Valley is rich with local veggies

This past week was bittersweet for me. Finally, we have a large variety of local vegetables available and I can’t stop eating them — sweet! But summer is almost over and I’ll have to wait through the winter for this to happen again — bitter!

But instead of viewing August as the end of summer, I choose to be excited for fair season, which to me means livestock shows, fair food made with local produce and vegetables from Bushes Bunches stand.

It also means Alaska Grown day. Mark your calendars and remember to wear your Alaska Grown shirt on Aug. 30, to show your support of Alaska agriculture and get $2 off your fair ticket. Now that’s sweet!

I’ve been enjoying the bounty from our own garden this week, and my visiting sister-in-law’s amazing cooking. Warm kale salad with celery and tomatoes, fresh basil pesto, cilantro jalapeño cole slaw — the possibilities for culinary inspiration are endless.

Our favorite, and a dish we’ve probably had at least 10 times in the past three weeks, is creamy peas and potatoes. If you’ve never had it, you need to Google it right now. It’s amazing.

So go out and get yourself local produce this week. Except for potatoes and carrots in stores, anything that is going to be available is available right now.

If you want to buy from the farmers directly, you can visit the Glacier Valley farm stand on the corner of Inner Springer and the Glenn Highway on Saturdays and Sundays, or the Bushes Bunches stand on the corner of the Old Glenn Highway and Robin Lane.

Don’t forget, you can pick your own produce at Pyrah’s Pioneer Peak Farm or buy from the Dinkel’s or Vitali’s at our two local farmers markets — in Wasilla on Wednesdays and in Palmer on Fridays.

Even though fresh vegetables aren’t available in the winter months, you can still support Alaska Grown. Be sure to support our local dairy farmers by purchasing your cheese, cheese curds, butter, cream and ice cream at the Matanuska Creamery. You can purchase Matanuska Creamery milk in stores or try milk from the Havemeister Dairy, now sold at Three Bears.

Mat Valley Meats is the place to go if you are looking for Alaska Grown beef, pork, elk or yak products. They’ve got a selection a mile wide that includes steaks, roasts, ground meat, pepperoni sticks and salamis of all kinds.

One of my favorite Alaska Grown snacks is the potato chips made by the Alaska Chip Co. They come in a variety of sizes and four flavors. You can buy them at Carrs, Fred Meyer, New Sagaya and many gas stations. They’re perfect for a summer road trip.

Local eggs are sold at Three Bears, and you can find broiler hens at Friday Fling. Kahiltna Birchworks makes syrup, ice cream topping, candies and condiments are sold at Nonessentials and Alaska Wild Berry Products. Local honey can be purchased at Turkey Red and local jellies at juicejellyandjam.com.

Finally, don’t forget to eat local when you’re eating out at Rusty’s, Vagabond Blues, Turkey Red or Red Beet.

Do you know if any local food that’s available that I didn’t mention? Have any questions about eating local? Contact me at rachel.kenley@alaska.gov. And don’t forget to eat Alaska Grown, because it’s closer, fresher, better!

Rachel Kenley Fry is a Division of Agriculture intern who writes for the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman as part of her internship. She is 2009 Palmer High School graduate.