Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ

ORUCC will be opening its parking lot for a Farmer’s Market beginning June 24th.  The market will be open Wednesdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. through October. Food stamps and WIC vouchers will be accepted.

Meadowood residents and community members came up with the idea last year and the Madison-Dane County Health Department and other local groups pursued the project, said Kim Neuschel, public health nurse for Madison. Last week, the group was awarded $10,835 by the Community Development Block Grant Commission to establish the Southwest Farmers’ Market.

The application was “one of the strongest we have ever had,” said Bill Clingan, Madison’s community development director. The application included several letters of endorsement and the commission will “move quickly to allocate funds,” Clingan said.

The Meadowood area is in need of a convenient source of fresh fruits and vegetables, Neuschel said. Since the recent closing of the Cub Foods on Verona Road, Meadowood residents have had limited food sources in walking distance.

“It’s a food desert,” Neuschel said.

A fair number of families in the Meadowood neighborhood live at or near the poverty line, Neuschel said. Access to food, especially for those who lack transportation, is an issue.

Neuschel and the group behind the new market hopes to bring not only fresh produce to the area, but also a greater sense of community. “We’re trying to build social capital and neighbor-to-neighbor connections,” Neuschel said.

Though the market, which will open June 24, was initiated by the Madison-Dane County Health Department, the ultimate goal is local community ownership, Neuschel said. The community members will be doing the marketing and volunteering, Neuschel said.

The Meadowood area has recently established other community facilities including a community garden and the Meadowood Neighborhood Center, said Lisa Veldran, area resident and president of the Meadowood Neighborhood Association. The farmers’ market was the third major goal, Veldran said.

“It’s going to have a very positive impact on our neighborhood,” Veldran said.

The market will be on the grounds of the Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ on Gilbert Road. The market will be open Wednesdays from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. through October. Food stamps and WIC vouchers will be accepted.

For more information or to volunteer at the market, please contact Kim Neuschel at 608-243-0343.