June in Alaska is a tough time for the Eat Local crowd. Long, sunny days and yet we’re not going to see produce at the markets for another two or three weeks.
Root vegetables — potatoes, carrots, beets — are still available, but supplies are running low and they’re just not the same after being storage all winter. I miss fresh carrots in particular, which made it pretty tough to edit together this video of the Vanderweele Farm carrot harvest from last September.
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.
