Indoor farmer's market beckons shoppers By Tina M. Gohr News-Chronicle The aroma of fresh-brewed coffee and homemade bread was enough to lift the nose into a gratifying wonderment Saturday morning at Uprisings, 154 N. Broadway. Surrounded by eye-popping ruby red tomatoes and savoring samples of sausages, the indoor farmers market yanked at the senses. The market drew a steady stream of visitors purchasing homemade pasta, handmade wool blankets, jellies, honey, pickles and jams, fresh salad greens, potatoes and onions, and farm-raised venison, lamb, pork and beef selections. "It's been like this for all three of them," commented organizer Richard Specter as he looked about at the shoppers. "Very busy. We'll probably hold another market at the end of the month." The trial run of indoor markets have been robust. "We wanted to bring the local growers who produce wonderful products and food year round," added Specter. "It's a market the vendors never had before in Green Bay in winter. It helps the local economy to have this market available for their fresh products. When you have a venue like this, it helps create the community." Joe Vollmar of Ledgeview Gardens is the proud seller of the hydroponics tomatoes boasting the quality of vine-ripened fruit. "They are grown in a controlled environment," explains Vollmar, who says the growing season has come to an end due to the lack of sun in the winters for his greenhouses. They expect fresh fruit in early April. "They are basically grown in buckets of Peralite, the material that is found in bedding plants. They get a balanced diet of nutrients every 15 minutes. The roots take in what they need and the rest goes in the drain." "It's wonderful to see the vendors and the people," added Specter. "As long as the vendors are willing to come, we'll provide the space for them." The venison vendor was a popular draw among the curious as Chris Ciucci of Wisconsin Venison handed out samples of sausages and stew. "The meat is going to be denser with a little different texture than a whitetail and it won't be as 'gamey.' They're not raised in the wild," said Ciucci. The venison is farmed-raised fallow and red deer. "You'll be able to taste the venison, but many say it tastes much like beef." Venison is lower is cholesterol, calories and fat.