Every city, town, village, backstreet, parking lot, and alcove in the Greater Madison area seems to have its own farmers’ market, and as my high school art teacher used to say, “That’s pretty neat.” These community gems have been connecting neighborhoods to local growers, makers, and chefs for generations. What’s also pretty neat is going to each of the farmers’ markets and experiencing what they have to offer, as no two are exactly alike.
Northside Farmers’ Market, in the parking lot between Willy Street Co-op—North and Old National Bank on North Sherman Avenue, is only 21 years old. When it started, co-market manager Sabrina Hilton says, “It was because there weren’t any grocery options in the area. It was created in response to concerns about food deserts.”
The north side of Madison has changed quite a bit since 2004. Not only has it grown to meet the needs of its residents, but it’s full of people who are passionate about maintaining everything the area has worked hard to implement. As a result, the appeal of the Northside Farmers’ Market has evolved.
“People appreciate the Northside Market because of the smaller volume of people,” says Sabrina. This is in contrast to the Dane County Farmers’ Market on Capitol Square, which feels more like an event. Though I find the Greater Madison area is very fortunate to have something as impressive as the Dane County Market, it’s not really going to cater to someone looking to just grab a few things and be on their way. Vendors acknowledge that some people are just looking to stock up, which is why some participate in both the Dane County and Northside Markets.
Northside Market has also been a boon for some area chefs. Sabrina says, “One cool feature of the market is it’s also a business incubator. There are businesses that started out just in the kitchen and selling at the market. We were a stepping stone for them, and some of them stick with us, like El Sabor de Puebla. Even though they’re growing, they continue to want to have a presence at the market.”
Other ways the market has grown, particularly in the last nine years, can be directly attributed to Sabrina and her partner, Matt Galle. It goes back to why the duo took over as managers and what attracted them to the market. “I moved to Madison in 2013 from Washington state as part of a graduate program,” says Sabrina. “I moved all my stuff in mid-May. It was beautiful. I stepped out the door and was 50 feet away from my new place when I hear my name. It was somebody I’d gone to undergrad with 10 years earlier. He lived in the north side, and he brought me to the market within the first weeks of me moving here.
“Fast forward several years, I met Matt, and we started dating. There was an election in 2016, and I talked to Matt and said we need to make an impact. The national level feels too overwhelming, so what can we do locally? He saw a listing for the Northside Market. The listing was for a manager and an assistant manager. We just applied as a couple, and we met the board. We told them we’re just going to do this as a partnership if they were willing to have us. They accepted our application, and we started in 2016.”
The market used to just be a circle where people would go around the perimeter and interact with vendors, but now there’s a nondiscriminatory inner circle, which Sabrina has dubbed Craft Row due to all the makers typically occupying the space. In the center, it’s not uncommon for Northside Market to host some form of entertainment.
Aside from music, Sabrina and Matt like to keep community engagement high. “In the last two years, we’ve brought in a lot of kids’ programming. The zoo, Children’s Museum, Boy Scout troops—every week, we try to have a different community representation with focus on kid engagement.”
Sabrina has also been working to bring more senior-focused engagement to the market, and this year will see elder services and programming. Though our discussion brought up a potential senior talk table, where anyone can ask the attending elder any question they might have, what Sabrina really wants is to ensure seniors are connected to the resources they need and deserve.
“I think we culturally don’t see our elders,” says Sabrina. “I think they’re undervalued, but also growing tremendously—the silver tsunami. I think finding more opportunities to bring them in is important; they can become really socially isolated. As they age, mobility can become challenging. I want to have the conversation happening for people to find what programs are out there, so they can connect with them before they necessarily need to. Also, younger people can see what the needs of seniors are, and they can become part of the solution too.”
In addition, the market aims to serve those in the community struggling financially. Some produce vendors accept WIC and senior specific vouchers, and SNAP and food share benefits are accepted throughout Northside Market. Thanks to some grant money, the market doubles those benefits up to $20, meaning taking out $20 becomes $40.
From the plant bulbs sold earlier in the year to being a compost drop-off spot, new this year, Northside Market does what so many farmers’ markets strive to do in keeping people in touch with the food cycle. Pair that with the variety of makers, and visitors are intrinsically motivated to connect by disconnecting, choosing to be more present rather than staring at their phones. That’s really the magic of Northside Market that has motivated Sabrina and Matt to give their hearts to the work they’re doing. Sabrina says of the market, “It’s apolitical. It’s values driven. … I could be here forever.”
For more information, visit northsidefarmersmarket.org.
