When the Wisconsin weather turns cold and you long for those warm summer days at your favorite farmers market, the Milwaukee County Winter Farmers’ Market (MCWFM) is a great way to spend a Saturday morning. Thanks to the lush environment of the Mitchell Park Domes, the market is the perfect place to do your weekly food shopping while chatting with vendors or catching up with friends. According to Deb Deacon, MCWFM coordinator, the social aspect of famers and consumers interacting makes the market a “vibrant gathering place” for foodies, chefs and families alike.
Since its inception in 2009, the market’s popularity has grown exponentially with both visitors and vendors. Its success can be measured by the crowd patiently waiting for the doors to open in the morning with their shopping totes in hand. Inside, vendors are spread throughout the lobby and into the main show dome. Although the market can be hectic, the farmers and producers are always eager to talk about their products and the passion they convey is infectious. Whether it is the grass-fed beef from Tammera and Brandon Dykema of Dominion Farms, or the fresh natural produce from husband and wife Sandy Raduenz and David Kozlowski at Pinehold Gardens, you soon realize that this is often a family affair.
Deacon says that farmers and vendors initially were skeptical of the winter market’s appeal, but the MCWFM now boasts more than 50 vendors, some regular and others that rotate throughout the season. Many of the products you find at summer markets are available here, including pastured meats and poultry, farmed fish, organic eggs, dairy and cheeses, plus specialty food products, including fresh pasta, bottled jams and sauces, pastries and bread, and even chocolates.
If you are looking for locally sourced produce and wondering what can be had in the dead of winter, prepare to be pleasantly surprised. Stored products including onions, garlic, squash, potatoes, apples and sweet potatoes are found almost year round. Green vegetables are a little scarce as the deep freeze sets in; however, many farmers now employ hoop houses to extend their growing season. Michelle Cannon of LarryVille Gardens in Burlington is planting winter harvests of spinach, carrots, lettuce, kale, leeks and radishes. According to David Koslowski of UW Extension Waukesha, “The limiting factor in cool-season greenhouse growing is not heat but light”; when the daylight grows short, plants don’t grow as quickly. The confined growing space of hoop houses also limits supplies, so there are often gaps in the winter growing season.
Winter farmers markets are an emerging trend across the country and Wisconsin is no exception. They provide revenue for farmers and producers in typically slow periods of the year. Koslowski estimates there are now about 25 markets statewide, including locations in Madison, Kenosha, Port Washington and Oconomowoc. Here’s a partial list of Milwaukee area markets open for the winter season.
Milwaukee County Winter Farmers’ Market
Website: mcwfm.org
Days and hours: Saturday, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Nov. 1-April 11, 2015 (No markets on Nov. 29 and Dec. 27)
Location: Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory (“The Domes”), 524 South Layton Blvd.
Growing Power Winter Farmers Market
Website: growingpower.org
Days and hours: Saturday, 8 a.m.-12 p.m., Nov. 15-April 25, 2015 (No markets on Nov. 29, Dec. 27, Jan. 10, 2015, Feb. 21, 2015, March 21, 2015 and April 18, 2015)
Location: Growing Power’s Production Warehouse, 13111 W. Silver Spring Drive, Butler
MPTV (Milwaukee Public Television) Fall Farmers Market
Website: greattvauction.com
Days and hours: Third Saturday of the month, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m., November-February 2015
Location: MPTV Auction Studio, 12560 W. Townsend St., Brookfield
Riverwest Winter Farmers Market
Website: riverwestpublichouse.wordpress.com
Days and hours: Saturdays, 11 a.m.-3 p.m., November-May, 2015
Location: Riverwest Public House Cooperative, 815 E. Locust St.
St. Ann Center Indoor Market
Website: stanncenter.org/market
Days and hours: Saturdays, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., November-April 2015
Location: St. Ann Center for Intergenerational Care, 2801 E. Morgan Ave.
