Your Personal Location for Food

[me&thegals]

Hey! What happened to that drooly face?!?!?

Wow--sounds so yummy! I'm a bit biased, but I think WI is awesome! We are obviously known for our artisinal cheese, but right here we have a local winery, grassfed beef and other meat animals, most people in the countryside have egg producing poultry, and even Madison is known for its backyard coops. We have wonderful grape, apple and cherry orchards (especially cherries in Door County).

The Madison farmer's market is said to be the best in the nation, so I'm always within 30 min of it, even throughout the winter. There are farmer's markets EVERYwhere, including my nearest tiny town of 2000.

It seems like everywhere you go in WI you meet someone with their own chickens, beehives, syrup operation, garden, etc. I think it is just turning into a happening locavore state. We have an organization whose sole purpose is promoting CSAs (macsac.org) and a publication (Farm Fresh Atlas) for the same. There are even eat-local 10-day challenges like "Eat Local, Eat Wisconsin." Grocery stores sometimes have special "local" sections and good restaurants often carry local products.

Oops--forgot cranberries. I don't think we do nuts on a commercial scale in WI, but some people harvest their own from their yards and woods. No commercial peaches, either, but lots of backyard peach and pear trees.

Oh--I also forgot the berries! I'm within 15 miles of 2 strawberry U-pick farms. We can grow excellent raspberries and blueberries. The woods and roadsides are full of wild elderberries, black raspberries and blackberries. Ooohh--can't wait!

So--I think we have most foods that I can think of except for fresh seafood, citrus, or other tropical foods. We can grow great brassicas, greens, onions, garlic, squash, melons, corn, potatoes, herbs, flowers and so on.

 

[Homesteadmom]

Citrus & grapes are the best crops here along with melons too. Farmers grow corn too but it requires tons & tons of water to grow it. Cotton is the main crop here. The SW corner of our state grows lots of lettuce & those types of crops & the SE corner is known for the apples. Not to far from us are a few pecan groves too. Found out not to long ago we can grow apples here so we are planting them next month too.

 

[curly_kate]

The Madison farmer's market is said to be the best in the nation, so I'm always within 30 min of it, even throughout the winter. There are farmer's markets EVERYwhere, including my nearest tiny town of 2000.

Me& - I LOVE the Madison farmer's market!!! My DS went to UW, and it was such a fun place to browse. Got some DELICIOUS cheese there!

We have Findlay Market in Cincinnati, which I believe is the oldest continuously operating farmer's market in the US (but I might be wrong on that one). It is tons of fun to visit, but you have to be careful because not everything is local. There are the vendors who sell the fruit with the stickers on it (kind of a giveaway that it's not local!). I was really disappointed when I did some research & found out that a lot of the butchers just get their meat from Tyson or a similar place. That said, it still does have a lot of local offerings, and it is so much fun to go and talk to the people who come to sell their wares.

We have a small CSA near here, and their website was really helpful in hooking me up with a local cow farmer. I have NEVER had better steaks in my LIFE! When I went to the meat locker to pick up my last order, they had some pork available. I asked the woman where it was from, and she pointed over her shoulder and said: "Hill's Farm, down the road." There is a WONDERFUL orchard minutes from here where I discovered that I actually do like pears - I just don't think I ever had a fresh one. And I found a family farm out here who's going to raise my Thanksgiving turkey for me this year!

It's SO much more fun than just going to Kroger!

 

[Homesteadmom]

I'm a bit biased, but I think WI is awesome! We are obviously known for our artisinal cheese, but right here we have a local winery, grassfed beef and other meat animals, most people in the countryside have egg producing poultry, and even Madison is known for its backyard coops. We have wonderful grape, apple and cherry orchards (especially cherries in Door County).

The Madison farmer's market is said to be the best in the nation, so I'm always within 30 min of it, even throughout the winter. There are farmer's markets EVERYwhere, including my nearest tiny town of 2000..

Madison is a great town. My dh was raised in Monticelo(little village that it is). And his uncle used to own the Silver Lewis Cheese factory until a few yr ago when he decided enough & sold it. They live in Lodi now(home od Suzie the Duck).

 

[AHappyChick]

I either grow all of my veggies and fruit or buy them from local organic growers. During the spring and summer i take a trip almost every weekend to farmer markets and farms to pick up. When I can afford it I buy organic meats from another local (well 3 hrs away but her daughter is local and she brings it to me) farmer. I raise my own chooks so i have the eggs and meat covered there. Everything else basically comes from Natures promise brand at stop and shop or whole foods when it is something organic not carried by S&S.

 

[prairiegirl]

Our location (N. IN) has always offered us plenty of local foods. We are within minutes of the MI stateline and there's a bounty up there, too.

We are able to pick apples, peaches, strawberries, grapes, blueberries, assorted other berries, cherries, pumpkins. An assortment of vegetables are nearby. Beef and pork from the farms is always available. Cheese from the Amish is about an hour away - worth the trip. Local honey is hard to find, but available within a short drive.

Sometimes, you just have to know the right person to find things locally.

Now, that we are on our own little place, we provide our own beef, pork and chicken. Our hens give us all the eggs we can eat with a few extra. Our cows provide our milk and all we can make from it. Also, grapes, apples, plums and hopefully raspberries, pears and peaches this year. We also garden and have a variety of veggies. I can't forget the potato patch.

We can, freeze and dehydrate all that we are able. But, nothing compares to the fresh and we get our fill of that in season.LOL
But, we also share our bounty with family and friends - can't forget them.

We are so blessed.

 

[Dace]

I also try to buy from my local farmers market but it is very small and has more crap-vendors (purses, make up, photography & home decor ) than produce vendors.


*Edited to add...I have created a new thread on this!

 

[TanksHill]

Hey dace, I found this link a couple days ago. I hope it helps.

http://www.cafarmersmarkets.com/

 

[Dace]

Hey dace, I found this link a couple days ago. I hope it helps.

http://www.cafarmersmarkets.com/

Cool site...thanks Gina! By the way how is your bunny hutch coming along? Got any bunnies lines up? We decided to go ahead and keep ours, working on my hutch design now

 

[TanksHill]

Your welcome, Hutch is all done. I posted pics somewhere. No bunny yet. I am a little hesitant about the whole thing. I guess I should just commit. I have been talking to my BIL about rabbit care and maybe getting two. For companionship. I am glad you get to keep your Rex. I have been avoiding the feed store because I know I'll buy one if they have it. I just need to catch up on life for a couple weeks.