Homer Alaska - News -

Locally grown and raised products like eggs, celery and tomatoes sell out within a half hour, and savvy market goers know to line up right before the start at 10 a.m. Saturday to get best pick.

"I'm sold out of most of my stuff by 20 past 10," said Cindy Bolognani, a Diamond Ridge farmer.

The market runs until 3 p.m. Saturday and from 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays until Sept. 27, past the fall equinox. Priority for booths goes to farmers. Vendors also can sell crafts made from local materials. About 40 booths are rented each weekend.

"Excellent even with the crummy weather," said longtime market vendor Jennifer Castellani of this year's market.

Jennifer and Paul Castellani grow fresh produce at Willgrow, their small farm near Black Water Bend south of Anchor Point. They've been with the Farmers' Market since its early days of a few vendors selling produce on card tables.

"Food grows so well here, even with the cold weather," Jennifer Castellani said.

The cold summer has meant a slow growing season. Out at their Nikolaevsk farm, Luba and Dan Dorvall had to cover some of their crops into mid-July. A moose that ate most of their turnip crop didn't help. Still, their stand had lots of produce, including rhubarb and bright purple kohlrabi.

"Whatever we bring has been selling well," Dan Dorvall said.

At Anchor Point farmer Dawn Hoxie's booth, she sells hanging flower pots as well as fresh produce. Like most farmers, diversity in products means a steady supply of crops and a little extra cash.

"The flowers help to support us while we're waiting for the vegetables to get ready," she said.

Hoffman said the Farmers' Market fits in with efforts to make the lower Kenai Peninsula more sustainable. Sustainable Homer, a group educating people on reducing energy use and buying more products locally, has a table at the market. Cycle Logical, a bicycle repair shop, has a booth to encourage people to bike more.

Jennifer Castellani said a sign that people are getting the message about sustainability is a drop in bag use. Willgrow packages its produce in biodegradable bags made from cornstarch, but they've seen a drop of about a third this year from customers asking for bags, she said. Many people bring their own bags to the market.

Photo by Michael Armstrong Luba Dorvall greets customers at her booth at the Farmers' Market.

"It's a tough crowd," Hoffman said. "It's still here strong."

Michael Armstrong can be reached at michael.armstrong@homernews.com.