Jim Salzman, one of the long-time vendors, and in many ways an icon of the Dane County Farmers Market, died Friday, November 30th. He was down in Clearwater, FL selling Christmas trees when a heart attack felled him.
For many, many years I've been parking in the McCormick ramp when I go to the Farmers market on Saturdays, so I approach from the east, walking past the YWCA building. Generally my first indication that things are in full swing is the sight of Jim in his usual spot at the northeast corner of the square, selling vegetables.
I occasionally bought vegetables from Jim, but not often enough to be one of his regulars. In recent years he went through some hard times, including bankruptcy I'm told, but nothing stopped him from showing up for the Farmers Market every Saturday - until now.
Jim Salzman is immortalized in a huge color photo that hangs in a conference room at the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. At least it used to when I worked there. The photo is of a much younger Jim, bare chested and bronzed, wearing tiny shorts and hawking his wares. That's how I'll remember him - icon of one of Madison's finest traditions, the Farmers Market on the Capitol Square.
