Here's a post to inspire those of you who haven't been to your local farmers' market yet this summer or those who possibly have never purchased anything at one before! I'm lucky to have lived in Madison, WI for a few years where the largest producer-only farmers' market in the U.S. is hosted on the square of Wisconsin's own capitol building.

Here's some thoughts to inspire you as the last summer weekends fade away. I'll also include tips for those interested in shopping the Dane County Farmers' Market in Madison!



1. Baked goods

There is nothing like heading to your local market early on a Saturday morning with coffee in hand and picking up some freshly baked goods. I'd say if you asked anyone what to buy at the market in Madison, they would tell you Stella's cheese bread.

The hot & spicy cheese bread from Stella's Bakery is pretty infamous and is available in Madison in multiple grocery stores, restaurants, and coffee shops. You can even order a loaf of your own from their website: stellasofmadison.com

It's common that you will find a swarming crowd around the Stella's tent at the market and they are frequently sold out of the cheese bread, forcing you to wait until another batch is delivered from their bakery in about 20 minutes. IT'S THAT GOOD.



2. Fresh fruit

It's always neat to see the produce grow more hearty and bountiful at the market as the summer goes on. Here's some fresh, organically-grown blueberries from Flyte Family Farm. So full of flavor, like you can taste the sunshine. No lie: a couple stopped and asked me where I got these from when I took this photo.


3. Cheese

Depending on where you are in the United States, your options for quality cheese may be low. I would encourage you to visit Wisconsin where any grocery store's plain old brick of cheddar is sure to make you take notice. Then we have the local dairy farmers like Farmer John. There's a reason why his fresh cheese curds were voted the best at Wisconsin's Curdfest this year. His stand at the Madison market is also usually swarming.

Here are the third and final round of images from our time at the yurt this summer and it's a mix of what's leftover from the previous posts; our first morning on the beach at Lake Superior, driving up Mount Arvon, hiking over to the neighbor's land to see the amazing view of the Huron River, and making dinner over the fire back at the yurt.

The shots from the beach are sentimental. I always seem to shoot and post these photos every time we're up there. When we arrived that morning, the whole beach and lake were covered with a dense fog which suddenly cleared not too long after we were there. We took our shoes off and walked to the mouth of the river with beers in hand, just grateful to be there.

Afterward, we drove up Mount Arvon to stop at the pond along the way where we spotted wild otters swimming there. We also signed the log book at the top of the mountain and read entries from other visitors, some from as far away as Wyoming. It seems like very few people would go up there, but there are usually 2-3 entries in the log book daily, at least in the warmer months.

Seeing the Huron River from the Goodreau's land was one of the highlights of our time there for me personally. The spot on the river includes a view of the Huron Mountains and we watched as a thunderstorm rolled in.

During our trip up the Keweenaw Peninsula, we stopped off to visit our friends Bill and Carly and their spunky pup Jo in Calumet, MI. We had a wonderful time sharing stories and preparing a meal over the fire together.

Our delicious dinner was comprised of locally-sourced bratwurst, corn on the cob grilled over the fire, a simple chilled pasta salad with fresh vegetables from the garden, and juicy watermelon. Tammy brought wine and ingredients for sangria and we brought some Wisconsin Point brews to share with the yoopers!

Their land is so secluded in the woods, it truly feels like a nature escape where all time ends. The Trap Rock River runs through the acreage, providing natural fresh water and transportation, as they love to run rivers in the Upper Peninsula. Bill and Carly live a beautifully simple and organic lifestyle and we feel so grateful for their hospitality in sharing their cozy, rustic home with us!