Anchorage is home to a new free farm stand. Resident Theresa Brown started the stand in mid-August and it quickly grew in popularity. She said she created the farm stand for Anchorage residents who need to stretch their food budgets.
“It’s single moms. It’s people who have homes, who have jobs, they just can’t get to the end of the month because prices are more expensive,” she said. “It’s a lot of just hard-working people.”
Brown and volunteers provide free, fresh produce at the stand Tuesday afternoons in Fairview and Wednesdays in Spenard. The stand is supplied by both local farmers and neighborhood gardeners who provide a wide range of fruits and vegetables. Volunteers will even cook samples when the stand is open and hand out freshly made plates to customers.
The stand is sponsored by Yardicopia, a program of Alaska Community Action on Toxics and Anchor Gardens, an organization that develops community gardens and teaches gardening across Anchorage. Brown said many new gardeners who have partnered with Anchor Gardens to plant fresh foods are donating their excess produce to the stand…