April showers bring May produce

Wausau’s first few farmers’ markets of the summer have already been underway for several weeks.

Currently, there’s Big Bull Falls Farm Market on River Dr., held every Saturday morning; the Farmers’ Market of Wausau right next door, held every Wednesday and Saturday morning; and the Weston Farmers Market, held Tuesday and Saturday mornings on Schofield Ave. — and that’s just to name a few. 

As the community enters June, even more markets will join them. With something going on nearly every day of the week, it can be hard for a person to keep track.

If you do, however, you might  find that it’s worth it.

Fresh produce is not only tastier, but it’s better for you, too. Research has shown time and again that crops harvested when fully ripe are more dense in nutrients than crops that are harvested early, like the ones you might typically find at a grocery store. With a shorter distance from farm to table, local farmers have more time to let their crops come into their own — just be sure to keep an eye on which crops are in season. Right about now, there tends to be a flood of greens, asparagus and strawberries, for example, but you might have to wait a few months if you’re looking for apples or squash.

Still, you might be surprised at the variety of crops you’ll find, especially with an uptick in home gardeners this year. If you’re curious, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Extension has a barrow-load of literature for you to peruse, whether you want to know what’s in season at the moment or you’re looking to start a garden of your own.

Local markets aren’t all about grocery shopping, of course. After the lull in social activity following the pandemic, Wausonians increasingly appear to be seeking things to do outside of the house. As attendance at street markets has surged, so too have the number of vendors, many of them artists offering wares ranging from crowd pleasers like knitted plushies to esoteric, eccentric or even a little spooky, like the works of last edition’s featured artist, Ashlie Zeidler.

Every market has a slightly different vibe. If you dig around, you can find some incredibly specialized makers’ markets — like the one at last weekend’s Hodag Heritage Festival in Rhinelander, for example, which featured primarily Hodag-themed goods. For the most part, the markets that call Wausau home are pretty generalized, but you can rest assured that even at these ones, you’ll find at least a few things you couldn’t buy anywhere else. That’s the fun thing about local markets: They bring in people from all across the community. As a result, you see all sorts of goods on display that you otherwise wouldn’t. It’s hard for anyone not to have a good time strolling around.

The official webpage for Wausau’s Night Markets, which can be found on the River District’s website, features a list of the many vendors set to attend, complete with photos of their wares and links to their websites and social media. If you’ve ever been unsure of how to budget for these kinds of markets, whose availability of wares can be unpredictable at the best of times, then this is a good way to get an idea of what to expect.

There are programs that provide incentives or otherwise remove barriers for consumers to shop at farmers markets. For example, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services offers the Farmers Market Nutrition Program to residents enrolled in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, providing new mothers and children up to five years old with allowances to buy locally grown produce as well as information on sustaining a healthy, nutritious diet. A similar program, the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program, is available for seniors, and for those who receive SNAP benefits, the USDA’s SNAP Retailer Locator tool can be used to locate participating farmers’ markets — such as the Farmers’ Market of Wausau — on top of retail stores. 

Similarly, Aspirus Health offers “fruit and vegetable prescriptions” through its Prescription for Health (FVRx) program, which is designed to help eligible patients add the fruits and vegetables they need to their diets by providing them with vouchers that can be redeemed at participating farmers’ markets. There are several of said markets in the greater Wausau area alone, including the Farmers’ Market of Wausau, the Weston Farmers’ Market and Aspirus’ own farmers’ market held in the Aspirus Corporate Office parking lot.

With a growing local market scene around Wausau, rising supermarket prices and a number of resources available through local agencies, it’s as good a time as ever to start shopping local. Plus, you can rest assured knowing that you’re supporting your local farmers and artisans and getting the best quality produce for yourself and your family.