The last market of July is upon us and that means it is time to announce the special activities we have planned for the rest of the season. We have wonderful live music every week, yoga every Sunday in August, and a number of extra special events to put on your calendar.
In addition to what is listed below, we are working on scheduling guests at our kids activity booth, special activities for our Market Celebration on September 14th, and there will be more activities announced as we continue through the season. Keep checking these email newsletters and follow our social media pages for updates!
Join Me on My Fennel Journey!
By Market Manager AmberI have never enjoyed fennel. I've been a member of wonderful CSAs (Community Shared Agriculture) for years, and I am always stumped when fennel is included in my box. I've typically just sliced it and used it like a green onion or celery in recipes, but I've never liked how strong the anise flavor comes through.
This summer, I am going to try my best to enjoy fennel. Maybe I'll even experience the fennelinomenon that Potomac Vegetable Farms describes in the photo above! To start, I'll share some background information from my trusty Fairshare CSA cookbooks (which include 19 fennel recipes!):
What is fennel?
Fennel has a rich history being used for celebrations, health, breath freshening, and a flavorful addition to meals around the world. Fennel is related to carrots, celery, parsley, dill, and anise.
Quick Cooking Tips
Most recipes will use the white, bulbous lower stem, but you should save the feathery leaves to use in salads or garnish. The green stems can flavor broths and flavor meats.
You can substitute fennel for celery in most recipes.
Fennel can be baked, steamed, or sauteed. You can also cut raw fennel into slices and use for dipping.
Fennel can even be used in desserts! Serve fresh slices with soft goat cheese, figs, and dessert wine, or candy it so serve alone or in lemony desserts.
Want more tips on using unique market ingredients? You can purchase Fairshare CSA cookbooks directly from their website!
First Recipe: Caramelized Fennel
For the first recipe in my fennel journey, I am going to try this Caramelized Fennel recipe from Putney Farm. I got a tip from Vitruvian Farms that this is the way to go if you have a less than pleasant history with fennel.
Ingredients: 2 large fennel bulbs, 1/4 cup olive oil, salt, pepper, 1/2 lemon
Steps:
Cut the top and bottom from the fennel bulbs and remove tough/bruised outer layers.
Slice the bulbs in half and remove the cores. Cut the fennel lengthwise into 1/8 inch slices.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. When hot, add 1/4 cup olive oil and then add the fennel slices. Spread the fennel out so they are not crowded (you might have to cook them in batches).
Cook for 10-12 minutes, flipping every few minutes until golden brown. Remove the fennel, season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste.
My take: I didn’t full understand which part of the fennel to keep, and which to remove. I could see the core, but wasn’t completely sure how to remove it. However, nothing will go to waste! I saved the remnants to use for another recipe. The rest of the recipe went smoothly, just be careful not to cook them too long or else you’ll have fennel fries! This method of cooking got rid of the licorice taste I don’t like, and brought forward something new that I can’t fully describe. It is good! I’m going to add it to a pasta dish and I’d give it 3.5 stars out of 5.
How do you enjoy fennel? Give me some tips and recommendations in the comments!
2025 Vendor Preview
We have a wonderful lineup of vendors for you this year. From the highest quality produce, and delicious new prepared foods, to unique artisan food products, and much, much more. Each week will bring new flavors and fun. Check out our vendor preview below and sign up for our weekly email updates to see which vendors will be at the market each week! Map and vendors subject to change.
2025 Music Schedule is Released!
Join us every Sunday from 10am - 12pm from May through October for live local music while you shop. From acoustic tunes to upbeat marimba, our summer music schedule is packed with talented artists for you to enjoy all season.
2024 Music Schedule
Thank you to all the wonderful musicians playing at the market this summer! We have great performances in store. Music runs from 10am-12pm each Sunday, weather permitting. Listen to the tunes while strolling the market or grab a seat to relax and enjoy the show!
October 2024 Lineup:
6 - Deliberate Vibrations
13 - Ken Wheaton
20 - Beni Vaganov
2023 Music Schedule
Thank you to all the wonderful musicians playing at the market this summer! We have great performances in store. Music runs from 10am-12pm each Sunday, weather permitting. Listen to the tunes while strolling the market or grab a seat to relax and enjoy the show!
Lucca and Livvy
With one-of-a-kind flavors, naturally packed with vitamins and minerals, Lucca and Livvy promises nitrogen-infused beverages perfect for any occasion. We sat down with co-owner and licensee Courtney McCarty to learn more about how Lucca and Livvy is making a splash in the Madison beverage market.
Originally founded in Dallas, Texas in 2016, this small business has found its way across Madison, with a vast collection of premium, nitro-infused beverages, including teas, juices and cold brew coffees, all delivered in their signature Lucca and Livvy bicycle.
With unique flavor combinations such as calamansi, passion fruit and lemon and ginger, all infused with nitrogen “straight from the tap,” these cold pressed drinks have been popping up across Madison, including farmers markets, night markets and special events.
“We get a lot of guests who haven’t tried these flavors since they were a child. And since it’s nitrogen-infused, you don’t normally get that in a nonalcoholic option. But the delivery method is in a bicycle. I think that’s super cool. It turns into more of an experience,” Courtney said.
This is only the beginning for the brand, who is looking to embed itself further into the Madison community and across the Midwest, with hopes of expanding into Milwaukee soon. They also are expanding growth options by licensing bikes as new business opportunities for similarly-minded entrepreneurs.
“We’ve established a really nice base, but we want to try new flavors, local to the Midwest, if there is enough interest,” Courtney said, “We want to take this to the next level.”
For Courtney, her proudest accomplishment so far with Lucca and Livvy has been receiving such a positive reception from their product and distribution model, right from the start.
“Just having started out the way we did. We had a large interest even before we launched in Madison, and we worked really hard getting our name out to different organizations. They have talked to us constantly about getting our names out, so we were getting business before we were a business,” she said.
Another accomplishment has been the innovation they’ve brought to the Madison beverage market, from their distribution model to their style of crafting healthy drinks without compromising taste.
“We found in the beverage market, there has been a lot of marketing around premium cocktails, not really premium beverages that aren’t loaded with sugars or a bunch of junk,” Courtney said. “We want to deliver a healthy option.”
You can find Lucca and LIvvy yourself at special events across Madison, including the Monroe Street Farmers Market, as well as contacting them to appear at your next private event via their website: https://www.llbeverages.com/. You can also find them on Instagram @luccaandlivvy.
Be sure to check out Lucca and Livvy at the Monroe Street Farmers Markets Sundays 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the Edgewood High School parking lot.
Xiong's Tasty Produce
Loyal customers of the Monroe Street Farmer’s Market will know our vendor of the week Xiong’s Tasty Produce, and to know this vendor is to love them and their products. Xiong’s Tasty Produce was one of the first vendors to join the Monroe Street Farmer’s Market, and throughout the years, Maria Vue, co-owner of Xiong’s Tasty Produce, has seen the market not only grow, but also thrive.
Xiong’s Tasty Produce is a small, family-owned business. Currently owned by Maria’s immediate family and her in-laws, they were inspired by their ancestors and extended family members who were passionate about farming and gardening. The name of the business comes from Maria’s husband's last name, and the “tasty” element has to do with the quality of the produce the business both values and offers. Starting out at a small farmer’s market in the Madison area due to excess produce after they began gardening, Xiong’s Tasty Produce has grown right alongside the Monroe Street Farmer’s Market, earning itself a group of great, loyal customers.
“Whenever I am gone, usually for only one week out of the year, our regular customers always ask about my whereabouts and look out for me. I think since we have been at the market for so long, we have built up a group of amazing regular customers who support us week after week,” Maria stated.
The Monroe Street Farmer’s Market is very special to Maria and Xiong’s Tasty Produce, not just because they have been selling at the market since the very beginning, but also because Sunday at the market is the business's most successful day of sales. Even though Xiong’s Tasty Produce is also a vendor at the Dane County Farmer’s Market, which is much larger than the Monroe Street Farmer’s Market, the business shockingly does significantly better on Sunday mornings than any other day of the week. Maria emphasized this by explaining that while they typically have three people working at the Dane County Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings, they have six people working at their stand every Sunday on Monroe Street.
Xiong’s Tasty Produce offers a variety of fresh products at these markets such as tomatoes, onions, garlic, sweet potatoes, raspberries, herbs, and more. Though, their most popular product is snap peas. They are unique to Xiong’s Tasty Produce because they typically have them early on in June, and they stay consistent throughout the market season as Maria and her family members continue to plant them.
“It’s a vegetable that both young and old people really enjoy. You can never go wrong with them, which is why we sell so many,” Maria explained.
It’s no surprise that Xiong’s Tasty Produce is one of the most popular and well known vendors at the market, their products are refreshing and delicious, and the owners are kind and friendly. It was clear while speaking with Maria that she was very grateful for the Monroe Street Farmer’s Market and the devoted customers it has provided their business.
“I want to personally thank all of our regular customers. We appreciate the people who come out and support us every week. Seeing people and interacting with customers is my favorite part about my job,” Maria said.
Make sure to stop by the market this Sunday to check out Xiong’s Tasty Produce and say hi to Maria and her family. Just think about all of the new and fun fall recipes you can make using some of the products Xiong’s Tasty Produce has to offer. We hope to see you all there!
Mad Maiden
Janet Chen, owner and operator of Mad Maiden, is introducing Madison to the next best thing: shrubs, also known as drinking vinegars.
Shrubs are concentrated fruit and vinegar syrups used to add a flavor boost in both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Just add one part shrubs to five parts juice, tonic, sparkling or still water or any other beverage, and you’ve got an innovative, refreshing drink.
Originally popularized in the 17th and 18th century as a way to preserve produce and as an alcohol additive, this fruit-infused vinegar drink is making a comeback as a healthier alternative to juices and sodas and as a splash of sophistication in the average cocktail.
Chen is working to expand this trend into the Madison area with her innovative flavors of shrubs, such as cranberry, honey ginger and her seasonal variety, all of which have their own unique personalities, according to her.
“I talk about the flavors like they have personalities,” she said, “Cranberry is very self-centered, because gin has juniper berry, orange or lemon peel, tonic cranberry juice, very matchy-matchy. Honey is strong but versatile; it plays with fruit or ginger. Seasonal is classic, like a farm putting stuff away, a little diluted. There’s a classic person, self-centered and a more versatile person.”
Janet Chen initially founded Mad Maiden to incorporate her homesteading background to create a new product to help limit food waste and bring an innovative twist to the beverage market.
With the popularity of other fermented drinks, such as kombucha and wine, Chen hopes to capitalize on this trend while bringing her own flair by creating small batches of shrubs with locally-sourced ingredients from nearby Wisconsin farms and orchards.
“Infusing vinegar is like making tinctures and salves with wildcrafted fruit and herbs. It is creative, hands-on, and connects us to the Earth,” Chen says, “Plus drinking vinegars are a great way to use food that would otherwise be wasted.”
What makes Mad Maiden so unique isn’t only her inventive product, but rather the care she brings to selecting quality, homegrown ingredients. She cites one of her proudest moments being able to incorporate plums from her friend’s 30-year-old plum tree, adding a personal touch to her product.
Chen said, “It’s not a scalable product, but it's a personal and unusual fruit. It’s a proud moment to take. That year, with that orchard, he planted plums thirty years ago, and they produced for the first time in 2013. That’s a long time, for thirty years to produce three times. It was a proud moment. It’s not a usual business practice, but it’s a really unique opportunity.”
Currently, you can find Mad Maiden shrubs in a variety of local Madison, Milwaukee, Chicago and Minnesota grocery stores, along with ordering online at https://www.madmaidenshrub.com/
You can also meet Janet and try a sample of her shrubs each Sunday at the Monroe Street Farmers Market at the Edgewood High School parking lot from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
The Vibrant Veg
One of our newest vendors at the Monroe Street Farmers Market has everyone talking and excited about a healthier lifestyle. Lauren Montelbano is the owner of The Vibrant Veg, a local vegan food business that offers a variety of services to those interested in eating more consciously, shedding a few pounds, building muscle, or saving time.
Montelbano has been a vegan for eight years and has witnessed first hand the positive effects it can have on an individual’s health. It is her hope to share that with other people through her products and services at The Vibrant Veg.
Not only did the vegan lifestyle inspire Lauren to create The Vibrant Veg, but she was also passionate about shifting away from the restaurant business model after being employed as a chef for a cafe in the Madison area. She aspired to work on her own terms and was interested in private sector duties such as serving as a personal chef or holding pop-up events.
“I enjoy that I am my own boss. But at the same time, I love that no one day is ever the same. I have a lot of things that I do and so my days and weeks are always changing,” Montelbano stated.
Although The Vibrant Veg is new to the market this season, the market is not new to Montelbano as she used to live in the area and attend the market as a customer. Additionally, Lauren’s sister serves on the board of our market. While speaking with her, Montelbano raved about the approachable and friendly environment of the Monroe Street Farmers Market, emphasizing the support and kindness of the other vendors in attendance.
The Monroe Street Famers Market is the only market The Vibrant Veg attends, the majority of their business and services taking place through their website at https://www.thevibrantveg.com. Their delicious and fresh pressed juices are a best seller at the market, while The Vibrant Veg weekly meal service is their most popular feature that takes place exclusively through their website.
“If anybody is looking to better their health through plant based foods, we are always there for people in the form of nutritional consults, cooking classes, or our meal program which makes it very easy for people to do,” Montelbano explained.
Be sure to visit The Vibrant Veg website to learn more about the incredible services they provide, as well as stopping by their stand at the market any Sunday from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. in the Edgewood parking lot to grab a refreshing juice or tasty energy ball!
Morren Orchard
An original vendor at the Monroe Street Farmer’s Market, Morren Orchard has been around for nearly every season since the market was started in 2015. Although farming is not something Henry Morren, farmer at Morren Orchard, originally thought he would do for the rest of his life, it’s a pratice that was always in the back of his mind and something that is in his blood as he grew up on a farm in western Michigan.
Morren Orchard is run by Henry Morren and his wife, Lisa Fishman, and despite the fact that his childhood farm functions at a much larger scale, Morren Orchard has evolved since it’s beginning in 1999 into something very similar to the farm he grew up on. Their orchard features apple, plum, peach, and pear trees, and using organic methods they also grow delicious grapes, blueberries, pink and red currants, and a select range of French and other melons.
Along with produce, Henry described a unique product of Morren Orchard’s and often their most popular selling item, cider. It is cold-pressed, unpasteurized, and rich with flavors from traditional cider apples such as Winesap, Grimes Golden, Baldwin, and many more. Henry enjoys crafting the cider and explained that although they try to make sufficient amounts for the duration of the market, the difficulty is when it sells out too early.
Morren Orchard is not only a popular vendor at the Monroe Street Farmer’s Market, but also the Dane County Farmer’s Market and the Eastside Farmer’s Market. On occasion, they also sell fresh vegetables and fruit to restaurants and cafes in the Madison area such as Bradbury’s Coffee. Henry values the size of the Monroe Street Farmer’s Market as he feels it allows him to frequently see the same people and create close connections to those customers.
“The Monroe Street Farmer’s Market really lends itself to that mix of vendors and customers having both a commercial relationship and also a human relationship. It’s more than just passing off your money,” Henry explained.
Not only does Henry enjoy connecting with people, but another aspect he loves about his work at Morren Orchard is the independence that it allows one to have. There is a rewarding nature in knowing that farming also demands a certain discipline; no one is telling you what to do, so everything you create is from your own initiative and ambition.
Henry and his wife cherish the support they have received over the years at the Monroe Street Farmer’s Market and all of the people who stop by their stand. Be sure to come out this Sunday anytime from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Edgewood High School parking lot to say hi and check out some of Morren Orchard’s delicious products!
“We appreciate people’s trust in us to grow food for them and their families. And that appreciation is truly sincere,” Henry stated.
Working Draft Beer Company
Although new to the Monroe Street Farmers Market this season, Working Draft Beer Company has quickly become a customer favorite. Wisconsinites do love their beer after all. That is something Ryan Browne, Co-Owner of Working Draft, values about his business. He wants to connect people to good beer, and he appreciates when people are just as passionate about high-quality beer as he is.
The taproom at the Working Draft location in Madison was designed specifically so that employees could be there to witness people enjoying the beer. In fact, the majority of the beer at Working Draft goes in a pint glass and over the bar to someone. It is the heart of the company, where the brewhouse, the food, and the people all come together to make Working Draft unique. Browne compares the taproom to home brewing, which is how he originally got started in this industry.
“The most joy I got from it [home brewing] was sharing a batch of beer with people. It’s that impetus for gathering people, and that’s what we wanted Working Draft to be,” Browne stated.
Because Working Draft is a small brewery that values a local, neighborhood centric feel, the Monroe Street Farmers Market was the perfect place for Working Draft to go to expand their reach in the Madison area. Getting to champion the products that Working Draft makes at settings such as the market is one of Browne’s favorite parts about his job.
“When people are at the market, they are taking their time to learn about the beer. They look at the cans, ask about the style of the beers and what they taste like, and I could do that all day. I love that type of engagement,” Browne said.
Although there are some beers Working Draft likes to keep on stand by, such as their number one selling beer Pulp Culture which is a hazy IPA, Browne related the brewing company to that of a farm. He emphasized how the seasonality of produce on a farm is similar to the change and turn over in their beer line-up.
“We’re a small brewery. We can and try to provide as much variety as possible, and the great thing about that is we are able to bring in a lot of different styles of beer, but they don’t necessarily stick around all season,” Browne explained.
The Working Draft taproom has been open since March 2018 and has been a huge hit in the Madison community. To learn more about Working Draft’s products, taproom, or practices, visit their website at https://www.workingdraftbeer.com/home-1 and don’t forget to stop by their stand at the market for local, deliciously crafted beer any Sunday from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Edgewood High School parking lot!
Pretty Pots N Pieces
After working as a floral designer for 35 years, to now being retired and crafting beautiful mosaics, fused glass pieces, house signs, and working frequently in her own greenhouse, creativity is nothing new to Gina McSherry.
Owner and sole designer at Pretty Pots N Pieces, Gina took a class in both mosaics and fused glass before retiring and immediately fell in love. It is something she knew instantly was what she wanted to pursue in the next chapter of her life. Combining her degree knowledge in horticulture to these passions, Gina’s husband built her a greenhouse on their property. In her greenhouse, she grows herbs, succulents, lavender, green plants, and air plants. Additionally, she uses all organic soils and fertilizers when working in her greenhouse. Gina enjoys incorporating herbs with her mosaic pots and fused glass products.
“I thought it would be a good idea for people to have nice art and then be able to have something in the pot that they could use and eat,” Gina explained.
Gina reflected on how although all these hobbies have come together to form the perfect work combination for her, it is as if she runs three separate businesses because the plants, the mosaics, and the fused glass each require their own time and intricate attention.
Not only does she sell her pieces at the Monroe Street Farmers Market and different markets around the area, Gina also participates in art shows and has both a personal website and an Etsy site to sell her unique art.
“I really do love the Monroe Street Farmers Market. The customers there are so welcoming and really like my mosaic pots, my art, and the plants and herbs,” Gina stated when reflecting on what drew her to the Monroe Street Farmers Market.
Gina’s most popular items are her flower stakes due to their vibrant and sparkly colors. The bullseye glass that Gina uses in her fusing is the reason for the beautiful, bright colors of these pieces. These products are often sold out when she attends art shows.
Gina loves the business she has created for herself, and although it is hard work, it is incredibly rewarding. Thinking about her favorite part of what she does, there are multiple things Gina mentioned such as the ability and freedom of being in business for herself, and the connections she makes with customers when they admire and appreciate her work.
“The creative process of making the mosaics and the fused glass is also something I really enjoy,” Gina added.
We encourage you to check out more of Gina’s work on her website https://prettypotsnpieces.com, and contact her if you are interested in picking out a piece of glass or a specific herb for a mosaic pot. Gina allows customers to come to her home and pick out items based on their unique interests. And as always, come visit Gina and her beautiful art at the Monroe Street Farmers Market every Sunday from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Edgewood parking lot!