Each month, we chat with Venice Williams for a series we call Dig In! Venice is the executive director of Alice’s Garden and the Fondy Food Center, which includes the Fondy Farmers Market.
Williams loves pretty much all local farmers markets, but West Allis is home to one she's been frequenting for around 30 years.
"This is a very nostalgic market for me and one that I try to get to at least two or three times throughout the year," she says.
For over a century, generations of local farmers have been using the West Allis Farmers Market to bring their produce to the people. Williams says buying directly from farmers and asking questions about their offerings can give us unique insight into the food we eat.
"We know that food itself has a story, but the farmers and the farms who grow the food also have a story," she says.
Knowing where our food comes from assures us of freshness, but it also increases our awareness of the hard work and human stories behind the produce we buy.
"Farming is not cute, you know?" Williams says. "It looks cute on a Hallmark movie, but it takes so much work and most of the folks that do it do it because they love it."
The West Allis Farmers Market is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays through Nov. 29. You can check out their hours here.
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