Today’s post is 1300 words, 38 photos, one video, and a 6.5-minute read. Enjoy!

Hi everyone,

Meanwhile, back in Madison, it’s the beginning of summer with all the warm season has to offer. This week, we’ll see Cars on State, Cows on the Concourse, the Dane County Farmers Market, and more cows at the Breakfast on the Farm.

Thanks to everyone who viewed my two posts on the Badger Honor Flight. If you missed them, click here and here.

Let’s get started.

Cars on State

The annual Cars on State is one of my favorite events in Madison. This year, the weather was pristine, sunny, with temps in the 70s. My Traveling Partner and I walked the six blocks, checking out the vintage vehicles, muscle cars, hot rods, and a couple of novelty cars.

The very first vehicle at the top of State Street was my favorite of the day. A restored 1941 Chevrolet pickup with nice chrome and bright paint. A beautiful truck that would fit nicely in my garage!

Then again, there were a lot of cars that I liked. Here are few photos.

Here’s a car I wasn’t familiar with, a Nissan Figaro. Despite being an economy car underneath, it has a cult following due to its adorability and rarity. About 20,000 of these cars were manufactured in 1991 for the Japanese market. Its design was meant to mimic 1950s and 1960s European cars. It had a 1.0-liter engine, white vintage wheels, white leather interior, and a retractable soft-top roof. It came in four pastel seasonal colors: Emerald Green, Pale Aqua, Topaz Mist, and Lapis Grey. A cute car with an interesting history.

This 1970 C10 Cheyenne pickup caught my eye. In the vintage auto world, these pickups, along with the original Ford Bronco and Chevy Blazer, are sought-after as restoration projects. They are fun machines to drive, but take up a lot of room in a garage.

The Wisconsin Time Machine was built by a couple of local guys to replicate the time machine in the movie “Back to the Future.” They used a 1982 DeLorean to create their version of the time machine. Lots of work and clever. There was always a crowd around this car.

Another car that drew a lot of interest was this 1967 VW Microbus Camper. The camper was outfitted with an icebox, a closet for clothes, a folding table, and a bench seat that converted into a bed. The top speed for this vehicle with the 1776 cc engine was 65 mph on a flat road. Going through the mountains was another story. Regardless, they were popular and fun. This was a nice specimen.

We had a nice time looking at all the cars and reminiscing about some we had or wished we had back in the day. We noted a couple of State Street fixtures, the poster kiosks, and the medal pink flamingo.

The story behind the pink flamingos is quite interesting. They have become one of Madison’s most recognizable and whimsical symbols. This all came about thanks to a prank by a group of University of Wisconsin students. On the first day of classes in September 1979, over 1000 pink plastic flamingos covered Bascom Hill in the center of campus. This was the work of a student political group that won control of the student government. This stunt quickly became one of the most famous pranks in American college history. So famous that it became an unofficial symbol of Madison.

In 2009, the Madison City Council made the pink flamingo the city’s official bird. The tongue-in-cheek designation celebrates Madison’s playful spirit, creativity, and appreciation for a good joke. Now you know the interesting story behind the plethora of pink flamingos one will see when traveling around the city.

Cows on the Concourse

June is Dairy Month. In Wisconsin, “America’s Dairyland,” this is a time to celebrate the state’s rich agricultural heritage and the hardworking dairy farm families. Dairy farming has long been a cornerstone of the state’s economy, evidenced by the production of milk, cheese, butter, ice cream, and other products enjoyed across the nation.

To celebrate this important event, the Dane County Dairy Promotion Committee sponsors “Cows on the Concourse.” Not only do they bring cows and calves to the State Capitol during the Saturday Farmers Market, but visitors can also enjoy fun activities, live music, grilled cheese sandwiches, milk, and other products. There’s always a good turnout for this event.

The star attraction is the cows and calves. Little kids and full-grown adults were anxious to pet one of the many critters. For many, this is the only up-close-and-personal experience they will get with a farm animal.

Dane County Farmers Market

The Dane County Farmers Market is said to be the largest producer-only farmers market in the United States. Every item sold must be grown, raised, or produced in Wisconsin by the person selling the products. This helps to make a strong, direct connection between farmers and consumers. This market has been a Madison tradition since 1972. Every Saturday from April to early November, vendors draw thousands of visitors to the Capitol Square to experience the bounty of Wisconsin agriculture. In addition, there is a Wednesday market on the nearby MLK Boulevard and a winter market. The success of this market has also spurred the opening of other farmers’ markets around the city, such as the Hilldale and Westside Community Markets.

Almost every Saturday morning during the warmer months, we visit one or more of the farmers’ markets Madison has to offer. Not only do we purchase fresh produce and plants, but we also often run into friends and neighbors and take time for a chat. We’ve patronized some vendors for years and are sad when they aren’t at the market.

Below are a few photos from the Dane County Farmers Market on the Capitol Square.

Breakfast on the Farm

Another one of our favorite summertime activities is the annual Breakfast on the Farm, also sponsored and organized by the Dane County Dairy Promotion Committee. This year, the breakfast was held at Swaindale Genetics, located near Deerfield.

Swaindale is the smallest dairy farm to ever host Breakfast on the Farm. They milk about 30 cows in a stanchion barn and farm 145 acres. The average dairy farm in Wisconsin has over 200 cows, while some of the larger herds number in the several thousands. So Swaindale is unique. They focus on superior genetics and sell that to other producers. That’s how the family-run operation can stay in business.

While Holsteins are the predominant breed in their herd, they also have Jerseys, Guernseys, Brown Swiss, Red and White Holsteins, and Ayrshires.

I haven’t seen a Milking Shorthorn for a long time. This is a fine example.

I’m partial to Guernseys; that is what we milked on our farm when I was a kid. Later, some Holsteins were added.

Bunny was next to a Brown Swiss; it didn’t look like they got along too well. They were stealing feed from each other.

There was a big crowd on a very nice day for breakfast. We had to park about a mile away in an alfalfa field and ride a wagon to the farm. It had rained earlier in the week, so hay cutting was behind.

After paying the modest $10-per-ticket breakfast fee, we entered the fast-moving food line. We had pancakes, sausage, scrambled eggs, cheese (of course!), and yogurt. It was a filling feast but we left a little room for ice cream.

There was a display of vintage tractors that attracted little kids like bees to honey.

The Gary Beal Band played old-timey music to entertain the crowd. Check out the video for a bit of an example.

 

There were more calves to pet and even one to high-five. Another wonderful Breakfast on the Farm in the rear view mirror. Watch for the announcement for next year’s breakfast. By the way, we did find our truck in the large hay field.

Join me next week when I’ll start a series of posts from my recent travels to Sacramento, California.

Until then, happy travels!

Tom

PS: Click here for a link to the post about my book “Farm Boy.” Contact me if you are interested in purchasing a copy. Thanks to all who have plunked down your hard-earned dollars and read the book. TM