by MOSES Publications | Aug 27, 2025 | Community Issues, Newsletter
South Side Farmer’s Market A Real Treasure
By Pam Gates
The South Side Farmer’s Market has been in business for 24 years, providing south Madison with fresh, affordable food in a safe, family-friendly place on the Labor Temple grounds, 1602 S. Park St., at the corner of Wingra Drive and South Park Street.
Robert Pierce, owner of the Market, has been doing this kind of work “one way or another,” he says, since he was a kid growing up in South Madison. “I’ve been growing and picking and working people’s gardens ever since I can remember,” he says.
Robert’s grandmother had an enormous garden on the south side, right next to what is now the Alliant Energy Center parking lot. “I picked, she canned a lot, and we gave lots away. I think that’s why I do what I do now,” he observes.
He remembers with a laugh the “old ladies” who didn’t want to go into their gardens for fear of snakes; Robert was a godsend for them.
“I’ve always worked with people, trained people,” he says. “I was taught by my grandmother, so I started teaching others.” One way he’s done that is by hiring people who have been in the carceral system and teaching them about growing food and selling it, through a program called FAIR: Farming After Incarceration and Release.
“’Felon’ is the new N-word,” he says. “When I got out [many years ago], I couldn’t find a job anywhere. I must’ve put in a hundred applications. I ended up growing food organically on five acres and going to school.”
The owner of the five acres, a local man named Sam Shapiro, kept urging him to take on the whole parcel of land: 22.5 acres. And his instructor at the school urged him to leave the program, which he said wouldn’t get him where he wanted to be. “Go live your dream,” he said. Robert finally settled for 20 acres, and that’s how his Half of 40 Acres Farm got its name.
Robert has worked with at-risk kids as well as with adults. Through a program funded by Obama’s first stimulus package, he teamed up with Milwaukee-based Growing Power, which works to bring fresh, healthy food to inner city neighborhoods. The kids, who were recommended by school guidance counselors, learned how to make spreadsheets, how to grow food, and how to sell it; they had a stand next to his at the South Side Market.
Robert has also held cooking classes at the Labor Temple, right next to where his market is located, aimed at college students. He was amazed at how many students had no idea how to cook the food he was selling them.
“I need funding to continue these programs,” he said. He appears to be pretty successful at getting grants for his projects, but fund-raising helps as well. He plans to hold a fund-raiser on a Sunday in October; it will feature a meal by an excellent chef served under a tent on the Labor Temple grounds.
A young woman stopped by while I was talking with Robert, just to say hi (and to try a piece of the fine yellow watermelon he was sharing!) She said she’d worked at the market at one time, as had just about every other family member and friend; the South Side Farmer’s Market is truly a family operation. At one time there were 47 vendors, but that number has dwindled to one or two at the moment, depending on the day. But what they lack in number of stands, they make up in energy and friendliness, as well as their beautiful, delicious produce. And the location offers a safe place for kids to run around while their parents or grandparents shop and chat.
“The Labor Temple has truly been a blessing,” Robert said. At one point he had farm stands in front of all the Steve’s Liquor Stores. He was on the Square for 10 years, and he has had stands at a lot of other places in town, such as the Villager on Park, but he felt that most of them weren’t safe, convenient places for his customers.
Re: his work with the FAIR program, he says: “When you give people a chance to straighten up their lives, … things just work out. … I can put the seeds in the ground, but I can’t make them grow.” He is working with JustDane in that program, currently with two people; for five years he worked with five people each year. He provides the work and instruction in how to do it; JustDane provides the mentoring. “I need another grant to get more people,” he says. “People who are labeled felons struggle,” he declares. “I know; I’ve been there. The system is totally against them. It wants them to trip up and be sent back.”
Robert is doing what he can to make sure that doesn’t happen, to at least a few!
The South Side Farmer’s Market is open the last Sunday in April through the last Sunday in October, Tuesdays and Fridays, 2-6 p.m., Sundays, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
by MOSES Publications | Aug 27, 2025 | Advocacy, Newsletter, Prisons, WISDOM Conditions of Confinement
Journey to Justice/Unlock the Box Tour Coming to Madison
Local Rally: Saturday, Oct. 11, 3-4 p.m., Capitol Square
Tour Events: Sunday, Oct. 12, Noon-3 p.m., Madison Christian Community, 7118 Old Sauk Rd.
Click here to register for the Sunday events. (Free)
Please note: The MOSES October General Meeting scheduled for the afternoon of Oct. 12 has been cancelled so that everyone can attend this event.
The Journey to Justice bus tour is bringing the Unlock the Box campaign to the people, to educate us about the realities of solitary confinement and motivate us to press our state governments to end the practice. The bus will stop in Madison on Sunday, Oct. 12, as it nears the end of its 11-state tour.
As of press time, details for the weekend’s events were still being finalized, but MOSES member Talib Akbar gave us an idea of what attendees can expect to experience at the event and shared his thoughts on the importance of this tour.
A public rally is being planned for Saturday, Oct. 11, to uplift the tour and get everyone excited for the Sunday events. Talib hopes to see a lot of people who are interested in ending solitary confinement come together and support the effort. “We want to make a lot of noise and uplift Unlock the Box,” he said.
On Sunday, Oct. 12, the Journey to Justice bus will be open for people to tour. The bus will contain a replica solitary confinement cell (Talib’s solitary confinement truck will also be on site), educational materials, and other immersive experiences. Attendees will also be able to listen to a panel of speakers, participate in a breakout session on how solitary confinement affects women and children, and talk with people from the national tour about their projects.
Talib is passionate about ending the suffering that solitary confinement causes for so many people. “It’s been too long that we haven’t been able to end it,” he says. “It is important that it come to an end. We have a great state of Wisconsin, and it’s hard to imagine that we allow solitary confinement to exist in our state.
“If it [solitary confinement] is in our lives, it will be in the lives of our children seven generations from now, and we want to make sure that doesn’t happen. Solitary is torture, today, tomorrow, and forever. A budget for solitary confinement should not exist and should never be implemented into the Wisconsin legal system.”
The event is free, though registration will be requested. Watch your email and the MOSES website for announcements of times, locations, and other details.
The WISDOM team planning the Wisconsin stop is hoping to attract more people who can share their professional expertise with this movement: people such as lawyers, social workers, and university students. So as details become available, please share this information widely. The more people who learn the truth about solitary confinement, the more pressure we can put on legislators to pass laws to end this horrific practice.
Sidebar:
Just before press time, we got this update:
The Journey to Justice bus will be at:
Madison Christian Community
7118 Old Sauk Rd.
Sunday, Oct. 12, noon-3 p.m.
Panel discussion with:
State Rep. Ryan Clancy
State Rep. Darrin Madison
Survivors of solitary
Faith leaders
Conversation with FREE re:
Women and solitary confinement
Explore the mobile museum. Experience a solitary confinement cell.
by MOSES Publications | Aug 27, 2025 | Life After Prison, Newsletter
Returning Citizen Harlan Works for Justice
By Ken Warren
I first met Harlan at the joint finance budget hearing in Wausau this spring. He currently lives in Marshfield, but he was born and raised in the Madison area. He also is a member of WISDOM and EXPO. His story is compelling.
Harlan was born in 1954 and attended Madison schools until dropping out of high school. He describes his early home life as love-starved, but he also refers to his mother and father as loving parents; they loved their boys very much but either could not or would not show that love. As a young child, he was frequently bullied by his older brother.
Harlan’s negative interaction with the legal system began in his early teen years, when he was placed on probation for car theft. He ran away from home several times; one of these times he stole a car and went all the way to Florida. By the time he was 15, he was well headed down what he called “the left-hand path,” which included drugs, thefts, brawling, and other poor choices. However, because juvenile authorities in Wisconsin were quite lenient, he never received more than probation until he was 16.
That did not mean that he avoided serious consequences. He obtained a motorcycle, and having run away this time to Minneapolis, was constantly taking risks. That behavior resulted in a severely broken leg, which took many years to heal and still causes him pain. It did not, however, end his love for motorcycles.
Following his accident, he returned to Madison and started carrying a gun. At a party, his brother became violent and started attacking a girl who was trying to leave. Harlan shot his brother, killing him. He was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to seven years, with the possibility of parole in one year.
While in the Wisconsin Correctional System, Harlan learned that a “possibility” is different from a contract or guarantee. He spent four years in various facilities before being released. During this time he obtained his HSED, developed his knowledge of the law, and learned machine shop skills.
In 1984, at the age of 30, Harlan was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. He began a 37-year tour through many correctional facilities in Wisconsin, including 8-1/2 years at Waupun and shorter periods at Fox Lake, Kettle Moraine, Oak Hill, and Gordon Correctional Center. He became eligible for parole in 1996 and expected to be paroled in 2011, after having been on work release, but then Scott Walker was elected governor. He spent 10 more years incarcerated, until Tony Evers became governor. Harlan was paroled, thanks to Gov. Evers, in 2021, at the age of 67.
Harlan’s years of incarceration were not only a journey through correctional facilities, but also a long and complicated spiritual trip. Early on, he became interested in the occult, read many books by Aleister Crowley and other occultists, and even formed prison study groups. He then found his way back to Christianity (he had been raised in the Catholic Church) and continues in his Christian faith to this day. While incarcerated, he also obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree; wrote hundreds of poems, some of which have been published; and began writing short stories with a prison pen pal. You can find a book of his short stories and another of his poetry on Kindle. Harlan is also an artist; he has given away or sold most of his drawings.
Harlan has written a memoir, which he started in 2004 and is currently working to get published. He shared his manuscript with me, and I must say that I find it compelling. Since being released on parole, he has worked as a semi driver; he obtained his regular driver’s license while still incarcerated and got his CDL upon release. He had to take some time off due to surgery for a knee replacement. Harlan says that since being released he has tried to maintain a low profile, but he is on WISDOM’s Old Law task force.
When asked about current support, he immediately mentions his girlfriend, saying she has greatly supported him. If he friends you on Facebook, you will find her featured prominently in his photos. You will also see in the photo with this story that he has not lost his love for motorcycles – but he rides with more caution than in his younger years.
by MOSES Publications | Aug 27, 2025 | MOSES leadership
MOSES Announces Changes to President’s Term and Succession Plan
The MOSES Leadership Board recently adopted a change to the President’s term of office and created two new roles. Currently, the President serves a two-year term and can be re-elected for a second term. The new approach, which was adopted to create a smoother leadership succession, provides three roles serving one year each: a President-Elect, a President, and an Immediate Past President.
People elected to these positions will collaboratively divide responsibilities according to their preferences, availability, and talents. They will automatically succeed to the subsequent role, for a total of three years of service, after which they may be nominated to serve one more time in each of these roles.
2026 will be a transition year. The newly-elected President and President-Elect will serve together collaboratively, and the Vice President will complete her final year in office. Beginning in 2027, the Vice President’s position will be eliminated.
Please contact Kathy Luker, chair of the Nominating Committee, if you would like to suggest nominees for either of these roles or the other positions to be elected in November: President, President-Elect, Secretary, and Assistant Treasurer.
Note: Saundra Brown’s first term as President and Tricia Hillner’s first term as Secretary will end this year. Both have indicated willingness to be nominated for a second term.
by MOSES Publications | Aug 27, 2025 | Advocacy, RJAC Racial Justice for All Children, Schools, Youth, Schools, Education
EAG Creates Literacy Justice Coalition Wisconsin
By Judy Fitzgerald, Tracy Frank, and Shel Gross
For the past few years, the Education Advocacy Group (EAG) of the Racial Justice for All Children Task Force (RJAC) has focused on early literacy education and identifying students with dyslexia as high priority ways to narrow the school-to-prison pipeline. For decades, many children have not been taught with practices supported by what scientists have learned from the neuropsychological research on reading. Children not reading at grade level fall further and further behind as the material becomes more complex, and this can result in behavior issues, withdrawal, and/or emotional turmoil. A substantial portion of juvenile detainees are functionally illiterate, as are about 75% of incarcerated individuals, making it harder for them to take part in employment opportunities or civil society.
With this knowledge, MOSES took an official position in favor of Act 20, also known as the Right-to-Read Bill, which was signed into law by Gov. Evers on July 19, 2023. The position’s first two sentences have been the guideposts for the EAG’s work:
- MOSES treasures the education and well-being of all our citizens, but most especially our treasured children.
- MOSES believes that schools should be held accountable for teaching children to read.
Act 20 changed the way that Wisconsin children are taught to read, to align with reading science. It also changed the way that teachers are trained, requiring them to have completed an approved course in the linguistic foundations of reading. Literacy coaches are prescribed for the lowest performing districts. Screening tests are required three times a year for grades K5-3, and the results are to be communicated to the parents or guardians. If a student scores in the lowest 25%, a diagnostic assessment must be performed and a personalized reading plan (PRP) provided to the parents or guardians. An Early Literacy Curriculum Council (ELCC) was formed to choose the most effective curricula for districts to adopt, so that they could receive up to 50% reimbursement for their cost outlay. Importantly, the new law also requires districts to screen for dyslexia, if requested by a parent, guardian, or teacher.
Due to a legal dispute between the governor and the legislature, the roughly $50 million allotted for implementation of Act 20 was not released until July 2025. But now the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) will be able to hire literacy coaches, reimburse districts for curriculum purchases, and support teacher training.
The delay did not keep RJAC from advocating for the local adoption of Act 20 measures over the past two years. We met with school board members, administrators, and DPI staff to learn about implementation and to hold all parties accountable for it.
When several members of RJAC provided in-person testimony in the summer of 2023 in support of Act 20, seeds for important relationships with other state literacy advocates and organizations were planted. The EAG recognized that though these groups share an interest in improving early literacy education and preservice teacher training, they might not be familiar with each other’s work. While organizations need to focus on their own core missions, MOSES understands that “organized people” are key to developing our power to impact policy. This understanding led Tracy Frank to create a listserv of literacy advocates and organizations devoted to raising literacy rates in Wisconsin.
Tracy led the first virtual meeting of the Literacy Justice Coalition Wisconsin on July 17, 2025, to learn what everyone was already doing and to plot future direction. Early childhood education, increasing the supply of tutors, and monitoring implementation of Act 20 were identified as crucial parts of the equation. Several coalition members want to hold an event in the fall to raise public awareness of the literacy crisis. When future legislation or funding is needed, the Literacy Justice Coalition Wisconsin is now in place to communicate and coordinate advocacy. If you would like to be added to the listserve or to work on the fall event, email Tracy Frank at jtracyfrank@me.com.
This fall, as every year, there are multiple reasons why many children enter the new school year already behind. Though teachers now are better trained in more effective methods, they still have the stress of teaching students with a variety of reading levels and resources in one classroom. Trained volunteer literacy tutors lessen a teacher’s load by working one-on-one with the students in the bottom half who do not qualify for the services of the reading interventionist or special education teacher. An effective, trained volunteer literacy tutor can help change the trajectory of a young person’s life, away from the illiteracy-to-prison pipeline.
While MOSES is primarily an advocacy organization, we know many members of MOSES member congregations are moved to provide direct service in a variety of ways. If that is you, check the sidebar and consider one of the many volunteer literacy tutor training opportunities in Madison.
Literacy Tutoring Opportunities
The following organizations provide training and placement for literacy tutors. We do not know the current status of training slots at each organization. If you would like to talk about tutoring in general please feel free to contact Judy Fitzgerald, judithfitzgerald@fsm.northwestern.edu or Tracy Frank, jtracyfrank@me.com.
Goodman Center – START Literacy Initiative
Iris Patterson: (608) 204-8014; ipatterson@goodmancenter.org
https://www.goodmancenter.org/children-teens/start-literacy
Children’s Dyslexia Center
Director Kelly Kuenzi: (608) 252-4922
https://www.childrensdyslexiacenters.org/services/
One City Schools: (608) 531-2128
Volunteer information here.
Note: Even though in-person tutor training took place in August, there are other ways to get involved if you are interested.
Schools of Hope: Madison
https://schoolsofhope.org/tutor/schools-of-hope-in-madison/
Schools of Hope provides tutors for:
Thoreau School – Madison
Fluency Tutor Program
(608) 204-6940
Lowell School – Madison
Literacy Tutor Program
(608) 204-6600
