NOTABLE EDIBLES

A Staycation Summer There’s so much to experience right in our backyard.

FOODIE FORWARD

Madison Eats Food Tours

Public and private tours available, including the fabulous Bike n’ Bites Food Tour featuring tastings to go from restaurants of the Willy Street, Atwood and Olbrich neighborhoods.madisoneatsfoodtours.com

Madison Food Explorers

Small private walking tours. Taste local food and learn about Madison’s history, architecture and culture. madisonfoodexplorers.com

DOWN ON THE FARM

Ridge Valley Tours

Custom tours of the best of Richland County! Locals Marty and Teri Richards can shepherd you to the finest farms, dairies, wineries, breweries and more. ridgeandvalleytours.com

Soil Sisters

For three days with five unique components involving numerous women-owned farms, the jam-packed, award-winning SOIL SISTERS culinary event celebrates Wisconsin’s family farms and rural life in and around the farming communities of Monroe, New Glarus, Blanchardville and Brodhead. August 6-8, 2021. soilsisters.wixsite. com/soilsisters

LET THE DRIFTLESS WAKE UP YOUR INNER ARTIST

Driftless Folk School Viroqua

Want to learn more about fermentation, cheesemaking, plant medicine, carpentry, basket weaving, knitting, and other skills, arts and crafts? Check out driftlessfolkschool. org/calendar for their full schedule of classes.

Taliesin Spring Green

Take in a socially distanced architectural tour of Frank Lloyd Wright’s estate and enjoy farm-to-table grab & go fare at the Riverview Terrace Cafe. Also on offer—creative day camps for kids! taliesinpreservation.org

Shake Rag Alley for the Arts Mineral Point

Enjoy visual, performing, and literary arts workshops, events and retreats for adults and children on a beautiful historic campus. Lodging available on-site. shakeragalley.org

Driftless Curiosity Viola

This new nonprofit offers a variety of workshops and land-based learning opportunities focused on experiential education, farming, social justice and the arts. driftlesscuriosity.org

Take a journey of the senses at these favorite local cultural groceries and markets, because staying close to home doesn’t mean you can’t expand your horizons. List curated by Jenina Mella.

ASIAN MARKETS AND GROCERIES J & P Fresh Market

6634 Watts Rd. Madison High quality market that carries a variety of products, mainly Chinese. jpfreshmarket.com

A-Mart Asian Grocery

680 S Whitney Way, Madison A gem of an Asian grocery with a strong Southeast Asian feel. facebook.com/amartasiangrocery

Yue - Wah Oriental Foods

2328 S Park St. Madison Primarily Asian market with a great range of Latin American and Middle Eastern products.

Global World Market

2161 Zeier Rd. Madison Asian market + food court, that is the largest Asian Market in Wisconsin. globalmarketfoodhall.com

Hmong Legacy Market

2119 Fish Hatchery Rd. Madison Cambodian, Laoatian and Thai specialty market. Find them on Facebook

Hmoob Oriental Market

1197 N Sherman Ave. Madison Small, friendly market with emphasis on Southeast Asian products.

AFRICAN AND INDIAN MARKETS AND GROCERIES International Market

4261 Lien Rd. Madison International with focus on African products. Find them on Facebook

African & American Store

2750 E Johnson St. Madison Small, but very friendly source for African foods + gifts. sites.google.com/view/africanandamericanstore

Namaste Indian Grocery Store

805 S Gammon Rd. Madison Looking for good curry leaves? This well stocked, Indian market will have them and more. namasteindiamadison.business.site

LATIN AMERICAN MARKETS AND GROCERIES La Rosita Market and Taco Bar

6005 Monona Dr. Monona Mexican market with a fabulous meat counter and taco bar. Find them on Facebook

Mercado Marimar

2102 S Park St. Madison Excellent taqueria in a full to bursting Mexican grocery. Find them on Facebook

Abarrotes El Primo

105 E Main St. Sun Prairie Tiny Mexican market with a fantastic taco bar. Try the tripe tacos! Find them on Facebook

INVEST IN THE EXPANSION OF ORGANIC FARMLAND

Iroquois Valley Farmland REIT works to increase organic farmland in order to help farmers secure land and make people healthier. In fact, it’s already helped Wisconsin farmers like Meadowlark Organics secure land. Founded by a finance guy who wanted to preserve family farms and a doctor alarmed by the way the American diet contributes to poor health outcomes, Iroquois Valley is a certified B Corp that provides organic and regenerative farmers land security through long-term leases, mortgages and lines of credit funded by capital from mission-driven investors. Its investors buy into the radical idea that they can help the food system grow more nutritious food through soil health, while supporting rural economies. Unlike playing the stock market, investors can have a real connection to what their money is supporting. iroquoisvalley.com

Meadowlark Organics, an Iroquois Valley partner, in Iowa County, WI uses soil-building practices like contour farming to grow heritage grains and beans. Photo courtesy of Meadowlark Organics

BRIX LOCAL FOOD HUB MEDIA PROJECT

Mount Horeb-based cidery and restaurant Brix Cider has partnered with the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Black Krim Creative to create a three-year project that highlights the value and importance of local food sourcing, funded by the USDA (AMS) Local Food Promotion Program. The project will produce and share 12 short films paired with several food- and cider-centered events. Brix will share stories of how sourcing food from regional farms and producers is not only possible, but profitable. Look for live events through outdoor gatherings throughout summer 2021. Join the Brix Cider email list for details at brixcider.com or follow along on Instagram @brixcider —Jonnah Perkins

Photo of Seven Seeds Farm by Jessie Perkins

EXPLORING THE LANDSCAPE, HIS(&HER)STORY OF BLACK AGRICULTURE IN WISCONSIN • July and August 2021

Chef Yusuf Bin-Rella of Madison’s TradeRoots Culinary Collective and Chef Adrian Lispcombe of LaCrosse’s Uptowne Cafe and The 40 Acres & a Mule Project are collaborating with the UW System Center for Gender and Women’s Studies and Pasture and Plenty on a summer lecture series. The series includes a picnic pick-up in Madison and LaCrosse to take along on a self-guided Cheyenne Valley tour July 23 to 25. The scenic Cheyenne Valley was the destination of the largest African American settlement in Wisconsin in the 19th century. pastureandplenty.com