Now is the perfect time to hit the Homer Farmers Market. Produce variety is at its peak; you can find just about anything that grows in Alaska right now. All the greens and root crops, all the broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage family, all the onions and garlic, all the herbs you can imagine.

And the parking lot is not crammed with tourists.

This is the time of the year to plan ahead. There are only three Saturday Markets left in September so stock up while you can. Always wanted to make sauerkraut? Now is the time to get the freshest cabbages. Want to freeze some veggies for winter? Blanch up some of the incredible heads of broccoli or cauliflower that we are seeing come in now.

While so many people are out in the wilds of Alaska this month hunting, those of us still here in town can be hunting up food for the winter. If you are lucky enough to have a root cellar, then you have probably already figured out all the tricks for storing root veggies in sand or sawdust. Stocking up is a skill that takes practice.

What are the tricks you have learned over the years? I learned once that you can have the best pesto from the freezer as long as you wait to add the Parmesan until you take it out and thaw it. If you ask Willow Jones (while she carves her spoons amidst the David Kaufmann pottery), she can tell you the ratio of cabbage to other veggies that you can have in sauerkraut and still have it ferment properly.

But the Market also feeds us in the present. As the Market winds down, some of our favorite vendors will be leaving. This Saturday will be your last chance to show your love to the vendors at Fika Coffee and get some of their pumpkin spice goodness.

So head on down to the Homer Farmers Market this Saturday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. or Wednesday from 2-5 p.m. and get the freshest and best variety for now or, with a wee bit of prep, for later.