Dane County Farmers' Market

Dane County Farmers' Market eNewsletter 

 

 

September 15, 2012

6:00 am - 2:00 pm   

 

Downtown Madison Parking Map  

(Private ramps and street parking are also available.)
   

 

 Dane County Farmers' Market 

 


Tomatillos from the market. --Photo by Bill Lubing

Inside the paper-like husk you'll find the
delicious tomatillo fruit. They are
available from various DCFM members.
--Photo by Bill Lubing



contents 

 In This Issue

 

 


This Week

Meet the Producer: Heck's Market  

 Recipes    

One Minute Kitchen Tips   

At Market This Week 

Market Information  

  Looking Ahead ...   

Join Our Mailing List!


thisweek This Week ...
 

     Great assortment from Almost There Farm. --Photo by Bill Lubing


A spray of colors and greenery from Almost There Farm. (West Mifflin at the Wisconsin Ave. Inlet) 
--Photo by Bill Lubing 

  

    

Get Squashed!

 

We're moving firmly into the fall squash season. Butternut, spaghetti, festival, and kabocha squash are appearing in greater numbers at the market. Celery, cilantro, and collards join leeks, lemongrass, and lettuce as the raw ingredients for a great menu.

 

 

Many of the melons are reaching their prime, including musk, cantaloupe, and serenade, a small melon about the size of the softball, with a smooth skin, and sweet flesh.

This is the time of year when many folks mistakenly call an end to their flower and decorative plant passions. That would be a mistake.  Mums, asters, dried grasses, bulbs, and more are available at the market. Beautiful hanging baskets,  outstanding bouquets, and fall table decorations can be found throughout the market. So don't put away your watering can just yet!

 

See you at market.

 

   

Bill Lubing

[email protected]  



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expectMeet the Producer:
Heck's Farm Market
Gary Heck. --Photo by Bll Lubing
 
Gary Heck from Heck's Market replenishes the beans
at his stall at the Dane County Farmers' Market.
(West Main St.) --Photo by Bill Lubing


When you pass by the Heck's Market stand, on West Main St. across from AnchorBank, you notice a lot. If it's sweet corn, owner Gary Heck brings a lot. If it's beans, peas, melons, or tomatoes, it's always a lot.

Cooler in Heck's Market
A row of coolers at Heck's Market.
When you step behind the large market building at Heck's Market, located at 7266 Highway 14, just west of Arena you see why they offer so much. There are acres planted in potatoes, tomatoes, melons, and squash.

An intricate irrigation system keeps the fields watered. A dedicated crew is either planting, tending, or harvesting the crops.

The farm boasts 75 acres of sweet corn, five acres of strawberries, and ten acres of watermelons and muskmelons. That is not including the potatoes, beans, carrots, and other produce.

Gary, who operates the market with his wife Cheryl, has also started bringing to market Heck's own canned goods. At the Heck's DCFM stand you'll find tomato juice, salsa, and other products, all made for their own fruits and vegetables.

Gary says that the farm was started by his parents in 1972. "We had to work hard to build up the soil," he says. "When we first started nothing would even grow here." By carefully managing their land, the farm is now known for its abundance of produce.

Heck's Market was recently U.S.D.A.  Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) certified. The GAP protocol and audits focus on the best agricultural practices to verify and maintain that fruits and vegetables are produced, packed, handled, and stored in the safest manner possible to minimize the risks of microbial food safety hazards. Gary shows us how some of this is accomplished in the accompanying video with their tomato handling protocol.

"GAP is very important to us," says Gary. "It's opened a lot of doors because many wholesales won't buy from a farm unless it's GAP certified."

Lawn decorations at Heck's Market
Concrete lawn ornaments at Heck's Market
While he doesn't bring them to the DCFM, Heck's Market does a brisk business in concrete lawn ornaments. They feature one of the largest selections in Southern Wisconsin. As far as painting the lawn ornaments ... guess what you'll find Gary doing during the winter months?

The market also features a flea market every Saturday and Sunday from April through October.

A long-time DCFM vendor, Gary says he loves to come to market. It's a great opportunity to socialize with other vendors and his many loyal customers. For us, it's an opportunity to find some really great produce! And we don't mind driving for the lawn ornaments. Besides, they're too heavy to carry around the square.

For More Information:
Heck's Market
Gary and Cheryl Heck
608-753-2474
7266 Highway 14 (25 miles West of Madison)
Email: [email protected]

_________________________ 


VIDEO BONUS! 
Hanging Out With Gary Heck 
At Heck's Market 
 
Hanging with Gary Heck at Heck's Farm Market 
Hanging with Gary Heck at Heck's Farm Market


 
 
recipe Recipes:
Caramelized Butternut Squash;
Honey Roasted Pork Loin

Caramelized Butternut Squash. --Photo by GaylaJ
 
Caramelized Butternut Squash --Photo by GaylaJ


by Pianolady

This is a delicious butternut squash recipe from Ina Garten / The Barefoot Contessa. We really enjoy this during the holidays and when the evenings start getting cool. It is best when the squash is cut in medium to large chunks so that the outside gets a maple-flavored crust and the inside stays soft and delicious.

Ingredients
  • 2 medium butternut squash (4 to 5 pounds total)
  • 6-8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
  • 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2-1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper


Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 400.
  2. Cut off the ends of each butternut squash and discard.
  3. Peel the squash (optional) and cut in half lengthwise.
  4. Using a spoon, remove the seeds.
  5. Cut the squash into 1 1/4" to 1 1/2" cubes (large and uniform is best), and place them on a baking sheet.
  6. Add the melted butter, brown sugar, salt and pepper.
  7. With clean hands, toss all of the ingredients together and spread out in a single layer on the baking sheet.
  8. Roast for 45 minutes to 55 minutes, until the squash is tender and the glaze begins to caramelize.
  9. Turn the squash while roasting a few times with a spatula to be sure it browns evenly.
  10. Adjust seasonings if needed.
  11. Serve hot and enjoy!

 

Adapted from www.food.com   

 

 

 

Honey Roasted Pork Loin 

 

 

Honey Roasted Pork Loin --Photo by Caroline Cooks  

Honey Roasted Pork Loin --Photo by Caroline Cooks  

 

 

 by Lisa in Oregon

 

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds pork loin (boneless (optional) (Numerous DCFM vendors. Check at the info booth on N. Carroll St.)
  • To taste salt and pepper (Salt at Renaissance Farm, N. Carroll St.; Pepper, Savory Accents, S. Carroll St.)
  • 1/4 cup honey (Various vendors)
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 2 tablespoons sunflower oil (Cherokee Bison Farms, N. Pinckney or Driftless Organics, S. Pinckney) from the market or olive oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon thyme
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth from the market (Check Jordandal Farms on West Main St.)   

 

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 375.
  2. Season the pork and place in a roasting pan.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix together the honey, juice, oil and thyme.
  4. Pour over the pork.
  5. Add the broth to the pan.
  6. Bake until internal temperature reaches 150 (45-60 minutes).
  7. Baste frequently.
  8. Strain the pan juices into a saucepan.
  9. Reduce until slightly thickened.
  10. Serve over the sliced pork.  

 

 

Adapted from www.food.com 

 

 

 

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tips Kitchen Tips header

atmarketthisweekAt Market This Week


Time to replenish the pantry! 

 

Jade plant from Good Earth Garden. --Photo by Bill Lubing


An unusual jade plant from Good Earth Gardens.
(West Mifflin St.) --Photo by Bill Lubing



We 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 Semolina Bread 

Biscotti 

Cashew finger baklava 

Cheese bread 

Cheesecake 

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

Gluten-free bakery 

Jalape�o garlic cheddar cheese flat bread

'Mpanata
Muffins

Panettone 

Pastries

Persian toffee

Persian rice cookies

 Pistachio baklava  

Ragusa Style Sicilian Semolina Bread
Scaccia
Scones

Spicy cheese bread 

Sweet breads

Tea breads

Torts

Tortillas 

Whole wheat sourdough

Whoopie pies 




Cheese
Cheese curds
Goat cheese
Sheep milk cheese
Mixed milk cheeses
Cottage Cheese
World-class aged cheeses
 

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Fresh Vegetables

Arugula
Asparagus
Banana leaves
Basil
Beets
Bitter Melon
Bok Choi
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Burdock
Cabbage (several varieties)
Carrots
Chard
Collard Greens
Cucumbers
Dill
Edible flowers
Garlic (green)
Herbs
Kale
Keiffer lime leaves
Kohlrabi
Leeks
Lettuce
Mustard
Mustard greens
Onions (Green, overwintered, and fresh)
Popcorn
Parsnips
Peas (Sweet, Snow, Snap, other)
Potatoes (several varieties)
Radishes
Ramps
Rhubarb
Sweet Potatoes
Shallots
Salad mixes
Spinach
Squash (Summer, Zucchini, others)
Sun chokes
Sweet Potatoes
Tomatoes, canned 
Tomatoes, fresh
Turnips



Cheese bread from Sweet Street. --Photo by Bill Lubing

Great tasting cheese bread from Sweet Street Bakery
(East Mifflin St.) --Photo by Bill Lubing


Fruit
Apples
Canteloupe
Jams, jellies, preserves
Musk melon
Pears
Plums
Raspberries (frozen)
Raspberries (fresh)
Strawberries (fresh)
Strawberries (frozen)
Tomatoes (fresh)
Tomatoes (canned)
Tomatoes (dried)
Watermelon


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 

Plants

Bedding

Bulbs

Cut flowers

Dried arrangements

Floral arrangements

Hanging baskets

Herbs (starts and potted)

Native

Ornamental starts

Perennials

Potted flowers

Vegetable starts



Specialty Items   
Apple Cider
Black Walnuts
Bloody Mary mix  
Candles
Eggs
Flavored sea salt
Gluten-free bakery
Gourds, decorative
Grains (whole and flour)
Hickory Nuts
Honey
Hot sauces
Infused olive oil
Maple syrup
Morels
Mushrooms
Pasties (frozen)
Pesto
Popcorn
Salsa
Soup (canned and frozen)
Stocks (Chicken and Beef)
Sunflower oil
Tomato sauces
Tortillas
Vinaigrettes 




 

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informationMarket Information

Dates, Times, Locations, and Contact Information
for The Dane County Farmers' Market



Beautiful pears from the market. --Photo by Bill Lubing

Delicious pears from the market.
--Photo by Bill Lubing


 

 2012 Saturday Outdoor Market

Date: April 21 through November 10, 2012 
Hours: 6:00 am to 2:00 pm    
Where: Wisconsin State Capitol Square 
Parking: Nearby municipal and private ramps and area on-street parking

      

2012 Wednesday Outdoor Market

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

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
The shifts are short. The people are fun. And it's a great way to learn more about the Dane County Farmers' Market.


    

lookingaheadLooking Ahead ...
 

      Aronia berries from Carandale Farm. --Photo by Bill Lubing

   

  A real up and comer, the aronia berry. Shown here at
Carandale Farm, Stop by for a sample and recipe.
(North Pinckney St.) --Photo by Bill Lubing


Fourteenth Annual 'Food for Thought' Festival This Saturday!
Make plans to spend some time at the REAP Food for Thought Festival on Saturday from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm. Taking place on Martin Luther King Blvd., just south of the Capitol Square, the event celebrates local food and products. This free event brings together over 40 organizationsj, farms, and restaurants connected with our local food system.

The foods tent promises to be the best yet. Plus there are tasting demos, kids' activities, and the first-ever food camp. Remember, it's FREE and it's LOCAL!

Here are highlights of the upcoming event:

(New this year) Food Camp
Opportunities to participate, taste, and learn on topics like beekeeping, backyard chickens, cooking with veggies, composting, building a mini hoop house, cheese making, and more.

Chef Showdown
Where area chefs are provided with a collection of the freshest mystery ingredients provided by the Dane County Farmers' Market from which they prepare a dish on the spot.

Local Food Tent
Pick up tasty and locally-sourced breakfast and lunch dishes from Buy Fresh Buy Local program partner chefs.

Interactive Exhibitor Booths
Displays by dozens of organizations, farms, restaurants and others working to promote a healthy food system.

Kid's Activity Tent
  • Chickens! Kids can feed, pet, and meet chicken friends.
  • Colleen's Art Wagon will have a variety of great food-centered kids activities like edible jewelry making.
  • Veggie Stamps - help decorate the kid's tent with big stamps of your favorite veggies!
  • Pickle Making! Kids can bring home their own batch of refrigerator pickles.
  • Face painting;
  •  And so much more!

REAP works in several areas to strengthen local food systems. The Dane County Farmers' Market co-sponsors the Food for Thought Festival and other REAP projects.
 
Until next week.

 

 

Bill Lubing

DCFM 

[email protected] 

 

 

       

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