Local food options at markets, co-ops and restaurants heat up Wisconsin winter

By Allie Kuopus

Eating local in Milwaukee is something more and more people are trying to do. With farmers markets offering local farmers’ goods and restaurants showcasing local seasonal products and people raising their own gardens, anyone can enjoy supporting the local economy and agriculturists. But what happens when the snow falls, crops stop growing and farmers markets take down their stands?

It comes as no surprise that farmers markets are one of the fastest and easiest (not to mention more frugal) ways to get local, fresh products. There are numerous markets in the metropolitan area during the summer and fall months. Unfortunately, their outdoor locations make it all but impossible to function during the bitter winter months, so most of them shut down by November. Taking cues from Kenosha and Madison, Milwaukee now has two ways to celebrate eating local all year.

For the second year now, Westown Association, a non-profit organization specializing in promoting the Westown neighborhood in downtown Milwaukee, is sponsoring a winter market in the Grand Arcade of Grand Avenue Mall. The market will start in November and be held on the first and third Wednesdays of each month, through February. The Westown Summer Farmers Market is the oldest open-air market in Milwaukee, according to Ashley Schmitt, marketing and events coordinator, and the winter market is the first of its kind in the area, she says.

Expecting roughly 20 wintertime vendors from throughout the state, including trusted names like Ela Orchard, Growing Power and Beechwood Cheese, Schmitt says people can expect fresh produce and meats, organic jams and pre-packaged foods, as well as live lunchtime entertainment.

All participants in the winter market must certify that their goods are grown and produced by themselves in Wisconsin, ensuring that while not everything may be certified organic, it is local and fresh, Schmitt says. “This is a great community event,” she adds, “It brings people together to socialize, support the community, have fun and get fresher produce that tastes better.”

For more information, visit <www.westown.org>

The Wisconsin Apple Growers Association (WAGA) is joining the winter ranks with the first Milwaukee County Winter Farmer’s Market (MCWFM), which will be held at State Fair Park in the Tommy G. Thompson building Saturday mornings, November through April. Like Westown, the Milwaukee County market requires all vendors to sell only locally-produced products, says Anna Maenner, executive director of WAGA.

“People supportive of local food don’t always realize that you can get it all year long, and eat local longer,” says Deb Deacon, market manager. “Farmers markets are a great way to reach farmers, make new contacts and have fun,” she adds. The Milwaukee County market will accept Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, allowing FoodShare recipients to get good, nutritious food, regardless of economic background, Deacon says.

The option to shop locally on a Thursday doesn’t end just because the markets aren’t open. Riverwest Cooperative, Outpost Natural Foods Cooperative and the Milwaukee Public Market are all local grocery providers that take pride in offering local goods. And shopping at these stores ensures that even if the goods you buy aren’t necessarily local, the money you spend is.

A cooperative, or co-op, produces and distributes good and services for the benefit of its owners — who are members of the local community. With three locations, Outpost Natural Foods takes pride in reaching out to its local community to provide exactly what it wants, trying to provide local goods as much as possible, says Sara Stearns, assistant manager at the Capitol location.

Investing in local, smaller vendors ensures healthier alternatives to the mass-produced items you might find elsewhere. Keith Zeznanski, produce manager of the Capitol Outpost, says that while the three stores do order individually, they tend to buy the same items. He knows every farmer he works with on a first-name basis, he says, and adds that there is no competition between suppliers. Each farmer offers something the others don’t.

The benefits of buying local products are second to none. “You know where you’re getting your product from and you know what you’re buying,” Zeznanski says. Each Outpost location also has a café, featuring items prepared from foods the stores carry.

On a smaller scale, the Riverwest Co-op is sending the same message to its customers. Gibson Caldwell, volunteer coordinator and member of the board of directors, says the co-op takes its time getting to know where the food comes from, building relationships with farmers and distributors of local products. The Co-op doubles as a café. Most of the ingredients used in the café come straight out of the store, including overstock, so almost nothing is spoiled, Caldwell says.

Milwaukee Public Market features individual vendors selling their own goods at their own prices, says manager Ellen Kullerstrand. The Spice House, The Green Kitchen, West Allis Cheese and Sausage Shoppe and Saint Paul Fish Company can all be found inside the walls of the Public Market, and are all tied to the Milwaukee community, she adds.

For those who delight in growing their own food, but don’t really know how to make it last once the growing season stops, there are classes in preserving, offered at Milwaukee Public Market and Outpost Natural Foods.

Eating out, staying local

What happens when you just don’t feel like cooking your own food? How can you go out to eat while staying true to your local roots? For one, you could visit Roots Restaurant and Cellar, at 1818 N. Hubbard St., a place known for cooking with local ingredients. Having built relationships with close to 25 farms and local purveyors, including Simply Wisconsin, Growing Power and owner John Raymond’s Cedarburg farm, Roots is able to offer quality, healthy dishes that many other restaurants can’t compete with.

As anyone can guess, maintaining a local supply of produce in the winter is near impossible, says Executive Chef Paul Zerkel. Canning, preserving and cold storing are some ways to capture the essence of the food before it has a chance to go bad. “We try to save as much as we can,” Zerkel says, and “catch the flavor.”

While Zerkel tries to keep things as affordable as possible to please his clientele, there is one thing everyone must keep in mind: you get what you pay for. You’re paying for the quality, Zerkel says. “The food is made from scratch by people with a lot of talent; good-hearted people who love cooking,” he adds.

A newcomer to the local food movement is Mikey’s, a restaurant known for putting a spin on comfort food. Since Executive Chef Felix Hafner began working there in June, he has joined forces with Wisconsin farmers to create his dinner menu. Good Earth Farms, Rushing Waters, Growing Power and Michael Fields Agricultural Institute provide fresh, natural products for Hafner to use in his menu.

“It makes more sense [to eat this way],” Hafner says. The food is fresher, delivered on the same day or the day after harvest; it’s healthier and better for the environment, he adds.

Far from a newcomer, Milwaukee favorite Beans and Barley combines eating out with the opportunity to eat in — serving as a restaurant, deli and grocery store. Store manager Todd Leech has relationships with local farms including LotFotL Community Farm in East Troy, Sweet Water Organics in Bay View and Yuppie Hill Poultry in Burlington. As he plans out produce for the seasons, Leech says he tries to buy from as many local producers as possible, also supplying other local goods like jams, sauces, and body care products.

“Beans and Barley is a vital part of the community,” Leech says. It supports the people making, providing and buying the food, he adds. When customers step inside locally-owned businesses, even if the product itself isn’t coming from somewhere local, the money spent inside the doors stays put, ensuring everyone involved gets a piece of the metaphorical, agricultural, economic, community pie.