Sprouting Acres is in their third summer of hosting Pizza Nights. I followed them on Instagram through the pandemic summer of 2020, longingly seeing their Pizza Night posts from my self-quarantine in Chicago, imagining a time when I would feel safe interacting with people again.
Last month when I was making my personal calendar outline for the 2021 Pizza Farm Season, I took note that I would be available for both Sprouting Acres Pizza Nights in June and I reached out to my friends in Madison to see what worked for them. After discussing it with the family, the adults concluded that we would go the first Sunday in June. The 5 year old came up with the best solution, though. Go to both Pizza Nights! Why didn’t I think of that?
Once the dates were set, I spread the word to a few Chicago friends that have been interested in checking out a Pizza Farm and we all made plans to come from our various locations and meet in Cambridge, Wisconsin around 4pm on Sunday. It was a hot, sunny drive and I passed the time by digging through some old CDs and listening to my favorite Rancid album all the way through two times in a row. It was a long drive coming from the Chicago area, but truly I think Sprouting Acres has a great location. It is only a few miles off of 90 and it is enough to feel like you are out in the country, but there isn’t any windy or difficult country roads to navigate. For my friends joining from Madison, the trip was less than half an hour. It is great to have some place to accessible.
A Pizza flag marked the entrance and there were a few people directing cars where to park and where to find the pre-ordered pizza. From the parking lot, a short walk took me to the check-in area and got my first glimpse of the two pizza ovens and the large open lawn where groups could set up blankets, chairs, and tables facing a stage set up for musicians and a bar stocked with local beers and other drinks that I didn’t pay any attention to. The lawn area had space for ping pong tables and bean bags, a very fun playground area, and, as I discovered while I was roaming about taking pictures, an almost invisible sprinkler system going at the edge of the grassy area. There was enough space for folks to throw a frisbee and room for me to chase the kids in an ongoing game of Grab The Pizza Hat.
My friends from Madison ran into another family from their neighborhood and joined our group. I told them about my passion for Pizza Farms and they said, “There are other places like this?!” I felt like saying, “Yes, Virginia. There is a Santa Claus.” Pizza Farms are a special place and I am so thankful for all of the family farms and small businesses that create the magic that I experience every time I attend a Pizza on the Farm Night.
In this case, Farmer Andy’s vision and hard work has turned into a magical summer event. With the pizza ovens that he built by hand, using “the internet and an old pizza oven book” the pizza night crew puts out 14 inch small pizzas or 16 inch larges and they have the option to use a gluten-free crust. The menu includes a couple extra options as well including some salads and sides. The current online ordering system is very helpful, especially for people with a long drive like myself. I was able to order my pizza up to a week in advance and select the time I would be coming and I didn’t have to worry about showing up with an empty stomach and then having to wait hours for my food.
The pizza was great! When I ordered I saw that the Mediterranean Pizza was one of the most popular items and my friends agreed that it was their favorite. My personal favorite was the classic cheese, because it was loaded with garlic! I also loved the Seasonal option featuring pesto cream sauce, chicken, bacon, and sundried tomato. And the Deluxe certainly lived up to its name.
After the musical guests, The McCloskey’s finished their final set, we packed up all of our pizza gear and headed back to the parking area. We had to wait to hear the entire set, because I don’t like to walk away from an upright bass. I took a few moments to thank Farmer and Chef Andy and the rest of his crew for a wonderful night and I let him know that I would be following my friend, Isaac’s advice, and showing up for both Pizza Nights in June.
