Support your local honey farms along the Rock River Trail
By Susan Johnson
Copy Editor
Wisconsin
Dane County: Brodhead — Ten Eyck Orchard, on Hwy. 11/81, 3 miles west of Brodhead, open daily from late August to mid-November; 608-897-4014. Cottage Grove — Door Creek Orchard, 3252 Vilas Road, Cottage Grove. (open 10 a.m.-6 p.m.) 608-838-4762. Cross Plains — Appleberry Farm, 8079 Maurer Road, Cross Plains. 608-798-2780. McFarland — Marsden’s Pure Honey, 2614 Riverholm Road, McFarland. Sells at Dane County Farmers’ Market in Madison. 608-838-3992. Mt. Horeb — Gentle Breeze Honey, Inc., 2123 Town Hall Road, Mt. Horeb. 608-832-4876. Poynette — Lapacek’s Orchard, N1959 Kroncke Road, Poynette. (15 min. north of Madison) 608-635-4780.Stoughton — Eugster’s Farm Market, 3865 Highway 138, Stoughton. 608-873-3822. Green’s Pleasant Springs Orchard, 2722 Williams Drive, Stoughton. Hours 11 a.m.-5 p.m. (13 miles southeast of Madison) 608-873-4096. Trautman Family Farm, 2049 Skaalen Road, Stoughton. Hours: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays or 4-7 p.m. Wednesdays. (I-90 near Stoughton). 608-205-9798.
Dodge County: Honey Acres, Inc., N1557 Hwy. 67, Ashippun. 800-558-7745 or 920-474-4411. Dodgeville Area Community Market, 305 County Road YZ on grounds of Iowa County Humane Society. Saturdays, 7 a.m.-noon, May 10 thru October.
Fond du Lac County: Clifford Sweet, a local honey producer at Sweet Acres, shared the following information about farmers’ markets. The town of Fond du Lac has one starting Saturday, May 17, and each Saturday thereafter in season, 6:30 a.m.-noon. There is also a Wednesday market, from noon to 6 p.m. The town of Waupun has one Thursdays, 3:30-6:30 p.m.
Jefferson County: Bee-Pure Honey, Inc., West Bend, WI 53095. 262-675-0557. (does Internet sales only) www.beepurehoney.com. Lake Mills Farmers’ Market, Commons Park, Lake Mills Open May 7-Oct. 22, every Wednesday, 2-6:30 p.m. Whitewater Farmers’ Market, Winchester True Value Hardware parking lot, 1415 W. Main St., Whitewater. Open every Saturday, May-November, rain or shine.
Rock County: Beloit — Beloit Farmers’ Market, downtown Beloit, offers locally-produced honey among its selections. Opens every Saturday morning, rain or shine, 8 a.m.-1 p.m., June thru last Saturday in October. Janesville — Janesville Farmers’ Market, 100 N. Main St., Janesville. Open first Saturday in May thru end of October, 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Savanna Farms is a vendor at this farmers’ market.
The website www.honeybeeware.com/Wisconsin_Bee_Clubs.php lists 16 beekeepers associations in Wisconsin. John Rogers, contact person for the Sauk-Columbia Honey Association, told us that many of these small producers are not listed and do not have a website.
Illinois
Winnebago County: Rockford — North End Commons Farmer’s Market, behind businesses at North Main and Auburn St. Every Saturday, 3 a.m.-noon. Rockford City Market, open Fridays, May 30 thru Oct. 17, 3-8 p.m. Machesney Park now has a farmers’ market open every Thursday evening until the end of October. Rockford area: Raines Honey Farm, 16566 Best Road, Davis. 815-248-3321. Website: www.raineshoneyfarm.com.
Lee County: Dixon — Riverfront Farmers’ Market, Main Street, Dixon. 815-631-8349.
Ogle County: Dave Benthien, 7696 Kishwaukee Road, Stillman Valley, 815-979-4636 and Jeff Ludwig, 1721 E. Water Road, Byron. 815-703-7436. Mike Scholl, Rock River Apiaries, 110 N. Barber Ave., Polo. 815-440-1271.
Web searches for Henry, Lee, Ogle, and Whiteside counties bring up a website called “Farmer’s Pal,” which says, “Search Businesses at Local.com for local honey farms near you!” But no producers could be found under this heading. However, Robert Ennenga, market manager for the Riverfront Farmers’ Market in Dixon, Lee County, told us most of their honey vendors have lost their beehives. One of the vendors attributed most of his losses to the hard winter.
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