By KYRA WAGNER
FOR THE HOMER NEWS
Talking to friends recently we pondered if, now that solstice has passed, maybe some of the manic energy of the summer will be dying down. We decided the answer was no. It’s as if the momentum of early summer follows us for months.
You can see the passing of time at the Homer Farmers Market like no other place. No matter how busy your life, stopping in there will set your summer clock. You get to see everyone’s summer timeline as they introduce you to the family that is visiting or show you photos of the recent trip they took.
This winter you will find yourself saying, “Remember when I saw you at the Market and …”
But if you have a garden, you have solid proof that nothing is slowing down. As the summer goes on, fruits and vegetables start identifying the passage of our busy lives.
For example, now is the time for rhubarb. If you didn’t have time to start your own, now is the time to buy plants for your garden. If you love rhubarb, but haven’t had time to prepare a spot for your own plant, then you can get cut rhubarb ready for making tonight’s dessert. But if you are too hurried for any of that, then just track down your favorite rhubarb crisp or pie at one of the vendor booths.
And get ready for the next marker of time. The first broccoli has already been at the market. Carrots are coming in regularly. Tomatoes and cucumbers are already filling display boxes every market.
How crazy is your summer schedule? Are you going to have time to put up homemade pickles or sauerkraut this year? Are there still recipes you want to try with claytonia, sablefish or mountain spinach?
Is your life so rushed you just read those items and decided you don’t even have time to figure out what they are, much less cook a recipe with them?
Regardless of your life’s speed, head on down to the Homer Farmers Market on Ocean Drive this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. or Wednesday from 2-5 p.m. to calibrate your summer clock.
Kyra Wagner is the coordinator of Sustainable Homer and the Homer Farmers Market’s biggest fan.
