Downtown Farmer’s Market Enters Second Year

Kayla Desroches/KMXT

The farmer’s market downtown enters its second year today.

The Wednesday market emerged from a community forum and goal-setting event called Kodiak Strong, which Healthy Tomorrows organizes. Its original purpose was to bring local foods to an accessible spot for all city residents, and it ended up in the parking lot at Sutliff True Value.

This year Dominique Ruis, the volunteer coordinator with Hospice and Palliative Care of Kodiak, will organize the market.

She says she originally stepped forward with the intention of bringing the community together to support local vendors.

In recent years, vegetables have sold fast at both the Wednesday and Saturday markets.

Ruis says now that she’s delved more into coordinating the market, she’s developed an awareness about the difference between growing produce versus buying it at the store.

“And for me, you kinda become a robot when you go into Safeway, just grabbing stuff off the shelf, and you don’t really think, well, who touched this, or what process has it gone through? You don’t think about those things ‘cause all you’re thinking is grab what you need and go home and cook it, but when you’re planting your own stuff, there’s a process that you are completely aware [of], and I think that for me that is the difference.”

Ruis says items at the market will include eggs, poultry, cauliflower, and a variety of different produce, as well as creative projects from local artists.

The market is every Wednesday starting at 6:30 p.m.