On Nov. 6, it all wraps up. The season ends, the vendors move indoors, winter moves in and a delicious staple of life in Madison retreats for a while.
This Saturday, the Dane County Farmer's Market will encircle the Capitol one last time in 2004.
Sure, the market will continue in the confines of the tolerable Monona Terrace from Nov. 13 to Dec. 18 and then at the Madison Senior Center, 330 W. Mifflin St., from Jan. 3 to April 17. The selection of food and cross-section of the city will be present, but the atmosphere will not.
Upper Midwestern farmers' markets were never meant to be slimmed down, boxed in and shipped down the block.
Though I'm rooting for five months of heavy snowfall and icy days, I realize an outdoor market in the middle of February might not sit well with some thin-skinned Madisonians. Therefore, the mutation of the market from an under-the-sun carnival to a captive of the mistake on the lake is necessary.
Get your best pair of walking shoes on and clear a spot in your pantry.
Take advantage of one last shot at vegetables doubly blessed by freshness and the morning sun. For the die-hards, it's another opportunity to wake up early (around 6:30 a.m.) or stay up all night and see the cornucopia on the Square. For the average attendee, brace for the snail-paced line that never seems to get to the cheese curds fast enough. And for those of you who insist on arriving after noon, I hope you like acorn squash, because there sure are plenty to be had.
The farmer's market is an event and, at this point, an institution that needs to be visited for the sake of rounding out a Madison experience. Sure, the Badgers are at Camp Randall again, but there's plenty of time before kickoff to take home some maple syrup or onions. Saturdays are meant for spicy cheese bread (still warm), piles of potatoes (in a dozen varieties) and enough apples to clear an orchard.
Last Saturday it seemed like autumn was grinding down to a melancholic conclusion with the weather turning sour. In the 11 a.m. light, everything was losing its luster and the long days of winter were overtaking State Street. The clouds claimed the sky and winds took the lakes.
But to those who found their way among the stands, winter was pushed back another week and summer held on for that Saturday afternoon. The Farmer's Market offered sanctuary to all who made their weekend pilgrimage to it.
The market can dispel a gloomy day with one child's delight at spotting pumpkins. Where the rest of the city may be cold, the market offers the hospitality of a friendly crowd. The Square's grass may be wet, but it will never soak you. The Radio Flyer wagons and people with petitions are part of the scenery, blending in with the backdrop of the banks and restaurants behind the stands. The sidewalks are not cracks and concrete, but stepping-stones to another good deal on great groceries.
The calendar says we're in the middle of fall, but the produce argues. Last Saturday there were raspberries, a little duller and not quite as plump as an August offering, but just as tasty. With red hues bordering on maroon and enough juice to wash across every filling, a raspberry after Halloween is an exceptional pleasure. Long after you empty a carton, you're still happy to find seeds in the back alleys of your teeth.
Whether it's raspberries, ripe tomatoes or the collective aroma of the Saturday morning, there's a bounty for everyone at the Farmer's Market. As it moves indoors, the market may lose atmosphere, but it will never lose its worth.
Ben Schultz is a fifth-year student majoring in English and history. He can be reached at blschultz@wisc.edu.
