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!



 
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Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice


This week, we say, HELLO, to an old friend, and personally, one of my biggest inspirations in kindness, patience, and basically helping me to keep it real while in the midst of chaos, and someone that I know I can turn to, when I need a kind heart, a gentle soul.

We started our friendship journey, many years ago, out in the trenches of the physical farmers’ markets. We made up a girl gang of vendors, full of spirit, a desire to bring the local food force to the front and center, all mixed up with a dose of fun, craziness.

We used to help manage the Mechanicsburg Farmer’s Market, and in the early days, had so much fun! People used to laugh at our image, as we would stand, and chat, and from away, you could see the image of the Mennonite girl with the Hippie girl, standing in the middle of market midways, discussing important topics like…well, I can’t really tell you, but our topics were always full of fun snarkiness.

Anyway…she comes back to our market, you know her as Homecomer Traditions…out in the trenches, she is the Pretzel Lady. Here, at our market, she is known as, Honey Boy Honey, inspired by her own Honey Boy who is no longer that little boy. In my heart, she is always, Twisted Sister, a nickname from way back, and now, she comes back to us with her Honey Boy Honey…AND…her new line of Organic Spice and Herbal blends!! She is working so hard to get just the right blends, keeping it all organic, and will continue to add more and more blends.

So…go, show her some love, and get your spice and herbal blends, just in time for the holiday season!!

See…everything nice…right here…at your little local market of love…