April 2018: Tap into birch sweetness, hydroponic help for harvesting and growing a market business

It's April — the snow is melting but not fast enough to be gardening outside anytime soon. But that doesn’t mean you can’t be harvesting. Greenhouses get you a jump on spring and hydroponics can be a vault toward productivity. Tour Cheryl and Steve Beesun's hydroponic greenhouse in Soldotna, with cucumbers, lettuce and zucchini already ready to eat.

Also this month, Farmer’s Markets won’t be open until June but market vendors are already hard at work planning for the season. The Kenai Soil and Water Conservation District and Alaska Farmers Market Association put on a Farmers Market Meet-Up on April 13 at the Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association.

And there’s a sweet treat hiding in the woods these days. Tap into it soon, before the opportunity dries up. Thanks to Marcus Mueller for a demonstration on tapping birch sap.

Links:
Kenai Soil and Water Conservation District's Farm Central page

Alaska Farmers Market Association

Tapping birch trees from the Cooperative Extension Service

Central Peninsula Garden Club's May workshops