The state of Wisconsin is full of farmers and craftsmen who flock to the Milwaukee area to sell their products at the various markets this city has to offer.
While autumn is quickly approaching, and many markets have just a few more months until they close for the season, they are still bustling with activity.
The West Allis Farmers Market is the oldest farmers market in the Milwaukee area and boasts a wide range of vendors carrying baked goods, meat, flowers and seasonal produce from May to November.
Lisa Ferry, of Fer-Li Grass Fed Beef, has been a persistent fixture of this market for the past 40 years. She drives two hours from her farm in Pickett every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday when the West Allis Farmers Market is open.
What makes Ferry’s products remarkable is in its name: her Black Angus cattle are grass-fed and grass-finished. They are also born and raised on her farm and are rotationally grazed.
“That means they are on one pasture for a couple of days to a week, and are moved to another,” Ferry explained.
This practice ensures that the cows get more nutrients, and the pastures remain healthy.
Fer-Li sells out of their prime cuts quickly, so you must show up early if you want a ribeye or New York strip, but you can still usually get your hands on some stew meat and lean ground beef if you show up later.
Ferry also sells pork, free-range chicken and eggs. All the meat is of the highest quality, so you should expect to pay more than you would at Pick ‘n Save. However, you are paying for a product that you can trace right back to Ferry’s farm.
“People want to know where their food comes from,” Ferry said.
You don’t always have to pay more for quality products at farmers’ markets, though. Another vendor at the West Allis Farmers Market, Centgraf Farms, offers high-quality fruits and vegetables at a very reasonable price.
Their sweet corn was only a dollar an ear, which is around the same price you will find organic corn at most grocery stores. However, they are also much larger and sweeter than the supermarket corn.
Lynn Centgraf shared her go-to way of preparing them, and it is also very doable for the average home cook.
“You can just microwave them for three minutes right in the husk,” said Centgraf.
Centgraf Farms also grows over 50 varieties of heirloom tomatoes. About five medium-sized tomatoes came out to just $5, which is cheap for high-quality heirlooms. They also include brandy wine and pineapple tomatoes, which were among those available at the market.
“These [the pineapples] are my favorite right here,” Centgraf said. “You can tell by the pink on the bottom.”
Centgraf Farms has been delivering their produce to farmers’ markets and restaurants in the Milwaukee area for over 14 years, and you can find their products on the menus of Odd Duck, The Diplomat, DanDan and Goodkind.
The West Allis Farmers Market may be a bit of a hike if you live downtown, but the city has plenty to offer within its own boundaries. Riverwest, for example, has its own farmers’ market with a myriad of unique vendors.
There, you can find Jack Lavin from Kaleidoscope Gardens, who sells produce grown at his greenhouse on the south side of Milwaukee and a quarter acre of land in Oak Creek.
They harvest their products as close to sale as possible and guarantee no pesticides or chemical fertilizers are used.
“We focus on sustainable practices to bring healthy, local produce to the community,” Lavin said.
Lavin says his favorite part of the Riverwest Market is the diversity it attracts. Various communities in Milwaukee congregate each Sunday it’s open. There is also a great deal of variety in the types of vendors at the market.
Take Hannah Leonard, for example, from Lionfish Jewelry. She collects sea glass from Lake Michigan to create colorful jewelry that she sells across various Milwaukee farmers’ markets.
It is her first year selling at Riverwest, and she said she is grateful for the opportunity to combine her passions and share them with others.
“I love jewelry, and I love creating,” Leonard said.
The Riverwest Market is open on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 2700 N Pierce St, Milwaukee, WI 53212. It is a weekend destination for food, fun and locally sourced products.
The West Allis Farmers Market can be found in the halls at 6501 W National Ave, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Come by for live music on Thursdays and Saturdays and the variety of quality vendors the historic market has to offer.
This story was written by Joseph Schamber. He can be reached at j[email protected].
