Happy Halloween!
The first light upon the trees over market last weekend
Happy Halloween!
The little ones will be out and about trick-or-treating this evening, but the rest of us will have to wait til Saturday to find the best treats around, those fresh from market.
Our treats may look a bit different from a bowl full of candy though. For market goers it's a bag of fresh cheese curds from Murphy Farms, a hand pie from Honey Bee Bakery or dried cranberries (pictured) from Wetherby Cranberry Co.
As the weather cools towards the weekend, it might be time for another yummy soup to bring some warmth, and some vegetables, back into those cold trick-or-treaters. This week we're featuring a tasty roasted squash & red pepper soup sure to please.
For those still itching to satisfy their sweet tooth, stop on by the B's Honey tent and peruse their many varietal honeys and beeswax candles. While you're there, ask about their winter honey delivery too.
The last two weeks are a great time to load up on storage veggies, like carrots, onions, garlic and more, especially with holiday meal season just around the corner. If you're looking to go local on your main course, Bryant Family Farms are currently taking orders for their pasture-raised turkeys. Stop by their truck or visit their website to find out more.
Speaking of the holidays, we want to remind everyone that we offer The Dane County Farmers’ Market Cookbook: Local Foods, Global Flavors for sale at the Info Tent along with our lovely new canvas tote bags, both of which make great gifts for the holidays.
Don't miss out on our final two markets and the chance to load up before we're gone til April, now that's a spooky thought.
See you at market!
Ben Zimmerman
Market Manager
For the safety of our shoppers, we ask you to please walk your bikes through the market.
As a reminder to everyone, dogs are prohibited within the market area, though we welcome service animals at all times.
WCM Tote Bags for Sale
New Westside Community Market tote bags are now for sale!
Offered in a natural-tone canvas, these spacious bags feature our market bunny logo designed by Snaggle Tooth Arts of Madison and will be available, while supplies last at the Info Tent for $15 each, cash, check or Venmo (including tap-to-pay cards).
Dane County Farmers' Market
Cookbooks for Sale!
We are very happy have the wonderful "The Dane County Farmers’ Market Cookbook: Local Foods, Global Flavors" by amazing food writer Terese Allen available for purchase at the Info Tent.
The book is bursting with great stories and recipes built around the unique and vibrant farmers market scene Madison has to offer. Find new and delicious ways to utilize your market finds, while supporting the market.
Copies will be available each Saturday at the Info Tent. The books sell for $35 and can be purchased with cash, check or Venmo (including Tap-to-Pay cards).
Food Scrap Collection at the Market!
Beginning July 20th, Sustain Dane is expanding its free Food Scraps Drop-Off program to the Westside Community Market. According to the Wisconsin DNR, our landfills consist of 14.5% food that would be traditionally edible, and 6% “food scraps” (like peels). Take action and bring your food scraps to Sustain
Dane’s Westside Market booth on Saturdays from July 20th to November 2nd*, from 7:00 AM to 12:30 PM.
They can accept the following materials:
Raw Fruits
Raw Vegetables
Coffee Grounds
Loose Tea
Plain Pasta/Rice
Eggshells
Gourds
They cannot accept the following:
Meat
Dairy
Cooked Foods
Bread
Produce Stickers & Twist Ties
“Compostable” Bags
“Compostable” Utensils (Forks, Plates, Cups, etc.)
Paper Products
To date, this free public program has composted over 36,000 pounds. Compost buckets will be available at the first market to use for the remainder of the program.
Missed a market day? Bring your scraps to one of their other locations at the South Madison or Eastside Markets on Tuesdays.
All collected scraps are taken to Neighborhood Food Solutions (NFS) Farm which supports formerly incarcerated individuals in urban agriculture and teens in entrepreneurial and agricultural training. NFS
provides farming opportunities for community members who may not normally have access and resources to learn about and participate in farming. With this partnership, food scraps collected at the farmers markets will help to rebuild and create healthy soil at the farm to continue growing produce.
This program is in partnership with the City of Madison and Neighborhood Food Solutions. Learn more about the program here.
*The extension of the Westside Community Market food scraps recycling site is part of a youth led Sustain Dane initiative through the Youth Climate Action Fund focusing on youth engagement in food composting.”
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