Winter farmer’s markets feature brunches held at churches

Schedule at Madison area churches

• Saturday, Jan. 11, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. — Our Lady Queen of Peace/Blessed Sacrament Parishes, at Our Lady Queen of Peace Church, 401 S. Owen Dr., Madison • Sunday, Jan. 19, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. — St. Stephen Lutheran Church, 5700 Pheasant Hill Rd., Monona • Saturday, Jan. 25, 9 a.m. to 12 noon — St. Albert the Great Church, 2420 St. Albert Dr., Sun Prairie • Saturday, Feb. 1, 8:30 a.m. to 12 noon — Holy Mother of Consolation Church, 651 Main St., Oregon • Sunday, Feb. 9, 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. — Bethel Lutheran Church, 312 Wisconsin Ave., Madison • Saturday, Feb. 15, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. — Orchard Ridge United Church of Christ, 1501 Gilbert Rd., Madison • Saturday, Feb. 22, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. — First Unitarian Society, 900 University Bay Dr., Madison

MADISON — The Churches’ Center for Land and People (CCLP) is sponsoring winter farmer’s markets in church halls featuring brunches using local food.

The “Markets and Meals for Hope” program, coordinated by the CCLP, has scheduled seven farmer’s markets and brunches in the Madison area from January 11 through February 22.

The brunches include local food prepared by people in the churches under the direction of professional chefs.

These markets provide small-scale farmers the chance to sell their products in the off-season. The farmers supply the ingredients for the brunches and are able to sell products directly to those attending the meals.

Products for sale at the markets include woolen goods, farmstead soaps, cheese, produce, preserves, honey, and meats.

Farmers help each other by donating 10 percent of the sales to the Harvest of Hope emergency fund with 100 percent of donations given to farmers in need.

The CCLP is an ecumenical organization that brings together churches, groups, and individuals to strengthen rural life and the ministries of faith communities in Wisconsin, Iowa, and Illinois.

Trudi Jenny, Madison, a CCLP board member and winter farmer’s market volunteer, said the markets have a dual benefit — providing a winter market for farmers and exposing people in urban areas to local foods.

“One of our vendors told me once that he would not have gotten through the winter without our markets,” she said. “The other thing is having people in the congregations become aware of the health and planetary benefits of local, sustainable farming.”

For more information about hosting a farmer’s market or becoming a vendor, contact Lauren Nischan at laurnisc@gmail.com or 203-382-4266.