Bushes Bunches: Grow with the flow

PALMER— The Bushes Bunches Produce Stand just outside downtown Palmer, off the North Old Glenn Highway sells local crops and products from farmers across the Valley and from their 14 acres of fields in the back.

Thursday morning opened like most other days: the farm managers and various hands busily unloaded boxes, picked dill by the shoot, and swept floors all the same. Only now, there are two big signs with their new logo on them, one outside on the old blue van and the second inside the shop. These signs, some clothing and other marketing goodies came from a recent grant from the Alaska Farmers Market Association.

“It looks so good! I’m so happy about this!” Bushes Bunches farm manager Kristi Short said after hanging up the outside banner.

Short and her colleagues have been waiting to showcase their new logo for quite some time. The $1,150 from the Alaska Farmers Market Association made it possible. With this funding Bushes Bunches was able to print their new logo on two large 5-foot by 5-foot vinyl banners, 36 T-shirts, 24 hats, two 6fiit table skirts, and two 2-foot by 9-foot mesh banners to use at the store.

“What a blessing,” Short said.

The Alaska Farmers Market Association under its parent organization, Cook Inletkeeper received a USDA FMPP Grant in 2017 to promote, “connectivity and collaboration amongst Alaska’s farmers markets” according to a recent press release. This seemed to boost the staff’s morale. Their brightly colored shirts and banners with the new logo seems to symbolize the start of a whole new chapter, entering a new era.

Sitting on an historic colonial lot, the stand started in 1956 after John Bush and his wife, Evelyn moved from north Palmer to Lazy Mountain. Their daughter, Nancy set up a little vegetable stand with her brother, Bruce. Like many kids selling lemonade, this was a practical way for the kids to make some money over the summer. One the first day, their tiny table with radishes and lettuces earned them $4.65. By the end of the season, they made $2,000, which is clearly a fair chunk of change for any youngster be it in the 1950s or in today’s inflation.

“I love stories like that,” one customer, Ron Hunt said after overhearing the brief history in the middle of his shopping.

Hunt was on his way to the Butte and wanted to stop and get some of the stand’s famous rhubarb juice. The staff found out it was his birthday and giddily gave him a free carrot.

“It’s your birthday? Oh, you get a carrot!” Short laughed.

Tomatoes, potatoes, and carrots are some of the top sellers but there are many more big items. Short said that that they can’t seem to plant enough rhubarb. They have three rows that are about 800 feet long, just for rhubarb. Short and other staff regularly picks a pea or spud to snack on. One farmhand with a mound of small tomatoes in her hands approached Short while she was making her rounds. She asked her to try some these “experiments” from around the bend.

“We really like growing food here,” Short said.

Bushes Bunches is the modern way markets operate in the Valley. They carry locally made and sourced products from the big Alaskan Chip company’s bags to a local, entrepreneurial 12-year-old girl’s handmade syrups, jams and other treats. They also are a participant in the Senior Coupons and the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) coupons, EBT, and SNAP. We will also happily take credit cards, cash and debit cards.

“I’m confident we will continue forward. I think people are finally wisening up to preservatives,” Victoria, “Vickie” Bush, co-owner said.

The stand of course, sells in seasons. Here are the current and upcoming products that are typically available (according to their website): August to September: Green beans, summer squash, hot house tomatoes and peppers, basil, fennel, cabbage, lettuce, bunched greens, onions, garlic, broccoli, cilantro, cucumbers, potatoes, dill, parsley, leeks

October to November: Peppers, winter squash, carrots, beets, potatoes, bunched greens, cabbage, cilantro, dill, parsley, fennel, broccoli, endive, lettuce, spinach, radish, turnips, garlic, onions, shallots, leeks

Winter may be coming but there is still a lot happening over there.