Happy Fall Y'all!

 

We picked up the phrase "Happy Fall Y'all" while trapsing through the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Carolina and brought it back with us to Wisconsin - just in time for the fall harvest festivities.  When searching out points of interest, one of our go-to reference books is  "1,000 Places to See in the United States and Canada Before You Die" by Patricia Schultz. It's a bible for locating unique sites and experiences with a local flare and serves our wanderings very well.  

And that book is what led us to The Dane County Farmers’ Market which is reported to be the country's largest producer-only farmer's market. Located around the capital building in downtown Madison, it's got an authentic vibe generated from vendors who grew, harvested and now proudly sell their crops.  

Jer's father used to use the phrase "The eye of the farmer makes the cow grow fat!" As a kid, Jer didn't fully understand the true meaning... but it was clearly evident at that farmers market - the farmers' eyes had watched over their fields and the bounty was evident at every booth we visited. 

For our housesit, we were welcomed back by a couple that we had sat for last year in Sun Prairie WI and we were excited to see more of the area during the Octoberfest season (particularly as this is Spotted Cow country!). 

Though we had visited the New Glarus Brewery (of course!), we actually returned to New Glarus for the quaint town's Harvest Fest to connect "with 19th century Swiss immigrant life at our annual Harvest Fest where daily routines and responsibilities of the past – cheese making, blacksmithing, yarn spinning, basket weaving – are re-created." 

It was inspiring to be surrounded by people and customs that could trace trace their history back hundreds of years. Nothing plasticly about this place - and it couldn't have been a more perfect and sunny day for walking around. 

In a world that is more and more distanced by technology and mass production it was refreshing to be reminded that there are still places and people who are directly producing and showcasing their talents with personal pride and ownership. 

PS: And yes, Jer did coral a few spotted cows to take back to our barn!