BY ISAIAH FRIZZELL
Why do we love and patronize Atkinsons’ Market over all other stores in the Valley? Here’s one simple reason. Check it out.
The Atkinsons’ Family
Family owned and operated since 1956, Chuck and Floss Atkinson began their market in Ketchum, eventually expanding into Hailey in 1977 and Bellevue in 2003. Currently managed by Whit and Chip, Atkinsons’ stands by and supports local agriculture—collaborating with over 100 Idaho-based farmers, ranchers and producers. What better reason to support them!
The Dairy Fairy
Anita Selner, officially known as the Dairy Fairy, absolutely captures the spirit and imagination of love. A strikingly beautiful and cheerful woman, Anita is your go-to gal—the beneficient queen of all things local and raw for dairy as well as general advice on health from an educated perspective.
Selner was born in Caldwell, Idaho, and has been in the Valley for 45 years—since the age of 17. She graduated early here and went into nursing. A Licensed Practitioner Nurse, she worked in that space until the ‘pandemic.’ Those years changed her life and she wanted something less controversial, more beneficent. “I wanted to have a full-time job where I help people, come to work, do my job and go home.”
Selner is in an almost constant state of prayer and joy. With so few like her, it’s easy to understand how being called a fairy befits her. Fairies are delicate, gentle and often must reside at the edge of the forest to avoid the dangerous, blunt and brutal push of indelicate people. There are few like her. A shining moment of harmony and gentle humor, Selner is truly a fairy—intelligent, swaddled in charm and purely sweet. The moniker becomes her.
A resolute animal whisperer, Selner spends her off time working with dogs, cats, horses or any animal that needs care or attention. She can regale you with stories of dogs yapping, cats clawing and purring,or horses eating, speaking through their tails and small whinnies. Funny and charming, Selner is the manager responsible for all of the healthy raw foods at Atkinsons’, which she researches and brings in from local Idaho producers.
When asked, So what’s your favorite part of the job? With zero hesitation Selner replies: “The people, oh my god. The community. There is genuine care here. The community here, and the people that I work with are just… they’re all just so beautiful and I love them. It’s what inspires me to show up every day”—with her calming, exuberant smile, the glowing emblem of the positive force in humanity. When you’re doing the most, you care for everyone and your actions match that countenance at all scales.
Selner prefers the A2 raw milk she brings in, drinks it and ‘balances’ it with a bit of Pinot Noir, her favorite wine. “I love Pinot Noir, yeah, many of them. I’m kind of simple when it comes to that. Not too much! Just a good glass with good food. You have to balance your health somehow!” Laughter all around. 🙂
Selner is over the moon to embolden you on anything you need to know in terms of dairy, from milks to yogurts to rare Indian and Mexican milk-based drinks. She has deep knowledge of temperatures, timing and especially particular farms you might consider for your next party or exercise routine. Food is the original medicine and Selner can advise you on what you might need, from probiotics to proteins, to keep your body beaming brilliantly.
Atkinsons’ is our Valley’s choice market to shop if you want local, organic and quality products. This is how we keep our community strong, contribute and circulate the local economy.
Need a new yogurt? When called, Selner appears, magically, so quick and true, as a merry agent of knowledge, beauty, and presence.
Ask for the Dairy Fairy at the Hailey Atkinsons’ Market. Speak to her about anything, especially milk, cheese, yogurts, probiotics, or animals. A conversation with Anita Selner is sustenance itself.
Atkinsons in Hailey is located at 93 E Croy St, Hailey, ID 83333.
Visit atkinsons.com/ for further information.
