The Weblog
The local foods movement is alive and well in Champaign County! Here are some updates on other projects while we finalize our virtual market:
Local Producers Map:
Our local producers map is ready for publication and you will soon be able to find it on gochampaign.com. Copies will be distributed around the community, in the local telephone book, and other “hangouts”. The guide lists the location and contact information for nearly 50 local producers within our county. The map was a project of the Local Food Council and printed with the help of some local sponsors including the Monument Square District, Champaign Bank, the Community Improvement Corporation, the Chamber of Commerce, the Farm Bureau and others. It is a great start to finding a local source for Champaign County’s finest!
Shelter From The Storm
This post expired on May 16, 2024.
…came in from the wilderness, a creature void of form, “Come in” she said “I’ll give you shelter from the storm” (Shelter From The Storm-Bob Dylan)
So, it was quite an eventful, storm filled week, here for most of us! Tuesday night started with one of the most amazing, yet scary lightening shows. I was sitting on my back deck, for quite awhile, just taking in that evening. Later, in the evening, things got really stormy, and then, just like that, many of us were in a power outage.
The outage definitely impaired my business since I depend on my ovens in the Cosmic soul kitchen, to keep me groovin’ and able to bring the goodness to the masses.
Most of us were without power from that evening until way late into yesterday afternoon. While it was definitely a pain to deal with, it also provided me a sort of insight, or time to just think in all of the quietness.
Thoughts of gratitude and thankfulness for all that I am able to do, love what I do, and how I love running this little market! The thought that I am so lucky to be a part of things that I feel so passionately about. It made me think of what we are bringing to the community, the relationships we are building, the support that the local community gives us.
During the day, I was reminded of the kindness of people in times of “storms”. Even a new restaurant, downtown, was closed due to the outage, but then when their power came on, they were so kind to open their doors to myself and a friend. They explained their situation but offered bits of food, wine, friendship.
Storms come in many shapes and forms and are not always even weather related. Storms can rip through, at any given time, but the beauty of the storm is the aftermath and the shelter that we all find, in some way or another, in each other.
I like to think of our little market as your shelter. A shelter from busy lives, a shelter of local spirit, a shelter of local love, and a shelter where the customers look to us to provide all that they need, each and every week.
I open the market, tonight, with much love and much excitement over how we are seeing so much growth, support, and friendship, in each market week! We are the shelter that welcomes you!
We also bring to you, a new vendor, via Spoonie Farms!! Spoonie Farms brings us the very different and highly sought after, quail eggs!!
They are working on an introduction blurb for me to send out about them, their new lives on the farm, and quail eggs!!
Be kind to yourself, this week, make it all easier by placing your orders with us!!
We appreciate being able to be your shelter from the storm…whatever that storm may be…
Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam