As the farming season winds down, local producers are racing to get the last of their crops out of the ground before winter arrives. This week Vanderweele Farms is pulling carrots for the local grocery stores, and owner Ben Vanderweele expects the first bags to arrive in Anchorage/Palmer/Wasilla stores by the end of the week.
Arthur Keyes is experimenting a pair of California strawberry varieties on his Palmer, Alaska farm. As strange as this California-in-Alaska story seems, Keyes sees a huge upside to growing the berries in Alaska. The fruit can ripen on the plant, increasing sweetness, and Alaska’s harsh winters and isolation mean that there are very few crop-threatening pests.
He says the strawberries have been very popular with his customers at the South Anchorage Farmers Market.
