Garver Feed Mill

It hasn’t been an easy year at home. Two zoomed out teens in remote learning, one of them applying to colleges, the other one navigating the first year of high school, a husband working from home on non-stop (and loud!) conference calls and a travel writer Mom who has not been traveling due to the pandemic and not writing much either (due to her home office and peace being overtaken by the aforementioned family members. The quarantine brought on many anxieties, frustrations and limitations for all of us, but it was extra hard on us, Moms. By the end of this school year, I felt worn out, in need of a break and some revival. Enter Garver Feed Mill in Madison, Wisconsin

If you have not heard of it yet, Garver Feed Mill is a new foodie, wellness, art & culture and... simply fun destination in Madison. I received an invitation to visit in early summer. Garver used to be a sugar beet processing factory about a century ago, then turned into a livestock feed facility which was eventually closed down. #e giant building sat vacant, its walls crumbling, covered with graffiti and overrun with weeds for many years until it was bought and carefully restored by a group of entrepreneurs in 2017. Fast forward to today and despite the pandemic that interrupted its launch, Garver is one the hippest places in Madison. Among its carefully selected tenants are a pioneer kombucha maker, a local favorite pizza company, an adult gourmet ice-cream maker, an incredible ayurvedic spa, a yoga studio, a very sophisticated floral shop, a chic photography studio and a modern art gallery.

If you have not heard of it yet, Garver Feed Mill is a new foodie, wellness, art & culture and... simply fun destination in Madison. I received an invitation to visit in early summer. Garver used to be a sugar beet processing factory about a century ago, then turned into a livestock feed facility which was eventually closed down. #e giant building sat vacant, its walls crumbling, covered with graffiti and overrun with weeds for many years until it was bought and carefully restored by a group of entrepreneurs in 2017. Fast forward to today and despite the pandemic that interrupted its launch, Garver is one the hippest places in Madison. Among its carefully selected tenants are a pioneer kombucha maker, a local favorite pizza company, an adult gourmet ice-cream maker, an incredible ayurvedic spa, a yoga studio, a very sophisticated floral shop, a chic photography studio and a modern art gallery. A trendy giant indoor space hosts art exhibits, concerts and weddings. There is the Garver Lounge where one can enjoy craft cocktails and hip bar fare and an outdoor patio, perfect for intimate concerts or simply hanging out with a pint of beer from a local microbrewery or an iced latte from Ledger Coffee, another tenant of the property. In winter months, Garver also houses the Dane County farmers market, the largest one in the nation.