Do you know how lucky we are to live here?

We have such good food here. The local berries abound and the local fish is prized around the world. We have oyster farmers here in our own bay and vegetable farmers that continue to astound me with the variety of vegetables they bring in.

I was looking up a recipe for radicchio (that lovely purple chicory) online and noticed it was described as living in Zone 8 or warmer. Well, we may not have warmer than Zone 4 here, but I saw radicchio at Luba's Garden at the Farmers' Market last Saturday so I know it's possible. We have a microclimate here on the Kenai Peninsula, as well as nurturing farmers, that make a lot of unusual vegetables possible.

Did you notice the 6-pound rutabaga at the RainGarden booth or the enormous kohlrabi at Bob Durr's booth? Unlike anywhere else, our climate often allows these vegetables to get that big while not getting woody or bitter. Just one huge, great tasting veggie.

All you need to do to prove that we live in a virtual food paradise is to bite into an Alaska grown carrot. There's nothing sweeter on the planet.

And there's no better place to get these perfect foods than at the Homer Farmers' Market. Check out the amazing list of available veggies on the website at www.homerfarmersmarket.org or come see for yourself from 3-6 p.m. Wednesdays and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays.

Kyra Wagner is the director of Sustainable Homer and the Homer Farmers' Market's biggest fan. She can be reached at kyra@sustainablehomer.org.