Sitka Local Foods Network

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• Vote for the Sitka Farmers Market in the ‘Love Your Farmers Market’ contest

love your farmers market contest - help your market win $5,000 - vote today!

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Sitka Farmers Market Calls On Community To Vote For It In The ‘Love Your Farmers Market’ Contest In An Effort To Win $5,000 From Care2.com

Prizes to help farmers markets across the country promote fresh, local foods and small family farms

SITKA, Alaska, Aug. 9, 2009 — Sitka residents have a fun new way to show the Sitka Farmers Market some love — and help this farmers market win $5,000 through a fun, online contest.

The “Love Your Farmers Market” contest, sponsored by Care2.com and LocalHarvest.org, will award the voters’ favorite farmers market the grand prize, which will go a long way to help the Sitka Farmers Market support local family farmers and provide Sitka with fresh, healthy, locally grown food. Voting opened on June 19 and closes on Sept. 17. In addition to the $5,000 grand prize for the top farmers market, there are several other prizes including weekly $250 prizes for a random market and some prizes for voters (tote bags, $50 prizes for top recruiters to spend at their market, etc.).

Such a contest couldn’t be more timely. With a global recession, food scares and growing concern over industrial farming practices, Americans are searching for ways to reconnect with local, healthy and safe foods for themselves and their families. “Recession gardens” are popping up around the country. Organic food is now a $20 billion industry and still expanding in spite of the economy. First Lady Michelle Obama broke ground on the new White House organic vegetable garden. More and more, Americans are visiting their local farmers markets to feed their families and support their local farmers.

Care2 (www.care2.com), the largest online community of people passionate about making a difference, is teaming up with LocalHarvest (www.localharvest.org), America’s most popular website for finding food grown close to home, to bring public awareness to the need to support family farms, fresh healthy food, and the farmers markets that connect these farms and food to our communities.

In addition to the grand prize, Care2 is awarding $3,000, $2,000 and two prizes of $1,000 to the four runner-ups respectively. Local residents and market supporters will determine the winners of this contest, and can vote for the Sitka Farmers Market by going to this link.

“This is the best time to support America’s farmers markets,” said Randy Paynter, president and founder of Care2.com. “More and more Americans are taking an interest in local foods, sustainable farming and healthy eating. Care2 is proud to reward the farmers markets that our members love, and to grow the local food movement, one vote at a time.”

“People across the country are rediscovering the benefits of local food,” said Erin Barnett, Director of LocalHarvest.org. “Not only is the food at your farmers market fresher, tastier, and better for the environment, it’s also good for your local economy. By supporting farmers markets, we support family farmers and help them stay in business.”

“Five thousand dollars would make a huge impact on the kinds of support we can offer to farmers and outreach we can do to the community,” said Kerry MacLane, president of the Sitka Local Foods Network, which sponsors the Sitka Farmers Market. “We encourage all of our neighbors and customers to visit the contest web site and vote for us.”

Click here to vote or click on the contest logo above.

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• Special e-newsletter for Sitka Farmers Market

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Click here to read a special e-newsletter from Linda Wilson about the Sitka Farmers Market and issues related to our second market on Aug. 1.

In addition to the issues listed in the special e-newsletter, please remember that no pets are allowed inside the Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall during the markets because food preparation and sales are taking place in the building. Please leave all pets at home (or in your car).

Also, we gladly take any donations of extra produce grown in family gardens to be sold at the Sitka Local Foods Network booth. The proceeds from these sales help support our projects, such as rent for the markets, supplies for St. Peter’s Fellowship Farm and seed money for our proposed Sitka Community Greenhouse and Education Center. We’re always looking for new vendors, especially those people with big gardens who want to sell some of their extra veggies, people who pick berries and people who sell baked bread.

By the way, our next Sitka Farmers Market is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 15, at ANB Hall on Katlian Street.

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• Down To Earth u-pick garden gives Sitkans a new option for fresh produce

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Many people enjoy going to the Sitka Farmers Market to get fresh, locally grown produce, but for some of them two weeks between markets is too long to wait for fresh veggies.

Sitka resident Lori Adams opened the Down To Earth u-pick garden in July, so now folks don’t have to wait as long to get fresh, locally grown produce, especially if they don’t have their own gardens. Down To Earth u-pick garden is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday on two-thirds of an acre at 2103 Sawmill Creek Rd. (across from the Mormon church). A small sign in front of her business lets people know what’s available for picking.

“People can show up for a tour and pick what is available,” Adams said when she opened in mid-July. “Right now we have strawberries, zucchini, kale, Egyptian walking onions and miscellaneous herbs. Coming soon will be carrots, peas, celery, Brussels sprouts, tomatoes and Kohlrabi.”

Adams grew up on a family farm in Albany, Ore., but it wasn’t until she moved to Sitka that she realized how much she loved gardening. She brought some of her produce to two of last year’s three Sitka Farmers Market events, but realized there was some produce that wouldn’t last the two weeks between markets this year and a u-pick garden was a way she could make it available to other residents. She worked with the Sitka Planning Commission and then the Sitka Assembly to get the zoning code changed to allow home horticulture in residential zones.

Adams said she will grow many Sitka staple crops that she knows do well in this climate, but she also will try a few experimental varieties. She’s hoping her business will inspire other Sitka residents to grow their own gardens.

“You have to embrace the plants that like to live here, instead of knocking yourself out trying to grow things that don’t like to grow here,” Adams told the Daily Sitka Sentinel when she opened. “Take it easy on yourselves. … I’m hoping people will get enthused and do it themselves — the more of us the better. More of us could do more than we realize. If you just know how and keep trying, people will be surprised with what they can grow.”

Some of the garden beds at Down To Earth u-pick garden in July

Some of the garden beds at Down To Earth u-pick garden in July

A woman checks out some broccoli she picked in July at Down To Earth u-pick garden in Sitka

A woman checks out some broccoli she picked in July at Down To Earth u-pick garden in Sitka

Down To Earth u-pick garden is a good place for families to pick fruits and veggies together

Down To Earth u-pick garden is a good place for families to pick fruits and veggies together

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• Sitka Local Foods Network featured in Christian Science Monitor

A screenshot of the Christian Science Monitor site showing the Sitka Local Foods Network story

A screenshot of the Christian Science Monitor site showing the Sitka Local Foods Network story

A July 17 Daily Sitka Sentinel article about the Sitka Local Foods Network that was picked up by the Associated Press newswire still has legs. It showed up in the Christian Science Monitor on Thursday (Click here to read the story). It’s nice to see we’re still getting some national exposure.

The Alaska Dispatch blog saw the story in the Christian Science Monitor and posted this response (Click here to read it).

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• Only two more days to vote for the Sitka Farmers Market in the America’s Favorite Farmers Markets contest

America's Favorite Farmers Markets

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Just a reminder there are only two days left to vote for the Sitka Farmers Market in the America’s Favorite Farmers Markets contest, an event sponsored by the American Farmland Trust. Click here to read our original post about the contest last week.

To vote in the contest, click here or click on the logo above and you will be taken to a site where you can search for the Sitka Farmers Market by using the zip code or state search functions next to the Google map. When you vote, you can write some notes about why you like the Sitka Farmers Market. The deadline to vote is midnight EST on Saturday, Aug. 8 (8 p.m. Alaska time on Friday, Aug. 7). We are competing in the small market category.

By the way, the third Sitka Farmers Market of the season takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 15, at the Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall, 235 Katlian St. We look forward to seeing you there. A photo gallery from the Aug. 1 market was posted on this site two days ago, so click here to check it out.

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• Reminder to submit nominations for Sitka’s best gardens

Cindy Westergaard, left, and Kerry MacLane pick lettuce from the St. Peter's Fellowship Farm community garden in August 2008

Cindy Westergaard, left, and Kerry MacLane pick lettuce from the St. Peter's Fellowship Farm community garden in August 2008

Last week we posted an item (click here to read it) seeking nominations for an informal survey about Sitka’s best gardens. We’ve had a few nominations come in, but it doesn’t hurt to remind everybody that the deadline to submit nominations is Wednesday, Aug. 12.

Check the original post linked above to see all the categories. You can nominate your own garden, or you can submit a neighbor’s garden (please double-check with them first). Hopefully we’ll be able to set up an informal garden tour, so other Sitka residents are inspired to grow their own gardens next year.

There are two ways to submit nominations. You can click the “Leave a Comment” link below and post it to this site (please keep them family rated and realize that all comments go to a moderator before they show up on the site). The other option is to e-mail the information to charles@sitkalocalfoodsnetwork.org. When you submit your nomination, please write a note about why you enjoy this garden and include the address since we might want to go take pictures and feature the garden on our site.

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• Pete Karras, Mimi Goodwin win second Table of the Day Award

Pete Karras, left, of Pete's Sourdough Bread, and Mimi Goodwin, right, of Just Arts, receive the Table of the Day Award from Maybelle Filler for the second Sitka Farmers Market of the season

Pete Karras, left, of Pete's Sourdough Bread, and Mimi Goodwin, right, of Just Arts, receive the Table of the Day Award from Maybelle Filler for the second Sitka Farmers Market of the season

Pete Karras of Pete’s Sourdough Bread and Mimi Goodwin of Just Arts won the “Table of the Day Award” for the second Sitka Farmers Market of the season on Aug. 1.

The Sitka Local Foods Network selected the shared table — which featured Pete’s freshly baked sourdough bread and Mimi’s beaded artwork — to receive the $25 cash prize, an Alaska Farmers Market Association tote bag, a bouquet of flowers 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 third market of the season takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 15, at Alaska Native Brotherhood Hall. Keep your eye on this site for more information.

Also, a new photo gallery from the second Sitka Farmers Market has been posted on Shutterfly (an online photo-sharing site). Click this link to check out the photos.

Gimbal Botanicals sold beach asparagus

Gimbal Botanicals sold beach asparagus

Kerry MacLane grills black cod for the Alaska Longline Fisherman's Association

Kerry MacLane grills black cod for the Alaska Longline Fisherman's Association

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• This week’s e-newsletter (Aug. 2)

Here is this week’s Sitka Local Foods Newsletter courtesy of Linda Wilson. Don’t forget, you can sign up for the e-newsletter by typing your e-mail address in the box on the left side of the page.

Click here to read this week’s Sitka Local Foods Network e-newsletter.

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• Juneau Empire article gives uses for wild berries

Salmonberries await picking near the entrance to Sitka National Historical Park

Salmonberries await picking near the entrance to Sitka National Historical Park

This definitely has been a great years for berries in Southeast Alaska. There have been bumper crops of salmonberries and the blueberries are just starting to come in. Other types of berries also have done well, and I’ve got a friend who’s given away several Zip-Loc bags full of strawberries from her garden.

So now that you’ve picked all these berries, how do you use them? Earlier this week we had a post to a link about home canning, which had information about making jams and jellies and info about freezing the berries.

Sunday’s Juneau Empire has an article about how to use your berry booty to make two fun desserts. The article is written by Ginny Mahar, a chef who works for Rainbow Foods and also writes a blog full of recipes for locally grown food. Also, there’s a new book on Alaska’s Wild Berries from the UAF Cooperative Extension Service for sale at Old Harbor Books.

Click here to read the Juneau Empire article about using berries

Click here to read Ginny Mahar’s “Food-G” blog