welcomed and fun to hear suggestions on new flavor ideas from customers for the ice cream company who is known for its interesting flavors such as Alaska Birch, Yukon Gold, and Scouts Honor. Please visit www.wildscoops.com for more flavors and their descriptions. Fire Island is not the only business on the premises now working in collaboration with Wild Scoops. Alaska Seeds of Change is another vendor at this market who is now providing Wild Scoops with their mint supply thanks to the efforts of the market bringing people together. Alaska Seeds of Change has added in their brand of fresh herbs and leafy greens that is grown using vertical hydroponic farming. This is a year-round method of farming that uses water alone to grow their plants without soil, and allows plants to grow from top to bottom instead of the traditional side-by-side process we may automatically think of. A unique market calls for a unique program like Alaska Seeds of Change, which is run by young adults to promote self-reliance and community involvement. There, the youth are trained on how to maintain farming techniques and other job skills crucial to their transition into adulthood. “By having this job, I’ve been able to move out of my parents house, get an apartment and live alone,” said Alaska Seeds of Change worker Lyndsey Kellard, 21. In regards to being a part of the market she said, “You see different faces every time, it’s a family community. It’s a wonderful vibe here.” “It’s like a block party,” said Alaska Pasta Company vendor Matt Martell. Martell is seeing good results with his pasta moving off the table at the market. Although Alaska Pasta Company started back in 1987 and has already been successful distributing its pasta to more than 30 restaurants in town, retail sale is a more recent experiment for the business. Some of the other vendors in the food business here in Anchorage that have been building recognition due to the market are companies like Wild Child Fermented Foods, run by Renee
Parks. Wild Child currently specializes in fermented salsa dips, and Park’s recipes have people making interesting faces upon trying each salsa flavor she has out to taste. “My favorite part of the market is watching people when they first take a bite and go, ‘Oh my God, this is so good.’” Parks said with laughter, “And other people don’t say anything, they just grab a jar and say, ‘I have to have it!’” As you continue to walk around the market you come across resourceful businesses like Far North Fungi. Co-owner of the recently started business, Allison Dunbar is there selling her selection of local wild mushrooms that have been foraged with her partner Gabriel DeGange. They both live in the Airport Heights neighborhood where they started Far North Fungi in a greenhouse in their backyard. “It’s an important market for us.” Dunbar said referring to how their presence at the market is helping to contribute to their notoriety. Mushrooms have a short shelf-life, so Far North Fungi offers locally picked mushrooms making them as fresh as possible for the best quality and flavor. Dunbar said many of their mushrooms are being found near McHugh
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Creek, where they have blossomed after the fire there last year. At the market she is displaying morel mushrooms, boletus, and the popular blue oysters. “Their texture is really nice.” Dunbar said of the blue oyster type, “Because they are so clean, people can just throw them into a pan and won’t have to wash them or do any prep.” All of the mushrooms Dunbar and DeGage sell are maintained on straw rather than wood for a sweeter flavor. People all around are also enjoying the live music at the market. Music was made possible through Jason Croft’s relationship with Fire Island’s own “oven master” and local musician Carlyle Watt of the band, the Super Saturated Sugar Strings. Croft contacted Watt about possible entertainers and Watt tracked down a list of musicians and then recommended music duties be turned over to bandmate Kevin Worrell. That’s where he came up with the idea to have a “music residency” as a part of the new market. The residency means that a single performer would play the market for two or three consecutive weeks. They’ll play a two-hour set of original music, get-
ting familiar with the setting and the audience. Americana singer-songwriter Todd Grebe is currently getting acquainted with the crowd now. In essence, the music agreement is proving to be an effective and essential part the market. “Kevin has been nothing but outstanding to work with” Croft said. “There’s a cohesiveness that we’re all supporting each other; the bakeshop supports the vendors, the vendors support the musicians, the musicians provide an environment for us to collaborate and work together in a space that attracts people — how often do you get to see a live concert in your neighborhood?” The agreement that Croft and Worrell have also includes something special. After each musician’s ‘music residency’ is over, through that experience, they will reflect on their time at the market and will write a song about it. The deal is to eventually have every musician who’s played all come together at the end of the summer market season and perform those songs at the final market, tentatively planned for August 30 as a last hoorah. What has transpired is something that the Airport Heights community has not ever been offered in this format. This particular farmers market offers a different kind of shopping experience. It’s not just another farmer’s market in Anchorage, it’s an assembly of neighbors, musicians and local businesses who just love fresh food, music, and sharing a sense of well-being — it’s community serving community. Grab your family or just wander in to visit the market and see what the people of Airport Heights are talking about. The Fire Island Rustic Bakeshop of Airport Heights is located at 2530 E 16th Street. Parking is available in the Fire Island lot, on the street surrounding the bakery, and at the nearby Manai Fou Assembly of God church across the street. Robert Foran III is a student journalist studying at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Robert’s work can be followed at foranbrandjournalism. wordpress.com
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