Westside Community Market

Cacti from Phil Friedl (The Cactus Guy) On to Session II We lined up ten markets in a row and knocked them all down. That's right, this past Saturday marked the 10th and final market of our spring session. Before we venture forward to the summer and fall sessions, we'd like to look back on all the great things we enjoyed so far this season. To start, we welcomed new vendors like Domann's Plant, who brought us out an amazing selection of flowers and vegetable starts for the ga

Jalapeño Curds from Farmer Johns' Cheese Strawberry Fields Sell Out Fast Nothing moves as fast as fresh strawberries when they debut at market each year. We started the morning at 7:00am with six different vendors selling pints, quarts and flats of field fresh strawberries. By 8:00am, they were all sold out! Even a 9:00am re-up from Flyte Family Farms didn't last much longer. This is the classic case of "early bird gets the worm", a common tale with new arrivals this time of

Ghost Pepperoni from Underground Meats June is National Dairy Month! Hot enough for you? Summer is just beginning for many, but the temperature is ready to have us filling up the kiddie pools, watering our plants on a daily basis and looking for shade wherever we can find it. Thankfully the early market morning was cool enough to get out and shop from the 43 vendors we had out last Saturday. The journey was well worth it for those who came out, with rewards like the first sug

Beautiful red tomatoes from Flyte Family Farms Good News of Days to Come We sent May off packing with a beautiful and full market this past Saturday. From a morning of near frost to an afternoon of sunny 60's, the day was a great send off to spring. From market staples like Wisconsin maple syrup from Open Kettle Farms, to the unique finds such as wild golden oyster mushrooms from Happy Valley Farm (pictured), there was something for everyone to enjoy. As we push on into June,

Great pork selection from ParKelm Farm Memorial Day Weekend Something of perfection was captured at market this past Saturday. It was the combination of warm May sunshine, a light kiss of wind and a bustling market full of happy shoppers with totes of asparagus, bouquets of flowers and more. The tops of Stella's Bakery baguettes (pictured) poked out from those totes, ready to be smothered in honey comb from Bonde Bee for the perfect treat. Shoppers were seen making multiple

Hot sauces from What Got Gathered Warming Up the Grill A warm weekend coming our way is all the inspiration needed to open up the outdoor kitchen, be it patio, porch or park. Start by whipping up a batch of mojitos or mint lemonade with fresh cut mint from Shoua Vang. As you wet your whistle and prepare the main course, enjoy an easy snack with a bag of Farmer Johns' cheese curds or sliced salad turnips dipped in the Spicy Hummus from Savory Accents. For a side dish, grilled

First morels of the season from Happy Valley Farm May We Proceed A kiss of frost, the blaze of the sun and the bouquet of lilac filling the air. It's the scene of an early May morning market day dawning before us. Within a few hours the scene is bustling with shoppers grabbing the first asparagus of the season from Yang Family Farm or the first forager finds in morels from McCluskey Brothers Shillelagh Glen Farms. The passersby carry flower baskets from Natalie's Garden & Gre

Stunning Pansy & Viola Flower Starts from Domann's Plants Mother's Day Weekend It was May that came in like a lion this year, with a fierce wind blowing out the cold and ushering in a balmy day for the third market of the 2021 season. As the temperature rose, so did the number of vendors as we welcomed back Kopke's Greenhouse with their vast selection of plant starts & lovely hanging floral baskets. We also were delighted with a pop-in visit from Alsum Sweet Corn and their fr

Red Radishes & Salad Turnips from Blue Moon Community Farm Growing Excitement It's the buzz of potential, slowly growing louder as the market season moves forward. A humming that builds with questions like "I heard there's rhubarb today?" or "Too early for asparagus?" The fever of the gardener begins to rise with the sight of seedlings from Domann's Plants or hanging floral baskets from Garden Gate Flowers (pictured). Moving into May, we'll see more flower and vegetable start

Bright spring daffodils from Lor Farm Just the Beginning The sun came out to grace us all during the opening day of the 2021 market season this past Saturday. As shoppers strolled the market filling baskets with their tasty finds, the season kickoff was a good omen for all the wonderful things to come over the next 30 weeks. Early spring markets are filled with colorful flower bouquets, trays of plants ready for the garden and of course, some great hidden gems, like ramps fro