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.

Last month, we headed up north to Oliver's parents' yurt in Upper Michigan. It had been years since Oliver and I were there last and I forgot how truly beautiful and rejuvenating it is. The yurt in Skanee is our little treasure.

We were fortunate to have good friends join us and share their company and conversation. Mornings were spent drinking coffee, reading, making plans for the day, and listening to the local radio station's weather forecast that measured rainfall by how high the "cricks" and rivers were. Afternoons were spent exploring and photographing the land and water. Evenings were spent making supper, playing guitar, and drinking good Wisconsin beer around the fire. 

I am amazed at the beauty of this place and how it awakens and brings out the best in anyone who steps foot here. I hope we'll always have it. Hope you enjoy these images. I suggest viewing them while listening to Fleet Foxes. It's pretty awesome.   


These images are from Lake Superior at the mouth of the Huron River, as well as Point Abbaye and Silver River Falls. Our dogs, Jake and Yukon, met a porcupine friend one night and we woke up to a nice surprise. If you've never seen a dog with porcupine quills in it's snout, it's quite the experience. Fortunately, we got all the quills out on our own without a vet.