If you pick up a basket of green beans or sweet corn at a local farmers market, you’re getting more than fresh produce. You are also getting the chance to meet the people who grew it.
It’s something Wisconsin produce grower Kathy Bures says has become more important than ever. And the owner of Bures Berry Patch near Barneveld believes knowing where your food comes from matters to consumers.
“There’s a big difference between getting something fresh at the farmers market and just going to the grocery store and never really knowing who grew your food,” she said. “You don’t always know what state it came from or whether it’s even in season.”
That direct relationship gives customers confidence in both the quality of their food and the people producing it.
Freshness starts in the field
Harvesting happens almost daily during the growing season on their 17 tillable acres.
The farm offers asparagus, rhubarb, strawberries, green beans, potatoes, sweet corn, raspberries and pumpkins, with each crop picked when nature says it’s ready.
For example, instead of digging all of the potato crop at once, the family harvests only what they need each week — stopping the plants from growing at the ideal size. The potatoes remain protected in the ground until ready to be sold. This approach means customers receive produce harvested at peak freshness rather than vegetables that have spent days, or even weeks, in storage or transit.
Growing food means managing risk
Producing high-quality food also means making difficult decisions.
This spring, repeated frosts threatened the strawberry crop. And while irrigation can protect blossoms from freezing, excessive water after weeks of rain can increase the risk of plant diseases and root problems.
“It was a balance,” Bures explained.
The family accepted some crop losses rather than overwatering fields that were already saturated. A reminder that producing healthy crops often means managing the risks that comes with it.
Learning the seasons of food
Bures says her regular farmers market customers quickly learn something that can’t always be found in a supermarket. Fresh food has its own season.
“They’re not asking for tomatoes in May,” she said with a laugh. “They realize they’re not going to be around until later in the summer.”
This seasonal awareness helps consumers better understand Wisconsin agriculture along with how to purchase fruits and vegetables at their peak flavor and freshness.
It also creates opportunities for conversations about how food is grown, harvested, and cared for before it reaches the table.
Community is part of the harvest
The family sells at the Dane County Farmers’ Market, along with markets in Mount Horeb and Mineral Point. Bures enjoys knowing shoppers can meet local growers and ask questions directly.
“We are very, very fortunate,” she said. “We have such kind, appreciative customers. It just really makes everything we do out here worthwhile.”
Those conversations are becoming increasingly valuable as consumers seek transparency about their food and the people producing it.
And for this Wisconsin produce grower, every trip to the farmers market is about more than selling vegetables. It’s an opportunity to build trust, answer questions, and remind customers that local food comes with something many grocery shelves can’t offer. There’s a face behind every harvest.
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