Buying locally supports the community and one way to do this is to shop at the local Farmer’s Market. Platteville Farmer’s Market, which began in 1980, is located on Market Street and is open every Saturday from 7 a.m. to noon from May through October.

Local products such as flowers, vegetables, meats, homemade dog treats, jams and other assorted goods can be found at the Farmer’s Market, with goods and produce changing weekly and seasonally.

“The market offers local produce and people know that the goods are all locally grown,” Teresa Straka, winter market manager said.

A number of UW-Platteville students are customers at the Platteville Farmer’s Market and students also take part in the market by selling sunflower oil through the Sunflower Oil Project sponsored by the university. Summer market manager Gary Olson has also spent time talking to various university organizations to try to gain more involvement from UW-Platteville students.

With the trend in buying local, the market provides citizens the chance to support their local growers while acquiring the goods they need.

“We love going to the farmer’s market, and we have our go-to vendors that we love to chat with every week,” states Johanna Stecklein, Platteville Farmer’s Market shopper.

“If you make it or grow it, you are welcome as a vendor,” Gary Olson, summer market manager, said.

The summer’s end does not mean that the market shuts down until spring. There is a winter market that begins in November and runs through late April.  This market is held at the Cunningham Center at 250 Market St. and is held the first and third Saturdays of the month from 8 a.m. to noon.

The Platteville Main Street Program, Food Pantry Voucher Program and the Senior Center Voucher Program help individuals in the community by providing vouchers that are good at the Farmer’s Market. Made possible through donations and other fundraising events, vouchers of $2, $3, and $5, allow recipients to purchase of vegetables, meats, and other goods that can be costly, at the summer and winter markets.

To learn more, visit the Platteville Farmer’s Market every Saturday from 7 a.m. to noon on Market Street.