It might have snowed on Thursday. Some small patches of ice might still be clinging to the lakes, and weather that everyone can agree is “shorts weather” might still be a couple weeks away. But after Saturday this weekend, I am confident summer is finally around the corner. That’s because Saturday marked the return of the Dane County Farmers’ Market to the Capitol Square .

The Dane County Farmers’ Market dates back to 1972, when then-Mayor Bill Dyke saw a need to unite the rural and urban cultures in Madison. The first Farmers’ Market in 1972 had just five farmers selling goods. But by 1974, that number has grown to the point where the county had to issue season passes to assign spots for the farmers’ stands. Today, more than 280 vendors sell their wares every Saturday in the summer. The wait list to get a spot on the square is about 5 years long.

The Farmers’ Market is one of the best things about living in Madison in the summer. In honor of this weekend, I wanted to share some my favorite stops around the square this past weekend.

My first stop is usually at the Stella’s Bakery stand. Stella’s has been around since 1988 and has always been a popular stand at the Farmers’ Market where their specialty hot and spicy cheese bread always attracts a line. They even go so far as to call the Farmers’ Market their “second home” on their website.  A loaf is a little pricey at $8, but it’s big enough to share and definitely worth it – especially for first timers. The cheese bread is spicy and is laden with butter, mozzarella and red pepper flakes. It’s the perfect thing to nibble on as you walk around the square.

The next thing I look for is produce. The produce at the Farmers’ Market is as close as many of us can get to going outside and picking the produce fresh. It’s literally from the field to the market. I like to take a lap and check out which fruits and veggies are in season that week.

Another thing I only seem to have a craving for at the Farmers’ Market is honey. I’m not a big honey eater, but the honey sticks they sell at the market take me back to when I was little, when my parents would buy me them. Some of the honey stands have whipped honey and most will give you a free sample. Whipped honey is thicker and has an opaque creamy color when compared to un-whipped honey. It tastes like a cross between whipped cream, marshmallow and traditional honey.

My last stop at the Farmers’ Market is always for some cheese curds. I wrote about fried cheese curds recently, but at the Farmers’ Market, you can buy the fresh kind. You can get a few different varieties, but I’m a traditionalist and always go for either white or yellow cheddar. People who know cheese curds know when they’re freshest, they squeak when chewed. One cheese vendor even offers pan-fried cheese as free samples.

Whether you’re looking for produce, baked goods, flowers, cheese or just a relaxing Saturday morning, the Dane County Farmers’ Market is worth a visit. It is now the largest producer-only farmers’ market in the U.S. And one rule has remained since its inception – all of the goods sold at the Farmers’ Market came from somewhere in Wisconsin.

Were you excited to see your favorite Farmers’ Market vendor at the first market of the year? Let me know at [email protected].