large rainbow overhead.

While Saturday’s Sitka Farmers Market was the last one of the summer, there will be another chance to get some local veggies. The Sitka Local Foods Network will host a produce stand at its annual Running of the Boots costume run fundraiser on Saturday, Sept. 26, near St. Michael’s Russian Orthodox Cathedral. Running of the Boots registration and the produce booth open at 10 a.m., with costume judging about 10:30 a.m. and the fun run at 11 a.m. Dress up your XtraTufs and come on down for the fun.

A slideshow from the sixth Sitka Farmers Market of 2015 is posted below.

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August 30, 2015 by Charles Bingham

• Scenes from the fifth Sitka Farmers Market of the 2015 summer, and the Sitka Slug Races

Sitka Farmers Market Assistant Manager Francis Wegman-Lawless, left, and Sitka Farmers Market Manager Debe Brincefield, right, present the Table Of The Day Award to Rock Peterson of Jam-N-Peppers at the fifth Sitka Farmers Market of the 2015 summer on Saturday, Aug. 29, at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Founders Hall in Sitka. Peterson sells an apricot and pepper jam/glaze. He received a gift bag with fresh chard, kale, beets, and other veggies. The market also featured the inaugural Sitka Slug Races, won by Linda Wilson’s slug Moses, with Sophie Nethercut and Maybelle Filler’s slug Thug The Slug second, and Thomas Witherspoon’s slug Slugzilla third. This is the eighth year of Sitka Farmers Markets, hosted by the Sitka Local Foods Network. The last market of the summer is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12, at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Founders Hall, 235 Katlian St. For more information about the Sitka Farmers Markets and Sitka Local Foods Network, go to http://www.sitkalocalfoodsnetwork.org/, check out our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SitkaLocalFoodsNetwork, or follow us on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/SitkaLocalFoods. (PHOTO COURTESY OF SITKA LOCAL FOODS NETWORK)

For the first time this summer, we had a minimal amount of moisture at the Sitka Farmers Market, with a brief rain during our Aug. 29 market. But the slugs in the Sitka Slug Races love moisture.

The highlight of the Aug. 29 market was the inaugural Sitka Slug Races, which included a preliminary heat before the main event. The top finisher was Moses, handled by Linda Wilson. In second place was Thug The Slug, handled by Sophie Nethercut and Maybelle Filler. In third place was Slugzilla, trained by Thomas Witherspoon.

The next market is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12, at the ANB Founders Hall. This will be our last market of the summer.

A reminder, due to health codes we can’t allow any pets in the ANB Founders Hall or the parking lot other than service dogs. We also don’t allow tobacco (smoking or chewing) at the Sitka Farmers Market because this is a health event (our event started out as a Sitka Health Summit project).

Finally, if you’ve ever wanted to be a vendor you can learn more by clicking this link or sending an email to sitkafarmersmarket@gmail.com. We always need new vendors, especially those selling produce from their home gardens, commercially caught fish or locally baked bread.

A slideshow from the fifth Sitka Farmers Market is posted below.

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August 27, 2015 by Charles Bingham

• Help the Sitka Local Foods Network education committee brainstorm ideas for a 2016 Sitka garden tour

St. Peter’s Fellowship Farm Lead Gardener Laura Schmidt, right, shows off the garden to members of the International Master Gardeners Conference cruise that toured Sitka in September 2013.

Do you have a food garden in Sitka you love to show off? Do you have a friend or neighbor who always seems to be growing lots of fresh veggies and fruit?

The Sitka Local Foods Network education committee invites you to a meeting to brainstorm ideas for a possible food garden tour of Sitka in the summer of 2016 or 2017. The meeting will take place from 6:30-8 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 2, at the Sitka Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Hall (408 Marine Street, parking off Spruce Street).

Bring your ideas and help us come up with a plan for a garden tour. For more information, contact Jennifer Carter at 747-0520.

August 16, 2015 by Charles Bingham

• Scenes from the fourth Sitka Farmers Market of the 2015 summer

Sitka Farmers Market Assistant Manager Francis Wegman-Lawless, left, and Sitka Local Foods Network Board Member Brandie Cheatham, right, present the Table Of The Day Award to Phyllis Moore at the fourth Sitka Farmers Market of the 2015 summer on Saturday, Aug. 15, at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Founders Hall in Sitka. Moore sells jams and jellies, baked goods, and a variety of knitted items from hats and potholders to Afghan blankets. She received a gift bag with fresh greens and fresh rhubarb. This is the eighth year of Sitka Farmers Markets, hosted by the Sitka Local Foods Network. The next market is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 29, at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Founders Hall, 235 Katlian St. Don’t forget the Sitka Slug Races take place at 12:30 p.m. at the Aug. 29 Sitka Farmers Market. For more information about the Sitka Farmers Markets and Sitka Local Foods Network, go to http://www.sitkalocalfoodsnetwork.org/, check out our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SitkaLocalFoodsNetwork, or follow us on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/SitkaLocalFoods. (PHOTO COURTESY OF SITKA LOCAL FOODS NETWORK)

Sunny weather was the highlight of the fourth Sitka Farmers Market of the season, held Saturday, Aug. 15, at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Founders Hall.

We had a few new vendors, and a few who hadn’t been around so far this year. But we also were missing a few of our regulars due to travel schedules and a funeral. Still, there was a lot of fresh produce for sale as the gardens are starting to hit peak production.

Don’t forget that our next Sitka Farmers Market will feature the inaugural Sitka Slug Races, so catch your slugs and train them for the races. The next market is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 29, at the ANB Founders Hall.

A slideshow from the fourth Sitka Farmers Market is posted below.

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August 13, 2015 by Charles Bingham

• Sitka Local Foods Network education committee announces the inaugural Sitka Slug Races

The Sitka Local Foods Network education committee invites Sitkans to take part in Sitka’s first slug races.

“Do slugs move into your garden faster than a speeding bullet? Are you sure your slugs are breeding with Olympic runners and pole vaulters? Could you have the next winner of the Triple Crown? The Sitka Local Foods Network invites you to come and put your fastest slug to the test against Sitka’s best!” race organizer and SLFN board member Michelle Putz said.

The SLFN education committee will hold its inaugural Sitka Slug Races at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 29, at the fifth Sitka Farmers Market of the summer at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Founders Hall (235 Katlian St.). Registration for the race is from 10 a.m. until noon.

Those interested in participating will pay $5 per slug entered into the race. Participants are encouraged to bring their own fast slugs, but “rental slugs” will also be available at the race. The participants with the three fastest slugs in Sitka will be crowned and awarded a certificate and commemorative pin.

“Slug races help to support Sitka Local Foods Network’s mission to increase the amount of locally produced and harvested food in the diets of Southeast Alaskans,” Michelle said. “By getting slugs out of our gardens and into the race arena, we are saving valuable cabbage, kale, onions, and other foods from their hungry mouths. And we’ll find out which slugs were tromping to and through our gardens the quickest!”

We ask those who bring slugs to only bring black slugs, which are not native to Sitka, and not the California banana slugs which are native (can grow to three inches or longer, usually yellow or shades of green). Also, please don’t release your slugs in new places. We don’t want to introduce any invasive species, and the black slugs (sometimes brown or gray) are pretty destructive to Sitka gardens.

Funds raised will be used to support the network’s projects and activities including family garden mentoring, garden education classes, the Sitka Farmers Market, and the St. Peter’s Fellowship Farm communal garden.

For more information about helping with the race or the SLFN education committee, please contact Michelle Putz at 747-2708.

August 5, 2015 by Charles Bingham

• Scenes from the third Sitka Farmers Market of the 2015 summer

Sitka Farmers Market Manager Debe Brincefield, left, and Sitka Farmers Market Assistant Manager Francis Wegman-Lawless, right, present the Table Of The Day Award to Linda Wilson of Sea View Garden at the third Sitka Farmers Market of the 2015 summer on Saturday, Aug. 1, at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Founders Hall in Sitka. Wilson is a longtime vendor at the market, selling rhubarb and other veggies from her garden, rhubarb jams and jellies, banana bread, rhubarb black tea, and her homemade jewelry. Wilson received a gift bag with fresh greens and fresh rhubarb. This is the eighth year of Sitka Farmers Markets, hosted by the Sitka Local Foods Network. The next market is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 15, at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Founders Hall, 235 Katlian St. Don’t forget Aug. 2-8 is National Farmers Market Week, so even though we don’t have a full market scheduled the Sitka Local Foods Network will host a produce booth at the Sitka Seafood Festival Marketplace from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 8, at Sheldon Jackson Campus. For more information about the Sitka Farmers Markets and Sitka Local Foods Network, go to http://www.sitkalocalfoodsnetwork.org/, check out our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SitkaLocalFoodsNetwork, or follow us on Twitter at https://www.twitter.com/SitkaLocalFoods. (PHOTO COURTESY OF SITKA LOCAL FOODS NETWORK)

Sitka kicked off National Farmers Market Week (Aug. 2-8) with its third Sitka Farmers Market of the summer on Saturday, Aug. 1, at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Founders Hall.

Blessed by warm, sunny weather, we had the highest number of vendors for the season, giving customers a wide variety of local products to purchase.

Since we don’t have a Sitka Farmers Market scheduled during the official National Farmers Market Week, the Sitka Local Foods Network will host a booth at the Sitka Seafood Festival Marketplace from noon to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Sheldon Jackson Campus. We also will host our usual table with local produce Aug. 8-9 when the Chelan Produce truck is in town.

A reminder, due to health codes we can’t allow any pets in the ANB Hall or the parking lot other than service dogs. We also don’t allow smoking at the Sitka Farmers Market because this is a health event (our event started out as a Sitka Health Summit project).

A slideshow from the third Sitka Farmers Market is posted below.

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July 27, 2015 by Charles Bingham

• Scenes from a series of home canning and cottage foods classes July 16-18 at Sitka Kitch

On July 16-18, the Sitka Kitch project hosted Sarah Lewis of the Juneau District Office of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service to host four classes in Sitka on the cottage food industry and home canning. These classes were free and paid for by a grant from the SouthEast Alaska Regional Health Consortium (SEARHC) WISEFAMILIES Traditional Foods program. In addition, Sarah had a table at the Sitka Farmers Market on July 18 where she tested pressure canner gauges.

For those who missed the classes and want to learn more about home canning, the UAF Cooperative Extension Service has a series of online tutorials on its website called “Preserving Alaska’s Bounty.” In addition, Leslie Shallcross from the Anchorage District Office of the UAF Cooperative Extension Service will be in town during the Sitka Seafood Festival to teach canning classes on Thursday and Friday, Aug. 6-7, at Sitka Kitch, and on Saturday, Aug. 8, at Sweetland Hall on the Sheldon Jackson Campus. Watch for a class schedule to be posted soon (note, these classes will cost $15 each).

A reminder, pressure canner gauges should be tested at least once a year to make sure they are hitting the right pressures for safe food preservation. For those who couldn’t get to the July 18 Sitka Farmers Market for pressure canner gauge testing, the Sitka District Office of the UAF Cooperative Extension Service has a tester in its office and you can call Jasmine Shaw at 747-9440 to set up an appointment for testing. The office also has a variety of resources — many of them free — on home canning, gardening and other topics.

Sitka Kitch is a community wellness project from the 2013 Sitka Health Summit designed to improve food security in Sitka. The different parts of the project include creating a community kitchen Sitka residents can rent to prepare food for their small businesses or to preserve their family harvest of fish, game, or garden veggies; expanding Sitka’s emergency food storage capacity; and providing education about preserving food and building family emergency food pantries.

For more information about the Sitka Kitch project, go to the Sitka Kitch website or Facebook page. For rental information, contact Kristy Miller at sitkakitch@sitkawild.org. Click this link to take a quick tour of the facility.

Slideshows featuring scenes from Friday’s class on canning salmon and berries and Saturday’s class on canning soups and sauces are below. Also, KCAW-Raven Radio attended the pickling and fermenting class and filed this story (which also includes a slideshow at the bottom). The Alaska Dispatch News recently posted this link on how to can salmon.

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Slideshow from the Friday, July 17, class about canning salmon and berries (above).

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Slideshow from the Saturday, July 18, class about canning soups and sauces (above).

July 26, 2015 by Charles Bingham

• Scenes from the second Sitka Farmers Market of the 2015 summer

Sitka Farmers Market Volunteer Trish Coffey, left, and Sitka Farmers Market Manager Debe Brincefield, right, present the Table Of The Day Award to Elizabeth Faulkner of Friendship Beading Co. at the first Sitka Farmers Market of the 2015 summer on Saturday, July 18, at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Founders Hall in Sitka. Faulkner makes ear rings, bracelets, and necklaces. Faulkner received a gift bag with fresh greens and fresh rhubarb. This is the eighth year of Sitka Farmers Markets, hosted by the Sitka Local Foods Network. The next market is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 1, at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Founders Hall, 235 Katlian St. Don’t forget Aug. 2-8 is National Farmers Market Week, so check out the Sitka Farmers Market. For more information about the Sitka Farmers Markets and Sitka Local Foods Network, go to http://www.sitkalocalfoodsnetwork.org/ or check out our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SitkaLocalFoodsNetwork. (PHOTO COURTESY OF SITKA LOCAL FOODS NETWORK)

Pressure canner gauge testing and a musical theater preview were among the highlights at the second Sitka Farmers Market of the season on Saturday, July 18, at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Founders Hall.

While it looked like it might be rainy at the start of the market, the weather cleared up and even gave us a bit of sun. Sarah Lewis of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service Juneau District Office was in town offering free pressure canner gauge testing, and the Sitka Fine Arts Camp Musical Theater program stopped by to sing a couple of numbers from its July 24-25 production of Beauty and the Beast.

The third Sitka Farmers Market of the summer is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 1, at ANB Founders Hall, 235 Katlian Street. National Farmers Market Week is Aug. 2-8 (the first full week of August), so stop by and check out the Sitka Farmers Market.

Also, if you’ve ever wanted to be a vendor you can learn more by clicking this link or sending and email to sitkafarmersmarket@gmail.com. We always need new vendors, especially those selling produce from their home gardens, commercially caught fish or locally baked bread.

A slideshow from the second Sitka Farmers Market is posted below.

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July 17, 2015 by Charles Bingham

• UAF Cooperative Extension Service offers Certified Food Protection Manager class by videoconference July 29 in Sitka

Thursday, July 17, is the registration deadline for a certified food protection manager workshop being taught on Wednesday, July 29, by University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service. This is an all-day statewide class that will be offered by videoconferencing to Fairbanks, Palmer, Juneau, Valdez, and Sitka.

A certified food protection manager (CFPM) is responsible for monitoring and managing all food establishment operations to ensure that the facility is operating in compliance with food establishment regulations.

A CFPM is knowledgeable about food safety practices and uses this knowledge to provide consumers with safe food, protect public health and prevent food-borne illnesses. Alaska regulations require food establishments to have at least one CFPM on staff.

This course takes place from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (with a half-hour lunch), and participants will take a computer-based exam at the end of the class. The reason the deadline is two weeks before the class is to guarantee course materials reach all the students in time for the class. The cost is $200, and the course will be taught by Marsha Munsell of Fairbanks and Julie Cascio of Palmer. Students can register here (scroll down and select the July 29 item).

The Sitka videoconference for the class will take place in Room 110 at the University of Alaska Southeast Sitka Campus. To learn more, contact Jasmine Shaw at the Sitka District Office of the UAF Cooperative Extension Service at 747-9440, or contact Kathy McDougall at (907) 474-2420 (Fairbanks number) or kmmcdougall@alaska.edu. Note, this class is taught in English but textbooks are available in Korean, Chinese and Spanish, just contact Kathy at least three weeks before the class.

Jasmine does have one extra book in her office, so she can accommodate one late registration from Sitka for the July 29 class. The next class will be Sept. 30, and Sitka is a tentative site for the videoconference. Also, the ServSafe book ($60) and certification exam ($75) now are available online, if people want to order the book and study independently without taking the class. Just go to this website and purchase the book and exam items.