THE EARTH LAUGHS FLOWERS...

In the dooryard fronting an old farm-house near the white-wash'd palings, Stands the lilac-bush tall-growing with heart-shaped leaves of rich green, with many a pointed blossom rising delicate, with the perfume strong I love, With every leaf a miracle - and from this bush in the dooryard, With delicate-color'd blossoms and heart-shaped leaves of rich green, A sprig with its flower I break.

                                                                       Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass, 1865

Flowers leave some of their fragrance in the hand that bestows them.

                                                                                                                                                                 Chinese proverb

BULB HEAVEN...

ALICE JACKSON OF MEADOW ACRES IS CARRYING ON THE FAMILY TRADITION. Her mom started selling at the Market in 1977 when Alice was getting her masters at the University in plant pathology. "It gave her an excuse to come visit," says Alice who is a fount of knowledge on day lillies, iris and peonies. The Jacksons plant about 120 acres of corn and soy bean, but clearly Alice's passion is with the acre or so devoted to flowers and bulbs. And their patty pan squash, she says, is a "star" at the market come late July. "We pick them when their tiny so you don't have to cut them; just pop them whole into a waiting pan with a bit of olive oil, onion, pepper, and bacon. Stir for about 3 minutes and top with your favorite grated cheese."

A TROUT IS A TROUT IS A TROUT

THE RAINBOW TROUT AT ALLEN CREEK FARM ARE HAPPY TROUT! According to owner Terry Romeo, they've been fed a special food - a balance of shrimp and anchovy meal and soy bean - custom-made in Murray, Utah. And these beautiful trout swim in pure artesian well water. More than a million gallons a day wends its way through the farm. And they're exquisitely fresh, processed the night before and whisked to market early the next morning. Terry's obviously doing something remarkable, because this is his 24th year at the market.

"It's the people that make it all worth it," says Romeo, who co-owns the farm with partner Julie Dickison. "Over 24 years you make a lot of friends - supreme court judges to janitors." But Terry has decided to slow down a bit. He's only doing ten makrets this year, selling the last of his beauties here through the end of June.

 

SO  GET THEM FRESH OR SMOKED WHILE THEY LAST!

BEAUTIFUL SEEDS AND SMILES...

MARIAN DRAKE'S MARKET BOOTH IS DIMINUTIVE, TIDY AND FILLED WITH PERSONALITY. She's been setting up shop here for the past 25 years and has many customer/friends who've been buying from her for years. With each plant, seed packet or gaggle of rhubarb she sells, there's always a bit of sage and welcome advice that gets passed along. And speaking of rhubarb, she puts in scads of it and sells the plants too. "I get lots of positive feedback from folks who planted my rhubarb last year," says Marian, who works two gardens on almost a third of an acre in Windsor, Wisconsin. And be sure and look through her basket of home-grown seed packets. They're winners!

A PHOTO MONTAGE...