Parkas and mittens are a far cry from the usual sunglasses and Birkenstocks usually worn at the Farmers' Market, but when the weather turns frigid Madison moves indoors to buy and support local producers and businesses. Although nothing can compare to the celebrity of the Dane County Farmers' Market on the Capitol Square during the summer months, its indoor version at the Madison Senior Center on West Mifflin has its own enticing products and events to enjoy Saturday mornings from 8 a.m. until noon.
Tony Hook, director of the indoor Market, has worked as a vendor for the last 15 years. He is pleased with the support the Farmers' Market receives from Madison residents, even when Wisconsin winters make travel difficult.
\More and more people are going to locally grown so this place is usually packed,"" Hook said. ""It's really helping the farmers who have produce available all winter long.""
Support for eating locally is continuing to grow, and in Madison eating organically grown produce is especially popular. According to the Dane County Farmers' Market official website at DCFM.org, several local restaurants and grocers carry products from its vendors. The Fork and Spoon Cafe, L'Etoile and Marigold Kitchen use farmers' produce in their fare. Willy Street Co-op, Whole Foods, Woodman's and Bill's Food Center of Oregon also offer vendors' produce.
Friends of the Dane County Farmers' Market, a group that runs outreach programs during the Summer Market, organizes fundraisers and volunteers at the Senior Center. At the indoor Market, volunteers help out with the Saturday breakfasts, an event only offered during the winter months. From 8:30 a.m. until around 11 a.m., the meal showcases vendors' products for $7. Along with live music starting at 9 a.m., the breakfast serves over 250 people.
Not only does the venue change with the seasons, the Farmers' Market produce varies during the colder weather. At the indoor Market, fewer fresh fruits and vegetables are available, but meats, cheeses, baked goods and preserves are in abundance. Leftover potatoes and apples crop up in a few booths, but most vendors offer a smaller selection. One aspect of the summer Market does not change: the atmosphere. Vendors and buyers are in high spirits, discussing the best way to treat blight in hothouse tomatoes or how much sugar to add to rhubarb jam.
The indoor Farmers' Market is a little glimpse of summer when snow mounds on the street corners and cocoa investments skyrocket. Even when temperatures hit below zero, the spirit of summer still drifts over the booths like a warm breeze. A change of venue and different produce do not discourage Madison residents, who still cram the Senior Center as if it were as large as the Capitol Square. Parking is available at the Overture Center Ramp for a weekend rate of $3.
The Farmers' Market makes three moves to different locations throughout the year. During summer-time Saturdays from 6 a.m. until 2 p.m. on the Capitol Square, and Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Martin Luther King Boulevard, Madison boasts the largest producer-only market in the country. On November 14 the Market makes its first move indoors to Monona Terrace, with fewer vendors selling Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. until noon. The Winter Market begins January 3 on West Mifflin, and goes until the Summer Market begins again April 18.
