Hermsdorf Farms is not your average farmer’s market vendor—for more reasons than one.
Many vendors are not actually in the city limits of Madison, but Hermsdorf Farms sits less than ten miles from the Monroe Street Farmer’s Market. In fact, Madison’s eastern city limits run directly through the farm, with about a quarter of the farm’s total 270 acres belonging to Madison.
But that’s just one way that Hermsdorf Farms sets itself apart from others. Unlike many other produce vendors, Dean Hermsdorf, head of Hermsdorf Farms, follows a strict chilling process to ensure that his produce is perfect every time.
Within one hour of being harvested, Dean’s sweet corn is put under refrigeration (a highly specific 38 degrees,) which helps prevent deterioration of the crop. In fact, if you visit their stand at the Monroe Street Farmers Market in the morning, what you're buying will probably still be cold.
Sweet corn that isn’t chilled in this way can lose much of its flavor and have a shorter life expectancy. Because of this, the Hermsdorfs urge you to refrigerate it as soon as possible after buying.
Not only does Dean work to perfect every crop through refrigeration, he is also always working to improve. He constantly experiments with the crops he puts in the ground, testing new growing methods against old to make sure his method is the best.
Dean doesn’t do it all alone though -- Hermsdorf Farms is a family farm through and through. His two children, Emma and Josh, both grew up active in 4-H and now help their dad run Hermsdorf Farms. Both in their early 20s, they are working to become nurses when they aren’t working on the farm.
Josh and Emma Hermsdorf
In fact, farming runs in the Hermsdorf family. A fifth generation family farm, it was founded by German immigrants who landed in Milwaukee, WI in 1880. Dean’s grandparents began selling milk, eggs and poultry from a horse-drawn cart. Dean himself used to milk cattle, but has now been growing his fresh produce and famous sweet corn for over 20 years.
Hermsdorf Farms has been a vendor at the Monroe Street Farmer’s Market since 2015. Aside from their famous sweet corn, Hermsdorf Farms will also be selling green beans at the market this upcoming Sunday. The following week, look out for cucumbers and summer squash, and at the end of July for tomatoes, bell peppers, cantaloupe and watermelon.
Make sure to visit the Monroe Street Farmer’s Market from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sundays to shop Hermsdorf Farms and other amazing vendors.
