Sweet Summer Days
Celebrate the 4th with Star Cut-Out Cookies from Chris & Lori's Bakehouse
Sweet Summer Days
The fanfare for the July 4th weekend is usually something we love to ramp up for each summer. With big fireworks displays, music events, and large cookouts to celebrate, it's a seasonal favorite to enjoy.
While 2020 has different plans for the holiday weekend, we can still enjoy, albeit on a more subdued level. The neighborhood cookout may be on hold until 2021, but plenty of households will gather round the grill to eat up a tasty burger made from Highland Spring Farm ground beef or one of those delicious ParKelm Farm brats. For you cheese lovers out there, don't forget the great selection of cheddars for that burger from Farmer Johns' Cheese. The fireworks may not be bursting through the air, but the first raspberries of the season from Sai's Garden (pictured) are bursting with great flavor. Speaking of flavor, we've been thankful to see many more fresh herbs coming in to brighten up your dishes, such as fresh dill, cilantro, basil and more. We are greatly looking forward to celebrating the return of the Double Dollars program this weekend. This amazing program helps FoodShare shoppers extend their dollars further by matching up to $25 each market. Our many thanks to the Community Action Coalition of South Central Wisconsin for facilitating this program. Please check out their Double Dollars page for more information or if you'd like to make a donation. Keep up the good work everyone by wearing a mask to market and sending just one person per household, along with following our other guidelines (listed below). With COVID-19 numbers still on the rise, we can all do our part to make the market a safe shopping experience. Our annual celebrations of patriotism may lack their usual fanfare, but we can still show we care about our fellow Americans by keeping each other safe. See you at market! Ben Zimmerman Market Manager P.S. Check us out on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more updates on the market as the season kicks off!
Double Dollars Return this Weekend!
The Double Dollars program returns again this Saturday, July 4th. FoodShare shoppers can get up to $25 matched each market. Swing by the Information Tent with your FoodShare card and our market staff can assist you. This season the Double Dollars are in the form of green plastic tokens. If you still have a few white paper Double Dollars, you can still spend those with our vendors. For the 2020 season, the Double Dollars program is hoping to run through August, depending on funding. After the Double Dollars program ends, the market will still accept FoodShare Dollars.
Master Gardeners Helpline
We wanted to pass along a great resource from our friends the Master Gardeners. While they can't come out to table at the market this season, UW Dane County Extension is maintaining its Horticulture Helpline with Master Gardener volunteers daily 5 days a week, 9am-12 noon. You can reach them by answering machine (608-224-3721) or by emailing your questions and your photographs to horticulture@countyofdane.com.
Shopping Safely This Season
Before you make your first trip to market, we'd like you to know what will be different for this season and we ask for your help in keeping things safe. We have an adjusted layout for this season, with single sided vendor aisles spread out with a gap between each vendor. Much like the grocery store, we're asking that foot traffic move in one direction through each market aisle, indicated by our yellow sandwich board signs. We ask you to please follow these directions and be patient as we all adapt to this different flow. As you shop the stalls, please mind the six foot spacing lines in front of vendors' tents. Give each other space to shop and don't crowd into vendor booths. While reusable shopping totes are not banned, if you're using your own bags, please do not ask vendors to pack them for you. Planning your market trip may be the easiest way to get what you need, while keeping the market safe. Many of our vendors will be offering pre-orders that you may place during the week for a quick pick up at their stall on Saturday morning. Below we'll detail what options for pre-order are available this weekend and we'll update that weekly as more vendors add that option. For what you can't pre-order, consider making a shopping list by vendor before you get to the market. Having a plan of action will speed things up and help you get what you need as quickly as possible. We know that these methods won't work for everyone, but those of you who can adapt will be helping everyone with your efficiency. We're also asking everyone to send just one person per household to the market, which will aid us in lowering the crowd count each week. You can also help out by altering your shopping time, consider coming early in the morning (we open at 7am) or later (open until 12:30pm) to lower the crowd pressure during the peak hours. These little adjustments can really help make things operate smoothly and ensure we don't become too crowded. We encourage you all to wear a mask too. Even a bandana is better than nothing and can help lower the risk of transmission. Wash your hands before you come to market, wash them when you get home and with our four handwashing stations set up around the market, you can wash them while you visit too.
Vendor Updates & Pre-Order Options
Our amazing vendors are providing options for your shopping these season. Find all the latest pre-order options and weekly market offering here. Check back each week for notices about pre-ordering, vendor absences and other special vendor notices. Blue Moon Community Farm's preorder program for seedlings has wrapped up for the season, however the remaining selection of their organic vegetable and herb seedlings will be available at their market stand. Chris & Lori's Bakehouse is offering the following for this weekend: *Star Spangled Solidarity Cookie Bundle *Chocolate Chip Sconut *White Chocolate Raspberry Scone *Espresso Dark Chocolate Scone *Rhubarb Oat Scone *Cinnamon Oat Scone *Banana Chocolate Chunk Scone *Whole Grain Dark Chocolate Chunk Scone *Whole Grain Raspberry Oat Scone *Whole Grain Blueberry Oat Scone (dairy free) * Gluten Free Vegan Rhubarb Scone * Gluten Free Vegan Banana Blueberry Scone
All scones are $18/ Half Doz one flavor Or $30/ Doz one flavor
Email your order at CLBakehouse@gmail.com Orders due by noon on Thursday. Country Bloomer's Greenhouse will be absent from the market this Saturday, July 4th. They will return the following week. Don's Produce will be offering bundles of their Arena grown, pesticide free, heirloom cherry tomatoes and cucumbers. They'll also be offering 5lb bags of their sweet potatoes. Dreamfarm is offering pre-orders for market pick-up by calling (608) 767-3442 or emailing diana@dreamfarm.biz Driftless Chocolates is offering pre-orders for market pick-up on their website.
Flyte Family Farm is offering pre-orders by calling (715) 228-2304 Fungi Farmers (formerly know as Herb n Oyster) are offering pre-orders through their website. Highland Spring Farm is offering pre-orders for market pick-up on their website. Honey Bee Bakery will be offering pre-orders for market pick-up on their website. JenEhr Family Farm will be offering a great array of their farm fresh organic products, from fresh broccoli, salads greens and head lettuce to great pasture raised chicken for the grill. Madison Sourdough will be doing pre-orders only this weekend. Get your order in by Wednesday evening on their website. McCluskey Brothers Shillelagh Glen Farms is offering pre-ordering on their website. Open Kettle Farms is offering pre-orders of their maple syrup. Contact them on their Facebook page to order. ParKelm Farm is offering pre-orders for market pick-up on their website.
Tasty kohlrabi & green onions from Urban Gourmet
Connect with our Vendors!
This list of alternative means to get our vendors' products will grow as new offerings roll in. Please check back regularly and feel free to email Market Manager Ben if you're looking to connect with any vendor not listed. Vendor Purchasing Alternatives (PDF)
