DCFM COVID-19 Information Hub

Posted on May 22, 2020 | General News

An update for our customers and friends

With Dane County entering Phase 1 of the Forward Dane plan on May 26th, we know that many are eager for an update regarding our market operations.

At this time, we will continue to operate Local Food Pick Ups throughout June, weekly on both Wednesdays and Saturdays at Willow Island at the Alliant Energy Center.

Ultimately, the reopening of our community is not a return - at this time - to our pre-COVID lives. And we will not overnight return to the Square with 150+ producers and 20,000+ customers without our own phased-in approach that continues to uphold public health guidelines. At this time, the State of Wisconsin has not reinstated our permit for the Capitol Square. Because our mission is always to provide our farmers with a thriving vending opportunity, we continue to critically evaluate what is the best course of action to serve our farmers and our patrons.

We will continue to update you on our operations as we as a community progress through the phases of the Forward Dane plan.

How to purchase from our small farmers and food businesses

There are currently two primary ways you can purchase directly from our farmers at this time.

1. Participate in our Local Food Pick-ups! We are hosting Local Food Pick Ups at Willow Island at the Alliant Energy Center for the foreseeable future. Core to our Pick Up model is safety and efficiency. Patrons pre-order and pre-pay for all participating DCFM member products they wish to purchase within 1 transaction via our WhatsGood online market place. Products available from our farmers include seasonal vegetables, hyper local meats, and fresh breads.
2. Buy directly from our farmers! Our farmers and food businesses have quickly adapted to offer alternative methods of sales, including home delivery, on-farm pick-up, and e-commerce. Check out the two resources below that can help you buy direct!
   1. Peruse our How to Buy Directly from DCFM Farmers Google doc which is updated 2-3 times weekly and includes local meats, mushrooms, vegetables, farm fresh eggs, bakery items, and more.
   2. Source local plants for your home garden with the help of our 2020 Local Plant Guide! From heirloom tomato starts to vibrant pansies, from hardy fig trees to unique ornamentals, there is something for everyone. Guide includes a map of the Capitol Square with historic vendor stall locations, a map of farm locations offering on-farm pick up, and a detailed directory of farms' plant product offerings.

Donate to our Emergency Farmer Fund

The COVID-19 pandemic is disrupting and severely impacting communities and institutions across the globe. Locally, we are already seeing the economic impacts and threats to our farmers' and food producers' livelihoods.

The Dane County Farmers' Market is committed to supporting our farmers during the COVID-19 pandemic. In partnership with FairShare CSA Coalition, we have established a crowd-funding campaign to assist our farmers whose income has been severely impacted by the outbreak.