The majority of the summer visitors are gone, but the food at the Homer Farmers Market keeps rolling in for the dedicated residents of Homer. It’s a perfect form of relationship for those tied to this place; the longer you stay in the summer, the more you are rewarded with healthy, real food.

Farmers are key to this, but the customers that support the farmers are also important in that relationship. Sometimes, just knowing that there are customers is enough to make a farmer’s day.

That is the story of Lori and Wayne Jenkins of Synergy Gardens. They had been gardening for years before they came to live in Homer. Before they started the work required to set down roots and farm in Alaska, they looked around to see a community that had a successful farmers market to show that there would be customers to buy their produce.

Lori has had a booth at the Market since 2013. She started with selling tie-dyed napkins and bags, then in 2015 started Synergy Garden and the Alaska Garlic Project. For all of us who have one of her garlic braids in our kitchens, we know she found her niche.

Farmers can share more than just produce at the Market as well. This year, two producers went to Port Graham in August to share their perspective on healthy food and how to raise it locally. The same kind of visit is hopefully going to happen later this month in Nanwalek.

How to grow a local food system is a popular topic. The State of Alaska recently brought up a team of experts from Purdue University to take a hard look at Alaska’s food system. They noted that our food system is dependent on entrepreneurial farmers rather than a long tradition of farming.

So it is the dependable, hungry customer that is the base of our food system.

Head on down to the Homer Farmers Market this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or Wednesday from 2-5 p.m. to build the food system.

Kyra Wagner is on the board of directors and the Homer Farmers Market’s biggest fan.