Playing with excess zucchinis

This last weekend at the Homer Farmers Market we got to see our favorite way to play around with excess zucchinis. The cute and creative and astonishingly talented zucchini car designers were able to strut their stuff at the Zucchini Car Races.

This week at the Market you will hear the vibrations long before you enter the market. The musical guests in the afternoon on Saturday, Sept. 31 will be playing marimba for everyone’s dancing pleasure. The little ones may not have zucchini cars to share, but it is always fun to watch them wiggle and jive to our local marimba music.

Homer has a funny marimba history. There have been as many as six marimba bands at one time in town. The prevalence of such an overabundance of appreciation for African music is partially due to connections that Homer musicians have had with marimba music teachers.

But I can’t help to imagine that part of the enthusiasm for marimbas is simply that there is nothing more fun then playing some homemade instruments out of doors in the summertime with friends.

This last week I had the joy of playing a tour guide for a group of farmers from Kodiak. As we stopped in at farms across the peninsula, they were taking notes and sharing tales.

These farmers may not be making music together, but they are creating our food system every day.

It is a rare occasion that farmers get a chance to hang out and talk to one another. It is really good for those farmers who are growing our food to be able to share and connect with others. Of course one of the best ways is by showing off their production at the Market.

And now is the time to show off. Cauliflower and potatoes of all colors, herbs and greens of all kinds, and everything imaginable from fennel to carrots to celery.

So come on down to the Homer Farmer’s Market on Saturdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. or Wednesdays from 2-5 p.m. to see the high notes of our local food system.

Kyra Wagner is the board president for the Homer Farmer’s Market.