Astral Weeks

In another world…
In another time…
In another place…
So far away…
(Astral Weeks-Van Morrison)

One of my very favorite Van Morrison songs, and, my favorite of his albums.

There is a history behind the recording of this album, how it came to be, the struggle to over come one big record label, the struggle to reclaim his poetry, his ability to provide his haunting lyrics, the fact that this album put him right up to Bob Dylan as song poet, lyricist, all with an album that once completed, he felt that he could now see the light at the end of the tunnel.

It followed a sort of battle he had with his previous label, was given a chance to shine on a second label, but not before he had been blackballed, shunned, and dropped from every club in NYC, just because he had refused, in part, to be forced into a pop like music genre. He fought hard, and won with his poetic offerings.

So much of this story reminds me of our little market of love. How, everyday, every week, we fight to keep our name out there, we have worked hard, over the years, to where we finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel, to feel we had finally educated on what it means to produce, grow, and sell, locally. We were not the big box stores, we were not your corporate grocery stores, and we were not a run of the mill farm market.

We have demanded that we stay true to our original vision. Remain steadfast in a market that loves us, hates us, embraces us, shuns us. Depending on the day, the week, or even the year, we either see strong weeks of sales, support, and adulation, OR, we see the masses flocking to the big box retailers for steals, deals, and what they are led to believe is “local”.

And, you know what, that’s okay. We remain, fighting the good fight, out there, ready for the tides that will once again turn, the people will figure out that we are the real deal, the true game in town. We are your Van Morrison, signing your Astral Weeks, looking at the light at the end of the tunnel, knowing that you always come back around for our market, our vendors, our products, our prices, our community, our ease shopping, our low prices, and the education that you get, in all things local…

We are your poets, your lyricists, of your local songs…we sing for you, for us, and for our community…

Get on board…be a part of it all…

The market re-opens, right now, with all of the goodness…let us carry you away…

XOXO,
Cosmic Pam