Back when I was just learning what a CSA was, I asked someone to recommend a farm and they…read moresuggested Vermont Valley Farm. It's been a number of years now and I'm still a happy, loyal customer. There are a few things that set Vermont Valley Farm apart from the competition: 1) Farm events. It's great getting a box of vegetables delivered to a convenient pick-up location once-a-week during the summer. But you know what's even better? Getting the chance to go out to the farm occasionally to see where all the magic happens. Vermont Valley Farm hosts awesome annual events like pesto fest (they provide all the basil, you bring everything else you need and make all the pesto you can eat right there on the farm), corn-boil and pot luck, along with u-pick tomatoes and pumpkins! 2) Add-on cheese shares. They partner with Dreamfarm to offer goat cheese CSA shares you can pick up with your veggies. While you'll find Dreamfarm cheeses in local stores, some flavors are only made for the CSA. 3) Awesome farmers. This is a family operation and it's clear they love what they do, and love sharing it with their members. They're also socially responsible, and donate large quantities of produce to a local food pantry to help fight food insecurity in our community. You can feel good about being a member! That they have great produce goes without saying. They also offer a variety of shares to meet your needs, including spring, fruit, and storage shares. Can I recommend them enough? No. No, I can not. These guys & gals rock!

We joined the Plowshares & Prairie Farms CSA for the first time this year and it was fantastic! We…read morehad a choice between either a regular or a large share and we opted for the large. Our household of two eats a lot of veggies so this was a fine size for us. Many couples would probably be just fine with the regular sized share. The best part was getting introduced to new veggies we may not try if we just saw them in the grocery store. Dragon tongue beans - Yum! Who knew! Our pick-up spot was conveniently in the Vilas neighborhood, they also offer a pick-up at the Fitchburg farmer's market or at the farm. The farmers, Scott & Chelsea, were very communicative throughout the season and accommodating. Halfway through the season they invited all members out to the farm for a potluck and tour. How fun to see where all the delicious goodies came from and meet other CSA members. It was also probably one of the best potlucks I've been to - people really went above and beyond in preparing fresh, healthy dishes. Incredibly vegetarian-friendly too, lucky me! I was apprehensive about joining a CSA at first as I was worried about ending up with a lot of stuff we wouldn't use / want but those fears were unrealized. I was sad when the final week rolled around and look forward to next season already.

Decided to write a review after our CM asked about Vendors at the Market…read more Sidebar: see my review for Dane County Farmer's Market for specifics and the need for a booth/vendor map. http://www.yelp.com/review_share/FEH0i7SnTH81k451ZadKIQ/review/o6DC6EWgwStZAE6OMwQw3A?fsid=GTCJSlH5HXwreefwUzbdTg I like Jordandal. I know what I'm getting. Where I'm getting food from. They've had the same spot location (MLK @ the Capital kitty korner from Starbucks). They accept cards which most vendors do nowadays. They're there early like 6/6:30a. They'll email my receipt with no worries. I prefer their pork chops over others. If I must buy bacon we only get it here because why pay the same for processed bacon in the store when I can support a local and get the fresh stuff for the same amount. They sell by the pound as well and it's cheaper to buy the half cow or half pig and freeze it. They have a CSA option but they are booking so fast nowadays it's ridiculous. It's good to see folks demanding more for their money hence CSA's will remain booked far out. They offer frozen homemade pizza's now but I've never bought one. I'm okay with their steaks and ground beef but my top choice goes to a nearby vendor. So 5 stars for the quality of pork, price, and cut (chops are not too thick not too lean) 4 stars for the beef offerings and 3.5 on the beef prices.

We had been looking for a local farm-to-table experience when we found Campo di Bella. Our first…read morevisit was a Saturday evening which consisted of a five course meal. Everything about the evening was exceptional. The first course was bruschetta, followed by a refreshing fresh salad with lemon dressing. The main course was flank steak, cooked perfectly. This was followed by a cheese board with delectable cheese samples from local dairies. For dessert, they had an absolutely amazing home made vanilla ice cream. It was rich, creamy, and very tasty. We enjoyed it so much, that we immediately reserved a second dinner which had cider braised pork shoulder as the entree. Again, the meal was exceptional. It started with prosciutto wrapped cantaloupe. I've never had prosciutto sliced so thinly, it was tender and flavorful. This was followed by a butternut squash soup that was thick and rich. I didn't know butternut squash could be so flavorful. I cleaned my bowl so thoroughly that the host jokingly asked if they forgot to serve me. The pork was next. Served with honey crisp apples. It was tender and perfectly juicy. Again, a cheese board was served before dessert. All very tasty local cheeses. For dessert, a French apple tart. I could have eaten a whole tray, it was so good. I've now been there over 20 times. Every time has been exceptional. They offer a variety of wines, ciders, and local beer to go with your meal. They also make their own vermouth which is sweet, with a hint of clove. It's so good, in fact, that we like it on the rocks. Not mixed. The host, Mary Ann, is wonderful. She takes time before each course to provide background on the home grown or locally sourced ingredients. She also gives a history of the farm and her family and, if the season permits, offers a tour of their farm. Marc (Mary Ann's Husband) is the chef. He is a culinary wizard. As I mentioned, I've been back over 20 times, which equates to almost 80 different dishes. All of them amazing! My only criticism (it's a minor one) is that the room is small and cozy and it can get a bit loud inside. It depends on the crowd, but it can be a bit hard to carry a conversation. In summary: exceptional food and exceptional people. I could not recommend it more. Update (12/13/24): We've been coming back to Campo di Bella for the last 5 years. At least 60 times or more and we've never been disappointed. Marc and Mary Ann are incredible hosts that continue to create amazing meals and experiences.

We had a five course dinner, and each course was delicious. The appetizer was just the right amount…read moreof food to whet the appetite, and was lovely. The second course was gnocchi. The texture of the gnocchi was so very pleasing - little pillows of goodness. The main course of polenta, mushrooms and house-made italian sausage with polenta was hearty and wonderful. As always, the cheese course was very tasty with several lical cheeses I had never before tried. (I look forward to having them again at home . Dessert was divine! I am not usually a fan of chocolate, but this was delicious! At this restaurant, they use local ingredients as much as they can, too. Give Campo a try if you haven't already. You are in for a real treat!

HighCross Farm was our choice for a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) subscription this summer…read more By subscribing to a CSA, we paid up front for 20 weekly shipments of organic produce. The food goes straight from the ground to my table with no middlemen or processing or storage. And our money goes straight to the family growing my food and I get the freshest produce of anyone I know. It's totally a win-win situation. The farm is just an hour North from Milwaukee near Kettle Moraine State Park. Every Thursday they harvest and ship whichever crops are ripe and ready. These are sent to 23 designated pick-up locations (half in Milwaukee, half rural sites). For all the details of the 2011 share check here:http://www.highcrossfarm.com/csa-2011.html After reading all this you might think we're some sort of foodie fanatics. There has to be some sort of catch, right? Clearly we must be paying an arm and a leg by wastefully supporting some kind of hippie farmer charity cult. WRONG. We went in with a neighboring family to split a full share of weekly groceries. Our out-of-pocket cost is less than $16 per week. Way cheaper than buying this stuff at Pick-n-Save. But it's organic. Oh, and it's locally sourced. It turns out that another subscriber has even started a cooking web diary, so we should see some of the CSA produce appearing in recipes at http://sarahnett.wordpress.com/ as the summer wears on. I waited for our first delivery to write this review, but as expected the contents of our bushel box looked and tasted amazing. Already we are staring at baby bok choy, a tomato plant, scallions, Swiss chard, fresh strawberries, mizuna, two(!) kinds of kale, lettuce, oregano, arugula, sage and more. I urge you to sign up for this CSA or one like it. You'll be doing good works with little effort by voting with your pocketbook. And also Thursdays will suddenly become the best day of the week!

We chose HighCross Farm for our CSA because they delivered to a household in our village and…read moreoffered smaller shares weekly. For 20 weeks out of the summer and fall, we receive the freshest, cleanest and prettiest vegetables, fruit and herbs that we simply have to pick up at a local neighbor's house. We also receive an emailed newsletter soon after delivery with news, recipes and storage tips. A friend had complained that her CSA only delivered a small variety of items that she got over and over but the Vogelmanns ensure there is a variety of items throughout the season, so it's always a surprise. A typical box may include a fresh bundle of greens (lettuce, spinach, etc), beets, rhubarb, potatoes, carrots, peppers, onions and always a cutting of herbs (that's one example box--they shake it up through the season as different items come in). The first year we belonged, they sent along a variety of Asian greens, so we had a fun time exploring ways to use these unfamiliar vegetables. Having a CSA delivery is a bit of a time commitment. You really need to like to cook--these are not "convenience foods." That caveat has nothing to do with the Vogelmann's business. They try to forecast what we might receive the next week, but they can't always be right on target so each week is a new culinary adventure. Especially in early summer, a cold snap could screw everything up. Typically on a Thursday afternoon we pick up the box, then I unpack, wrap, and sometimes process some of the vegetables as well as look up recipes and plan meals. Make sure you have freezer space--you can blanch or sometimes just chop up some of the items and freeze them for later. There is nothing better than pulling out summer vegetables in the middle of a dreary winter. The cost for our small share is $26 a week, a pittance for organically-grown vegetables and fruits and for the education my 13 year-old son is getting about the crops that are grown in Wisconsin and the taste of fresh-from-the-ground produce. This year my son begged me to get the "farmer box" again. We are so pleased to support a local farm and to eat the best of the season. I am entirely impressed with the Vogelmann's operation, their commitment to organic produce and their customers, and their love of what they do. I have not had one hitch yet and we're on our third year this summer.

The place to go if your looking for fresh produce. Pick vegetables yourself, with the family or…read morepick up at the farm! Private, shareholder driven. Not open to public. Contact for info.

The owners are so incredibly nice and helpful. They sometimes come closer to Chicago for fairs and…read morefarmers markets and are willing to bring specific flowers for you if you call ahead. Flowers are beautiful and healthy, and very reasonable prices.

Came to this farm as it seemed they were growing a variety of vegetables and we were in the area!…read moreThe family immediately came out and was so, so kind - told us what they had and we were pleasantly surprised he had the freshest snap peas! We picked way more than were necessary but they were just that perfect - slightly sweet and crunchy! He was also really friendly and kind to those visiting, explaining the process of growing each vegetable and his successes/challenges over the last season, and was just really open to answering questions and having a conversation. We will definitely come back!

Great communications and high-quality produce. Nice selection. Good recipes too!read more

Found out about this out of the way brewery close to Lena. It certainly is worth getting to…read more Wishful Acres Farm was growing fruits and vegetables. After a while they chose to also brew beers. They use hops from the crops, it rhymes. Coming here the first time it was kind of confusing. It's a long way from anything else. The entrance to the farm looks like you're going to someone's house. A parking area is in front. This is basically just an open area on grass. A little walk to the structure that kind of looks like a white barn. Inside it's a lot bigger than it looks. Has a few rooms including a patio in the back. In front there's a few tables. A limited but great variety of beers. It's about $6 a pint. Best one we had of these was the Overcast. This is a Hefeweizen, which has banana and clove flavors and is classic stuff. It's about $1 for potato chips. There's also popcorn. Great place for hyper local beers. It's limited space making it not a place for a big group or parties, and there's a few snacks like popcorn. They're open Fridays, and weekends.

Very great service from this mom and pop brewery! The atmosphere was welcoming for sitting outside…read moreand ordering food with kids. Keep this place on the map and give them a visit.