The Why

While we dish up mouth-watering inspiration for how to enjoy the bounty of our Wisconsin producers, we may forget to linger on the why. Why buy local? Why shop at a farmers' market? What better time to remember and celebrate the 'why' than during National Farmers' Market Week!

When you shop at the Dane County Farmers' Market, you are directly supporting farmland preservation, healthy communities, increased access to local foods, and increased local economic development. The 'why' goes even beyond that!

Grabbing your groceries for the week at market or even indulging in a empanita or a bag of curds during the middle of your work day is something special and unique because of the people and because of the products!

Our DCFM members - the people behind the stands - work hard to produce the items. The cheese curds are from 'yesterday's milk', the flowers and sweet corn often picked just that morning (what an early morning it must have been!), and the tomatoes are at the peak of ripeness, flavor, and nutrition and are accordingly handled with care.

We encourage you this week to linger while you're at the market - take it all in! Ask about that apple variety you've never heard of, grab a pint of striped tomatoes you've never tried, take home a carton of speckled farm fresh eggs, ask our members what their favorite item is, you are sure to be delighted and reminded of the many answers to the question of 'why'!