Local produce beginning to show up at farm stands

Winter-weary Alaskans are finally getting their due with recent weather. But for local fans of farm-to-table cuisine, summer doesn’t truly begin until locally raised produce hits farm stands around the Mat-Su. Just outside Palmer, on the Old Glenn Highway, Bushes Bunches farm stand has begun to stock freshly harvested locally grown produce. Typical for early summer, radishes are available. They join greenhouse-grown cherry tomatoes, English cucumbers, lettuce and bok choy on the shelves awaiting the full complement of later-summer, outdoor-cultivated vegetables. Additionally, Bushes Bunches has local eggs in stock, as well as a freezer full of Alaska-raised beef, pork, and chicken. A snack bar, serving up Bushes Bunches’ famous fried peanut potatoes and other fare is open daily now, too.

While big cabbages grab headlines near summer’s end, and potatoes remain an omnipresent reminder of the Valley’s agricultural past, the humble carrot is probably the highest expression of the greatness of local produce. So the wait time between the last local carrots disappearing from supermarket shelves in February or March, and their reappearance in August, can be agonizing to those who love these local goodies and have to get by on out-of-state carrots for a few months.

So what makes the local carrot so much better? Crystal Kumpula, who works at Bushes Bunches, credited the rich and fertile fields that farmers have cultivated since the mid-1930s.

“The soil is really good,” she said. “The type of soil we have makes our carrots a lot sweeter.” Pam Bue, the green thumb behind Pam’s Carrots, agreed that the sweetness is what makes Alaska carrots superior to others. She said the type of carrot is also a contributing factor. She plants several varieties of Nantes carrots, which are known for their sweetness.

“I grow the kind you would grow in your garden,” she said.

But the climate here is what really makes the difference, Bue said. Colder nights, especially later in the growing season, help to concentrate the vegetable’s natural sugar.

“Alaskan carrots tend to be sweeter because our weather is cooler,” she said. “They always taste the best when I harvest in September.” Despite a late start to planting due to lingering snow and wet conditions in May, “early” carrots should be available from Pam’s by mid-August. Beets, too. Anyone not wanting to wait for them to show up in stores can buy directly from the farm. Bue suggests keeping an eye on her website for times and availability. Closer to Wasilla, Moonstone Farm will launch its twice weekly market beginning July 4. It will run throughout the summer on Thursdays and Saturdays, from 2-6 p.m. Michelle Church, who runs the farm with her husband, John, said early fare will include mostly leafy greens like spinach and different varieties of lettuce, along with herbs. First carrots are expected at Moonstone as early as mid-July this year. Potatoes, cucumbers, and summer squashes will follow. New this year, Moonstone has planted more winter squashes, including butternut. Church said this year’s planting season was better than last year, but was quick to say there’s nothing typical about any farming year, except for maybe uncertainty.

“Every year is different,” she said. “Something always does well, and something else doesn’t live up to its potential.” Back for it’s second season, the Moonstone Farm Railcar Tasting Room is already open and serving a host of locally crafted beers, wines, ciders and spirits. Located in a refurbished 1943 Alaska Railroad boxcar with attached deck overlooking the fields, it offers great views of Pioneer Peak and a relaxing atmosphere to enjoy a beverage in the sun. The Tasting Room is open Thursdays and Saturdays from 2-8 p.m. and is available for event rental at other times.

ON THE WEB

Bushes Bunches farm stand

https://www.bushesbunches.com

Pam’s Carrots

https://pamscarrots.com

Moonstone Farm

https://www.moonstonefarmak.com