Tosa Farmers Market pushes for end-of-year attendance

Fall isn't just for football games and a new class schedule; it's for fresh produce, too.

Amid busy autumn schedules, trips to the local farmers market often fall to the wayside for Wauwatosa residents, said Alicia Bartz, marketing chair for the Tosa Farmers Market board of directors.

But the fall season is usually prime time for end-of-summer produce such as pumpkins, heirloom tomatoes and purple cauliflower. The more shoppers, the merrier.

"It's the absolute best of the harvest, there's a bounty of beautiful things," Bartz said.

In an effort to draw shoppers to the farmers market — which takes place from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. every Saturday in the Hart's Mill parking lot, situated along the Oak Leaf bike trail and the Menomonee River in the Wauwatosa Village — organizers have launched a number of new features.

New market highlights

Most recently, Bike to the Market Day was held Sept. 26. The Tosa Farmer's Market teamed up with Safe Routes to School and Meinerz Family Dentistry to offer the first day of its kind at the market.

The event featured extra bike racks provided by the city, bicycle safety checks and free snacks like mini sweet peppers and carrots for those who take advantage of the market's proximity to bike trails, Bartz said.

Another new feature is the Kids Power of Produce Club, launched earlier this summer. Each week kids age 5-12 can stop by the market's information booth and receive $2 in free tokens to spend on fruits and vegetables, Bartz said.

"Our goal is to bring families and farmers together and get kids thinking about where their food comes from," she said, adding up to 80 kids participate every week.

Taking place once a month is Cooking Fresh at the Market, a series that features culinary-inclined local dietitians who demonstrate how to make easy, healthy recipes from whatever is freshest in the fields that week.

This year, past recipes have included pico de gallo spreads, quick pickles and Scarborough dip. The next installment is slotted for Oct. 17.

The market also has initiated Makers Market in the east lot. The Makers Market features the work of local artists and crafters who sell their one-of-a-kind handmade goods.

Helping out

Additionally, the Tosa Farmers Market is continuing a partnership that aims to give farm-fresh foods to those who may need a helping hand.

Each week, vendors can donate their leftover produce, bread and flowers, resulting in several large bins of food, Bartz said. The food is taken to the Ronald McDonald House Charities Eastern Wisconsin — a place that houses families with children receiving medical care at area hospitals.

Donations are typically used in the Ronald McDonald House's Lunch-2-Go program, which provides brown bag to-go lunches for guests, Bartz said.

Shoppers can partake in the donation program, too.

"If people are at the market and they don't need the whole thing, they can put something in the bin as well," Bartz said.

Since the beginning of the 2015 season, the Ronald McDonald House has received more than 800 pounds of donated fresh produce from the vendors and the patrons of the Tosa Farmers Market, said Family Meal Coordinator Chyna Witzke. Not to mention the donated the breads, cheese, doughnuts and flowers, too, she added.

An average 1,500 people visit the farmers market each week, said Bartz. The market's last day this year is Oct. 17.

GET INVOLVED

WHAT: The Tosa Farmers Market

WHERE: Hart's Mill parking lot, Wauwatosa Village

WHEN: 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. every Saturday, May 30 through Oct. 17

WHY: To enjoy fresh products and support local growers

HOW:For more information visit tosafarmersmarket.com