Harvest at the Farmers Market – A Sunday Series

Peppers of All Kinds at the Dane County Farmers Market

Peppers of All Kinds © 2012 Bo Mackison

“As autumn returns to earth’s northern hemisphere,
and day and night are briefly,
but perfectly,
balanced at the equinox,
may we remember anew how fragile life is —-
human life, surely,
but also the lives of all other creatures,
trees and plants,
waters and winds. (cont.)

Heirloom Tomatoes

Heirloom Tomatoes © 2012 Bo Mackison

May we make wise choices in how and what we harvest,
may earth’s weather turn kinder,
may there be enough food for all creatures,
may the diminishing light in our daytime skies
be met by an increasing compassion and tolerance
in our hearts.” ~ Kathleen Jenks

White Mushrooms

White Mushrooms © 2012 Bo Mackison

Shall I not have intelligence with the earth?
Am I not partly leaves and vegetable mould myself.
~ Henry David Thoreau

Many Colors of Peppers

Many Peppers © 2012 Bo Mackison

“I trust in Nature for the stable laws of beauty and utility.
Spring shall plant and Autumn garner to the ends of time.”
~ Robert Browning

Cartons of Tomatoes

Cartons of Tomatoes © 2012 Bo Mackison

It’s difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato.
~ Lewis Grizzard

Bunches and Bunches of Radishes

Bunches of Radishes © 2012 Bo Mackison

“The trouble with simple living is that, though it can be joyful, rich, and creative, it isn’t simple.”
~ Doris Janzen Longacre

What better way to say goodbye to summer and hello to autumn than to stroll around the Farmers’ Market, gathering peppers and potatoes, pumpkins and squash in our string bags, tucking bags of squeaky cheese curds and a jar of freshly pickled relish in our pockets, greeting the farmers we’ve been visiting all summer while they tell us of tonight’s weather prediction – a hard frost in the low lying regions.

We bought a huge bunch of flowers after we heard the forecast for a hard freeze. If it gets that cold, there will be no more fresh flowers at any of the vendors’ stalls next week.

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Bo Mackison is a photographer and the owner of Seeded Earth Studio LLC. She is celebrating the autumn equinox by giving thanks for the bountiful harvest and setting her table with a bouquet of some of the last garden flowers of the year.

Real Tomatoes

Real Tomatoes

Real Tomatoes © 2008

This is what real produce looks like – it isn’t perfectly round, without a blemish or bump. It isn’t rated on consistency and each fruit doesn’t have to look like its neighbor. It’s real food. Organic and picked at it’s peak. No traveling 1,000 miles in a refrigerated car. Simply packed in a crate and taken about 6 miles to the market. Very yummy! You really can taste the difference.

Farmers’ Market, Madison Wisconsin

Early Apples in a Crate

Crate of Apples

Crate of Apples © 2008 Bo Mackison

It seems early for apples, but the first organic fruits are taking their places in the area farmers’ markets. These are on the smaller side, but so juicy and sweet. I liked the simple fruit framed in the crate and tried it in black and white.

Early Apples

Early Apples © 2008 Bo Mackison

But I like the photo is a soft color, too. Sometimes it’s fun to just play with a photograph and see all the different techniques that speak in different ways.

Farmers’ Market Lunch

Cow Cookies from Wisconsin

Cow Cookies from Wisconsin © 2008 Bo Mackison

Dane County Farmers’ Market was in full swing this morning. I came home with vine-ripened tomatoes, corn on the cob picked at dawn this morning, green and yellow and red peppers, eight different varietals of garlic, pumpkin bread, cheese bread, ostrich burgers, and a huge bouquet of lilies and calendula. But the highlight was the purchase of pumpkin blossoms. We dipped them in egg and seasoned flour, then fried them. To round out lunch, we had grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches followed by fresh peaches.

Summer eating at its best. I’m saving my dessert-half a cow cookie-for later.

Flowers and Veggies

Another trip around the Capitol Square in Madison checking out the stalls at the Farmers’ Market.

Gaillardia in Focus

Gaillardia in Focus © 2008 Bo Mackison

Blanket-flowers (gaillardia) in a variety of colors – yellows, oranges, white and lavender. I picked up 8 of these annuals to fill in a space in my mostly perennial garden.

Onions for Sale

Onions for Sale © 2008 Bo Mackison

Even the onions are attractively displayed. I had to take a photo before I bought a bunch of green onions. A large population of Hmong farm and sell at the Dane County market, and the women vendors at this vegetable stall always have their produce arranged with an eye for an artistic presentation. Always a visit to satisfy many senses.

Plants for Sale

Plants for Sale © 2008 Bo Mackison

No flowers blooming yet, but the purple tags provided the color for this photograph, with lupine plants tucked in the background. More to plant – always.

Every Sunday is Green Thumb Sunday. Gardeners, Plant and Nature lovers participate each Sunday; visit Green Thumb Sunday for more information.