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Dane County Farmers' Market eNewsletter
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First Outdoor Market of the Season!
April 21, 2012
6:00 am - 2:00 pm
Downtown Madison Parking Map
(Private ramps and street parking are also available.)
Dane County Farmers' Market
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A walk we've all been waiting for! --Photo by Bill Lubing
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This Week ... Asparagus will be at this week's market. --Photo by Bill Lubing Welcome to the Outdoor Dane County Farmers' Market! Oh, to feel the crowds around us, receive the warm, inviting smiles of the producers, renew "outdoor market friendships" that have lain dormant for the past several months!
Ah, the fresh produce, incredible cheeses, meats, and bakery. What a trove of possibilities we find in the bedding plants. What spires of joy can be found within the cut flowers, hanging baskets, and dried arrangements.
Above all, what a comfort to know that the person who's selling is the one who made it, grew it, or produced it. "The creator is the seller" rule of the Dane County Farmers' Market (DCFM) has made it what most agree is the largest producer-only market in the country.
The Saturday market operates from 6:00 am until 2:00 pm, come rain, shine, or nearby events. Parking is available in nearby municipal ramps or lots, with metered street parking. Ramps and lots charge 24 hours while metered parking is free before 8:00 am and after 6:00 pm. Don't forget the Wednesday DCFM, held in the 200 block of Martin Luther King Blvd. from 8:00 am until 2:00 pm. See you at market! Bill Lubing [email protected]
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What to Expect This Week | Bedding plants from Luna Circle Farm. (Located on East Mifflin St.) --Photo by Bill Lubing |
We have several reports of asparagus and morels. Bedding plants, hanging baskets, and cut flowers will join a variety of bakery, cheeses, meats, and product.
Abraham Kallenbach, of The Country Bakers (South Carroll Street) has recently purchased Grace Cheesecakes, LLC from Lori Christilaw. He writes:
"I will be combining two stands. I will now be selling cheesecake and rhubarb bars out of The Country Bakers stand located across from the big church on Carroll St. (next to John and Dorothy Priske at Fountain Prairie Inn and Farms on South Carroll St.)
Pedram from Jamie's & Son Bakery (West Mifflin St.) let us know that in addition to their consistent line of products that includes their flat breads, signature baklavas, cookies, muffins, Persian toffee, rice cookies, and more they will also be bringing new products to the market this week. Some of the new products are banana walnut tea breads, coconut macaroons, and in celebration of Earth Day they will also be bringing cupcakes with an 'Earthy' design to them.
| Cabbage sprouts from Knapp's Fresh Vegies. --Photo by Carol Knapp. | We received the following email from Carol Knapp at Knapp's Fresh Vegies (North Pinckney St.): "Unless the weather forecast is for absolutely crummy, Mom and I will be at the market with just a car load of stuff.
"We will have cat grass, pea sprouts, radish sprouts, and hopefully (still a bit iffy) sunnies, sunflower sprouts. We will also have a few herb plants and a few tomato and pepper plants. We will also have some wild mustard greens and maybe some nettle greens.
"The unusually mild winter has given us a few surprise crops too. We have three plantings of last year's kale that survived the winter and are pickable already. We also have two plantings of cabbage that wintered over. The stumps have sprouted and have shoots that resemble broccoli raab and can be cooked or braised like it. Since we have had several recent frosts, it will be nice and mild-tasting.
Attached are pics I took Tuesday evening of the cabbage shoots and Kale (See above).
Rich, at Lost Lake Acres (South Pinckney St.), emailed to let us know that they'll be bringing asparagus.
| Maple Syrup from Marquardt Tree Farm. --Photo by Bill Lubing |
John and Rosanne Marquardt of Marquardt Tree Farm (East Main St.) emailed to say, "We are going to come down this week to the first market. Due to the very poor maple season our supply is limited so we will only be down again later at the end of June and during the second segment in July and August."
It should be noted that the maple syrup season was poor all over the state.
You should be aware that some sources outside of the DCFM have been known to import Canadian syrup and call it from Wisconsin. DCFM rules and protocol vigorously enforce the requirement that those who sell syrup at the market tapped and produced it themselves from their own maple trees.
Bill Warner from Snug Haven Farm (North Carroll St.) told us at the last winter market to expect him on Saturday not with spinach but with the first arugula of the season.
Blue Skies Berry Farm (East Main St.) reports good news. Paul writes: "Blue Skies will continue to have beautiful full-size head lettuces. Also at the first outdoor market we will have baby kale, rainbow chard, and pak choi. In addition to greens, Blue Skies will have a wide selection of herbs, including cilantro, sorrel, spearmint, lemon balm, oregano, parsley, lovage and garlic chives."
In addition, expect to see ramps, green garlic, plenty of bedding plants, cheeses and meats at the market. Check the At Market This Week list for the most up-to-date (though not necessarily 100 percent accurate) list of what you can find at the market.
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Thank You DCFM Volunteers and 'Taste of the Market' Kitchen Staff for a Fabulous Season of Delightfully Good Eating!
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Recipes
Asparagus Soup (With Options!)
| Asparagus soup with toasted Silly Yak Bakery (West Main Street) Country French bread. --Photo by Bill Lubing |
by Bill Lubing
We always like recipes with options. Here's one that you can play around with quite a bit and still finish with a great tasting soup. It's perfect for taking advantage of the asparagus, which is just now coming into season. For the best freezing results, use the options that omit the potato and cream. Enjoy!
Ingredients 1/4 cup unsalted butter (or olive oil or sunflower oil from the market) 2 shallots or medium-small onions 1 stalk of celery or 1/2 teaspoon celery seed 4 cups of chicken stock or 4 cups mild vegetable stock (Check out Jordandal Farms (West Main Street) for some great stock.) 3 pounds of asparagus. 2 medium-small potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/2 inch chunks (or omit and add another pound of asparagus) 2 tablespoons fresh basil (Or use home made or basil pesto from the market. Check out Renaissance Farm.) 2 cups of heavy cream (We used 2 additional cups of stock.)
Directions
- Cut the root end of the asparagus if woody or damaged. Remove the tips and set aside. We found that simply breaking them off one at a time was the fastest way to remove them. Cut the remaining stalk into two inch pieces.
- In a large saucepan heat the fat.
- Add the onions and celery, sauteing for around four minutes. Do not brown.
- Add the stock, the cut asparagus stalks, potatoes (if used) and basil.
- Raise the heat to medium high and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
- In small batches puree soup in a food mill, blender or food processor. We use a stick blender and it works great.
- Return puree to the pan, stir in cream.
- Stir well, just a bubble under a boil for 3 minutes.
- Add the asparagus tips.
- Turn off the heat and cover.
- Let stand for 20 minutes or so.
- Taste and add pepper and salt, if necessary.
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Meet the Producer: Voss Organics
Building a Viable Farm in Urbania
| The caring hands of farmer Mark Voss. --Photo by Bill Lubing |
The ideal family farm: Deep in the country, hidden in a lush valley, the bountiful recipient of the perfect rain, perfect sunshine, and perfect soil. Acres of rich black soil keep the dedicated farmer busy from sun up until the cows come home. Come Saturday, it's a full load of the season's best to be sold to loyal, happy customers at the Dane County Farmers' Market. Mark Voss, with his children Augie, 12, Zinnia, 10, and wife Michelle, certainly put in long hours at the family farm, Voss Organics (South Carroll St.). They use hand-crafted and mixed organic potting soil that includes rich compost full of beneficial micro-organisms and other mineral-rich ingredients. Far from that ideal county farm, Voss Organics is located in the City of Madison, sited on the back yard of their 1/3 acre residential lot. | Mark Voss works with seedlings. --Photo by Bill Lubing |
Mark will arrive at the market this Saturday with variety of bedding plants. Hybrid and heirloom tomatoes, herbs such as basil, chervil, chives, cilantro, Greek oregano, parsley, and nasturtium will share table space with several cold hardy varieties like kales, broccoli, leeks, mixed lettuce, and Swiss chard. The farm is working well for them. But it wasn't their first choice when it came to locating a farm. "I started out farming rurally on rented land," Mark explains. During a three-year search they "courted many land owners and tried to make a compelling case of why they should sell their land to us below market value because we couldn't afford market value," he says with a smile. When it became apparent they weren't going to find the rural site they were hoping for, "We resolved to look for a place in town that had some land associated with it. We'd make the best go of it." Mark felt that focusing on seedling production in a small greenhouse in the city could be financially viable. "Up to this year it's been a profitable avocation rather than a full-time job," he says. "But the more I do it the more I love it and I want to make it into a full-time job." When Mark is not tending the plants he teaches French in the Middleton-Cross Plains School District. Like his dedication to the farm, Mark is deeply committed to teaching and his students. Eventually he'd like to combine his teaching and farming into one career. | Inside the greenhouse at Voss Organics. --Photo by Bill Lubing |
The farm consists of primarily open beds, a home made greenhouse, and cold frame. The greenhouse can handle 200 flats of plants. Voss Organics has been a member of the Dane County Farmers' Market since 1994. There are many folks who start their gardens each year with a visit to Mark's stand on South Carroll St., near the corner of West Main St. Like the other producers at the market, Mark encourages questions from market-goers. He is more than happy to share his wealth of knowledge with all gardening enthusiasts. He also sells to area restaurants, the Willy Street Coop, and other local businesses. As a firm believer in the relevance of urban farming, the Voss family appears to have found that ideal one-third acre slice of rain, sunshine, and soil. Proof of the family's success can be found each Saturday at the Dane County Farmers' Market! For More Information:Voss Organics608-556-8143 [email protected] ______________________________________ Last Week We
Visited Voss Organics | An Urban Farm: Voss Organics |
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At Market This Week
Time to replenish the pantry!
A splash of color from Lewiston Perennial Farm. (East Main St.) --Photo by Bill LubingWe strive to keep this list as accurate as possible. We probably missed an item or two that is at the market or listed an item as available when it is not. Chances are that not all items mentioned or listed below will be at each market. If you see an item at the market that is not listed here please email [email protected] so we may update the list. Bakery
Asiago black pepper bread,
Biscotti
Cashew finger baklava
Cheese bread
Chocolate walnut baklava
Cinnamon rolls
Cookies
Dinner rolls (plain, garlic cheddar cheese, or Jalape�o garlic cheddar cheese available)
English toffee
Flat breads
Garlic cheddar cheese flat bread
Jalape�o garlic cheddar cheese flat bread
Muffins
Panettone
Pastries
Persian toffee
Persian rice cookies
Pistachio baklava
Ragusa Style Sicilian Semolina Bread
Scones
Spinach 'Mpanata
Sweet breads
Tea breads
Tomato Scaccia
Torts
Tortillas
Whole wheat sourdough
Cheese
Cheese curds Goat cheese Sheep milk cheese Mixed milk cheeses Cottage Cheese World-class aged cheeses
Return to 'In This Issue' Contents Fresh Vegetables Asparagus Beets Carrots Collard Greens Garlic (green) Herbs Kale Kohlrabi Leeks Lettuce Onions (Green and overwintered) Parsnips Potatoes Radishes Ramps Shallots Salad mixes Tomatoes, canned Tomatoes, fresh Turnips
Fruit Apples
Jams, jellies, preserves Pears Raspberries (frozen) Raspberries (fresh) Strawberries (frozen) Tomatoes (fresh) Tomatoes (canned) Tomatoes (dried)
Meats (Grass and grain fed) Angus beef Beef Brats and sausage Chicken Conventional cuts Duck Elk Emu
Trout (fresh and smoked) Ham Highland beef Lamb Pork Salmon Special cuts Turkey Venison Fresh and smoked trout Smoked salmon
Specialty Items
Apple Cider Bloody Mary mix Candles Eggs Flavored sea salt Honey Hot sauces Infused olive oil Maple syrup Morels Mushrooms Pasties (frozen) Pesto Salsa Soup (canned and frozen) Stocks (Chicken and Beef) Sunflower oil Tomato sauces Tortillas Vinaigrettes Return to 'In This Issue' Contents |
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Market Information
Dates, Times, Locations, and Contact Information for The Dane County Farmers' Market
Morels can be found at this week's market. --Photo by Bill Lubing 2012 Saturday Outdoor Market OPENS THIS WEEK!
Date: April 21 through November 10, 2012
Hours: 6:00 am to 2:00 pm
2012 Wednesday Outdoor Market OPENS THIS WEEK!
Date: April 25 through November 14, 2012
Hours: 8:30 am to 2:00 pm
Where: 200 Block of Martin Luther King Blvd., Madison Parking: Nearby municipal ramps and area on-street parking
Questions About the Market?
If you have any questions about the market or the vendors, please contact the market manager, Larry Johnson, at 608-455-1999 or email him at [email protected]. The DCFM website provides much information as well.
Dane County Farmers' Market Volunteer Opportunities Please contact Elizabeth Barley and Sean Michael Dargan at [email protected] for information about volunteering at the market breakfasts (winter months only). It's fun, rewarding, and really appreciated by the market-going public.
It won't be too long before the market moves outdoors to the Capitol Square. Volunteers are needed to staff the Information Booth, located at the top of State Street. If you'd like to find out more about this fun way to get involved with the Dane County Farmers' Market, drop an email to [email protected]. The shifts are short. The people are fun. And it's a great way to learn more about the Dane County Farmers' Market.
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Looking Ahead ...
The DCFM Information booth at the corner of North Carroll and West Mifflin streets provides useful information about available products and vendor location as well as EBT services.
-- Photo by Bill Lubing
Other Happenings Isthmus Green Day at the Monona Terrace features Mark Bittman as keynote speaker. Environmentally centered presentations, displays, and information booths from a variety of organizations make for a fun and education way to spend a couple of hours. Just down from the DCFM at Monona Terrace, you can easily walk from the market. Adjacent parking is available.
Midwest Horse Fair� at the Alliant Energy Center features a journey through the past by honoring the ages. The Midwest Horse Fair� is one of the top three-day horse fairs in America.
Hundreds of clinics, seminars and educational events are presented by some of the top horse professionals from around the country. Over 500 vendor booths offer shopping opportunities with something for everyone.
A Note of Gratitude from 'Friends'
Dear Friends, In just a few weeks, the Friends of the Dane County Farmers Market will cease operations. We thank you for your past support and wish to share this news with you. Our organization was developed to help folks understand and appreciate how "their food gets to their fork." And we saw lots of families and potted lots of tomato plants at The School on the Square. Another important mission was to make fresh, locally produced foods accessible to all. To accomplish this, we began the FoodShare/EBT program. We offered a way, through Market Dollars, for low-income families to use their FoodShare benefits for food products at the Dane County Farmers' Market. The Madison area is a stronghold for the Local Food and for Slow Foods movement. Our farmers' markets are robust and we have a wide range of CSA's from which to choose. The number of community gardens continues to increase throughout our neighborhoods and many school children are receiving locally produced, healthy snacks. The FoodShare/EBT (electronic benefits transfer) program started strong and has continued to grow. In our first year, the Market saw $5,000 of FoodShare business. In the second year, that number grew to $17,000. In years three and four, we saw the number grow to just under $50,000!! All of this was accomplished with a limited budget for (very) part-time staff and volunteers. Pretty amazing. | Children at a Friends 'School on the Square' --Photo by Bill Lubing |
But, our organization is too small for such a large scale operation. Over the past several months we have worked with the Board of the Dane County Farmers Market and the Food Security and Gardens Division of the Community Action Coalition (CAC) to insure that area low-income families could continue to shop at the Market. And this will happen. CAC will administer this program which will serve and benefit low-income families as well as continuing to bring business to local farmers. Through it all, we have enjoyed good discussions of our shared values and goals and have grown and benefitted from great, productive collaboration. We have enjoyed and appreciated your involvement and financial support of these endeavors. We hope you will consider on-going support of area organizations involved in the Local Food movement and we invite your support of the Food Security Division at CAC as they continue to work to insure that all households have enough food, and that the food is fresh and nutritious. Again, thank you for your support. I hope to see you at the Market! Sincerely, Kathy Sandefur President, Friends of the Dane County Farmers Market
Until Next Week!
Bill Lubing DCFM [email protected] Return to 'In This Issue' Contents |
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