Mother-daughter team unites at market

Mary Ellen Grahn and her daughter, Barb Tress, have been vendors at farmers markets for more than 20 years.

The mother-daughter team sells "anything in produce," according to Grahn, from beets to beans and kohlrabi to cucumbers.

The two own Grahn Arcade Gardens in Ripon, and both Grahn and Tress grew up on farming.

"We’ve always had farms," said Grahn. "And our family is all from Wisconsin, around this area."

When Grahn was younger, her family subsidized farming by catching frogs, and then they sold the frogs for money for school clothes.

Although Grahn’s family is full of farmers, Grahn first became interested in farming from the 4-H club, which she started participating in when she was nine years old. But being a 4-H leader in gardening finally convinced Grahn that she was meant to be a farmer.

According to Grahn, Tress grew up on her farm and "was naturally drawn to farming."

"I started out by picking all three acres of cucumbers," said Tress, who then glanced at her mother and added, "every day."

Along with selling at the Oshkosh Saturday Farmers Market, the two women also sell their produce in Berlin, Green Lake and Ripon. They initially started being vendors at the market in Oshkosh because of their large quantity of produce, and, as Grahn said, "Once you get going, you have to find a place to sell it."

But Grahn and Tress have now become regular vendors at the market and enjoy the farmers market in Oshkosh because of its variety of people and produce.

"We have very good business here," said Grahn. "Mostly all the people are friendly. You get your occasional grouch, but you have to take the good with the bad."