One of the customers at the Homer Farmers Market last weekend told me that you need 12 hugs a day for good mental health. After seeing everyone greeting friends at the market on Saturday, let me tell you, mental health was on the rise.
Like hugs after a year of dealing with social distancing, we miss fresh veggies after the long winter. Talking to the ladies at the Homer Hilltop booth, the carrots they brought were gone in the first 18 minutes of the market.
By lunchtime, Dan and Luba had sold out of their lettuce and beet greens, but they still had lush clusters of cilantro and dill. “You never can tell,” was how Dan summed it up. In a moment between having a conversation with Paul from Will Grow Farm about how tasty komatsuna is (a dark Asian green like bok choy) and getting distracted by a conversation with a friend, his table suddenly only had one bunch of komatsuna left.
Christina from Snowshoe Hollow Farm had sold out of her striking purple spinach, arugula and radishes by lunch, too. She pointed out that the cold spring has slowed the production timeline for some farmers. With so many people signing up for subscriptions from farmers directly, the supply at the market may have been a bit tighter this spring. But like every year, as the summer progresses, more and more quantity and variety continue to show up weekly.
Locals with a hankering for the freshest produce may want to show up when the market opens, but there is something for everyone all day long. They are selling market T-shirts, hoodies and hats now, as well as the one-size-fits-all Homer Farmers Market Cookbook. You can try out the new Shiva Boom Indian food booth for a special treat or try a new flavor of ice cream from Udder Delights. And there is always a wonderful representation of art, pottery, jewelry, clothing and hand-crafted soaps as well.
So head on down to the market on Ocean Drive on Wednesday from 2-5 p.m. or Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. for your hugs, your veggies and taste of Homer in the summertime.
Kyra Wagner is the coordinator of Sustainable Homer and the Homer Farmers Market’s biggest fan.
