BROOKFIELD, Wis. — A unique concept is taking shape in suburban Milwaukee that is making it easier for farmers and food producers to sell products year-round.

What You Need To Know

  • A unique concept is taking shape in suburban Milwaukee that is making it easier for farmers and food producers to sell products year-round

  • Farmer's Market To Go features around 40 different vendors

  • The store is designed to extend the selling season for growers and producers around Wisconsin

  • Producers buy shelf space in the store and help cover operational costs

Farmer's Market To Go opened its doors in November. The shop allows producers to buy shelf space at an indoor grocery store.

Alena Joling helped get the concept off the ground.

Joling owns a business that sharpens knives. She found that business was really strong during the summer when she could travel to farmers markets and set up shop. However, during the off-season, things slowed significantly.

Joling ended up opening a brick and mortar store, Better Knife and Kitchen Store, in Brookfield.

“We started a Better Knife and Kitchen Store to better mitigate that slump we would experience, because having more goods, they are more likely to get their knives sharpened,” Joling said.

Joling realized that the concept could extend to other farmers market producers, from vegetable growers to butchers, to those who produce canned goods.

“I started asking them, ‘How would you feel about having your own grocery store?’ The way we can make this work is all the vendors own their own shelves,” Joling said.

Right now, about 40 different vendors are selling at the market. Capacity can go up to 60 or 70 vendors.

To learn more about Farmers Market to Go, click here.

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