New farm market opens in Palmer

PALMER — After the dissolution of the Mat-Su Farm Market, a few familiar faces have begun a new year-round market in the updated Palmer Community Center/Depot.

Bistro Red Beet owner Sally Koppenberg — along with Hazel Koppenberg, Jay Erickson and Brooke Heppinstall of WoolWood Studio and Gardens — came together in December 2014 to create the Depot Farm Market, a registered nonprofit corporation.

That’s what it’s called legally, anyway.

“We wanna make it a community gathering place, ’cause that’s what a market should be,” Sally Koppenberg said.

In its handbook, the market is defined as “a community-based group of volunteers dedicated to creating a quality market in the Mat-Su Valley.” It is a local nonprofit created to “provide consumers with locally grown or produced products…provide area farmers, food producers, wild harvesters, artists and craftspeople with improved marketing opportunities…promote (the) Valley’s economic prosperity…(and) create a strong local identity,” the handbook reads.

While some vendors who marketed their goods at the now-defunct Mat-Su Farm Market have continued to sell their stuff out of the depot through the new market — such as Bistro Red Beet, the Crafty Old Lady (Betty Anne Scheeler), Kimberly Durst Cakes, Three Branches (Hazel Koppenberg), Jonesers handmade nectars and author and illustrator Monica Estill — new vendors have come in with the new year.

Last week, patrons could also select products from Alaska Food Revolution, Bushes Bunches, Happy Family Jams, Farm Market Breads, Raven Glass Works, Simple Living Industries and more.

“We’ve got a lot of interesting nonprofits that have cropped up in the last 10 years that need some more exposure,” Heppinstall said.

Food and crafts are not all the Depot Farm Market board members see in the market’s future, however.

In the handbook, the board envisions vendor booths standing “side by side” with community service booths, demonstrating artists and musicians, and “educational and informative discussion forums from within the local community.”

“There’s so much space in the depot to add things besides your regular market fare,” Heppinstall said.

Hosting art instructors and other educators, especially for young children, would be hugely beneficial to the community and the market, she said.

Vendors, speakers or performers for community service and education, music or art demonstrations are selected by invitation only, though all are welcome to apply for an invitation using the regular vendor form.

Only acoustic musicians may perform at the market, during market hours (which also goes for demonstrating artists), according to the handbook.

But even with the variety of things on offer, the focus is on good, local food, as the nonprofit is a farm market, Koppenberg said.

Any vendor with a product that falls under “Alaska Grown/Wild Harvest,” “Locally Prepared Food or Baked Goods” or “Locally Made Arts or Crafts” may apply for space at the market, as long as they have a current City of Palmer business license.

Heppinstall said they’re also looking to bring back the Seed Swap that “The Dirt Divas” used to host at the former location of Bistro Red Beet, now the home of the Palmer Alehouse.

The swap is planned at the depot March 9.

Working with, not against, local retailers, is also a goal of the Depot Farm Market, Heppinstall said. They are willing to let Palmer stores advertise their local products — including Valley authors hosted at Fireside Books, for example — at the market for free to attract business to their own location. (If they want to sell any locally made items, they must rent space from the market like any other vendor.)

“We can help promote them and they can help promote us,” she said.

The market also intends to work with the Palmer Museum to raise awareness and potentially funds for the Midsummer Garden and Art Faire, and collaborate with groups like Alaska Grown, FFA and Grow Palmer.

The Depot Farm Market will be open every Monday in the depot/community center from noon to 6 p.m. Free coffee is available each week, as is a drawing for a gift basket full of assorted vendor items. Customers need not be present to win but must pick up their prize by 6 p.m. that day.

For more information, visit facebook.com/depotfarmmarket.

Contact Caitlin Skvorc at 352-2266 or caitlin.skvorc@frontiersman.com.