Landmark produce seller adds Alaska seafood to growing inventory

Bushes Bunches has been a Mat-Su landmark for decades. Now, lovers of locally grown and produced food products have another reason to make the trip out the Old Glenn Highway. The farmstand is kicking off the new year by adding Alaska seafood to its growing inventory. In recent weeks, Homer-based Invisible Fresh Market Seafood and Palmer-based North Soul Salmon have taken their place alongside a variety of Alaska-raised beef and pork, poultry from Polaris Hatchery near Palmer, Alaska-made pasta, condiments, milk, and baked goods, and the usual assortment of potatoes, carrots, and other produce the business got its start with. Karianne Smith, new operator of Bushes Bunches, said the seafood is an exciting new addition for the store. It’s part of an effort to diversify and give customers more reason to shop there.

“Stopping in for one thing is not convenient for most people,” she said. “We were wanting more options for our customers.”

Smith said the idea to approach Invisible Fresh Market Seafood sprung from seeing the company hawking its fish from a trailer parked in the lot at Wasilla Lake on weekends. The business, which offers wholesale transactions, was immediately receptive.

Among the current flash-frozen offerings are halibut, sablefish (black cod), rockfish, lingcod, and Dungeness crab clusters. Smith said there will likely be even more throughout the year.

“Whatever they have in season, we’ll carry,” she said. “We’ll probably need a bigger freezer.”

Invisible Fresh Market Seafood is a family-owned and operated seafood market that’s dedicated to bringing the highest quality seafood directly from fishermen to market. Recently relocated to a new, more central location in Homer, the business does its own catching, cleaning, packing, and selling of all products to keep prices affordable.

Not to be overlooked, Alaska salmon is also available at Bushes Bunches now. The store has king salmon fillets, all deboned. North Soul Salmon’s burgers, which have a bit of a cult following after debuting at summer farmers markets in Palmer and Healy, can also be purchased there.

The salmon burgers are made from sockeye mixed with bread, shallots, capers, mustard, salt and pepper. Like the king fillets, the fish are sourced from Ugashik Bay in the section of the Bering Sea along the west coast of the Alaska Peninsula.

Founded in 2017 by Maio Nishkian and Birch Block of Palmer, North Soul Salmon is dedicated to sustainable harvest and equitable access to local wild salmon.

“We are excited to work with North Soul Salmon,” Smith said. “They have been extremely popular at the farmers markets over the summer.”

Formerly just a summer operation, Bushes Bunches has been open seven days a week for the last few years, thanks in large part to the expansion of store offerings. That will include fresh-baked sourdough loaves and sourdough starter from Fairbanks bakery Heavenly Leavenly.

The bread is addition to rolls, bagels, and pastries from Buzz’s Bakery in Palmer that have been regular stock for a while.

Smith said customers have responded favorably to the changes at Bushes Bunches.

“They love all the new options we’re supplying, especially the seafood,” she said. “We’re just trying our hardest to run the store and bring in some variety.”

FIND OUT MORE

www.bushesbunches.com

www.northsoulsalmon.com

Both businesses, plus Invisible Fresh Market Seafood, can also be found on Facebook.