Sweet Summer Bounty
Spice things up with Hot Kick Sauce from Ernie's Homemade Hot Sauce
Sweet Summer Bounty
"It's getting hard to see the tables!"
That was the comment heard from one shopper last week, correctly noting just how full of produce the market is becoming in July. That's the kind of problem we'll take any day.
We noticed it too, like the huge stack of sweet candy onions (pictured) from Natalie's Garden & Greenhouse or the over-flowing buckets of fresh herbs from Ka Vang Thao.
The smell of that basil is intoxicating to passersby, crying out to be whipped up into some fresh pesto or eaten fresh atop a tomato sandwich with yummy Black Earth Valley tomatoes (pictured).
Try as best they could, the sweet corn wasn't quite ready last weekend, but thankfully Alsum Sweet Corn will be in this Saturday with first ears of 2024.
Also returning this weekend, Door County Fruit Market with the first sweet cherries. It's always a pleasure to welcome them back, and we remind everyone to get out early if they want a crack at some cherries.
We said goodbye for the season to Kopke's Greenhouse last Saturday, and we extend our many thanks to them for bringing along so many great starts and hanging baskets this year. We'll catch them next summer, but in the meantime we'll be welcoming another new addition to the market, Hope & Hill Flower Co., with some beautiful snapdragon bouquets this Saturday.
As the heat picks up this weekend, skip the stove and grab some fresh greens from Urban Gourmet for a salad night. Take things to the next level with one of their "Garden Garnish" boxes (pictured), full of fresh herbs and edible flowers to make that salad really pop.
Due to some final low spot repairs, we've got one more week with our altered paving setup. As a reminder customers can park along Charmany Drive as well as in the large Exact Sciences parking lot at 501 Charmany Drive, across the street from the south entrance (see map below). The Research Park has indicated we'll finally be able to return to our normal setup on July 20th.
Looking forward to July 20th, we'll be welcoming Sustain Dane to the market for a free food scrap collection program, lasting through early October. Check out the details below and start saving those scraps!
In the meantime we'll catch you this weekend for a flavor-packed market and all your local favorites.
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.
Market Lot Repaving
The parking lot aisles where the market is held will undergo repaving starting June 10th. During the weeks the work is being done, the market will relocate to the eastern three aisles in the same lot and the western aisles and entrances will be closed to traffic. We anticipate this to affect the markets on June 15th, 22nd, 29th & July 6th.
Customers will still be able to park along Rosa Road, Charmany Drive and also utilize the large parking lot just across the street behind Exact Sciences on Charmany Drive as well. The market will return to our normal placement within the MG&E Innovation Center lot once the work is completed.
Vendor & Weekly Market Notices
Daily Vendors - Saturday, July 13th:
Country Bloomers Greenhouse
Hope & Hill Flower Co.
JenEhr Family Farm
Pecatonica Valley Farm
Steppin' Out Foods
Yellow Dog Deli
Blue Moon Community Farm are currently on their early-summer market hiatus. They will return to vend with their tasty certified organic produce later in July.
The Handel family of B. Kurt Dairy is hosting an on-farm farmers market at their place in Barneveld on Sunday, July 28th from 11am - 2pm. This is a great chance to visit their farm, check out a variety of vendors and enjoy a petting zoo and games for kids. Check out the flyer below for more details.
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 October 5th, 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.
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