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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Tuesday Check In


Good morning, lovely local market of love customers!

It’s Tuesday, the weather is still giving us the mildness to get us out of that frozen blue frame of mind, and the market is open, vibrant, and ready to keep you out of the blues of February, by bringing you the brand of happiness that only we can provide!!

Give us a look!! We will be open until tomorrow morning, at 8am!! Plenty of time to get your lists of happiness ready, and your orders placed!!

Peace, Love, and February vibes…
XOXO,
Cosmic Pam

Your Sunday Sunshine


Shhhhh…yes, I know…you are all watching the Super Bowl, having fun, kicking it up with whichever team you are for!!

Me? Well…my team is not in the game. They wrongly lost to the Rams, but hey, I’m not bitter or anything…but, my Saints should be playing!!

Anyway…moving onto the sunshine vibes of the day. Did you get to enjoy the incredible day?? I sat in the sun, snapped beautiful sunset pictures, and let me tell you…my mood is SO elevated!! Just that shot of sunny Vitamin D, and I am a WHOLE new girl!!

So…while you all are watching the game, I am going to wait until halftime to catch the band, but first, I am going to place my market order!!

If you all find yourselves with time on your hands, let’s all place our orders!! We can make this the Super Bowl of a Super Market!!

Market Bowl…we are in it to win it!

XOXO,
Cosmic Pam

January


January…
sick and tired you’ve been hanging on me…
(January-Pilot)

Blow dry those feathered bangs, put on that Bonne Bell Lipsmacker, grab your bell bottoms, your lounge like wear, and uncover this little song of the 70s…

And, let’s reflect, and bid goodbye to the longest year, err, month, that I truly have ever encountered. It just greeted us with such fierce, and apparently is leaving us with the same fierce…

We survived…and, we are happy to say hello to a new month!! And, the first market to kick off the new month!!

Goodbye to the ice, snow, polar vortex loving January…you have been a cruel mistress. Even, ending my evening, last night, with busted pipes, a crashing garage ceiling, and my car getting the brunt of the action…and, a huge thank you to all of my Cosmic customers/Hippie and the Farmer customers, for being so understanding with my need to get your orders to you, tomorrow!!

It’s been a month of months, and with February ready to usher us in, let’s all just hope it’s a smoother ride.

The market is now open, and we welcome you back to the greatest market in the county…your year round, locally enforced, lovely little market…

Let’s all say hello to the new month, with a whole batch of orders!!

XOXO,
Cosmic Pam

Good Day, Sunshine!


Good day sunshine,
Good day sunshine,
Good day sunshine.
I need to laugh, and when the sun is out
I’ve got something I can laugh about,
I feel good, in a special way.
I’m in love and it’s a sunny day.
Good day sunshine,
Good day sunshine,
Good day sunshine.
We take a walk, the sun is shining down,
Burns my feet as they touch the ground.
Good day sunshine,
Good day sunshine,
Good day sunshine.
And then we lie, beneath a shady tree,
I love her and she’s loving me.
She feels good, she knows she’s looking fine.
I’m so proud to know that she is mine.
Good day sunshine,
Good day sunshine,
Good day sunshine.
Good day sunshine,
Good day sunshine,
Good day sunshine,
Good day sunshine.
(The Beatles)

So, I am trying my hardest to put a song in your head, and sunshine in your thoughts, and some warmth to your day!!

The market will be closing, in one hour, at 8am, today! You guys are knocking this market out of the park, and we are loving you for it!!

I’ll see you, at 8am, when I close out the orders. Why not use our little local market of love to grab the sunshine…even if it’s just all in our heads…

Good day, Sunshine…
XOXO,
Cosmic Pam

Shelter From The Storm


Come in, she said, I’ll give you shelter from the storm…
(Shelter From The Storm-Bob Dylan)

This weather!! We’ve got it all coming at us…and, while it is crazy, outside, our market can offer you the happy shelter that you need! Shelter as in we can make this cold, this wind, this ice, this oncoming everything, easier, because you can place your weekly order while staying cozy warm, and then our market, our vendors, your managers, and the Y staff takes it from there…just for you!

And, while we know that you could pick up, curbside, many places, you cannot get that local love, from your lovely market, at a big box pick up place…

Come in…we’ll give you shelter from the storm…

XOXO,
Cosmic Pam

Sunshine Daydream


Sunshine daydream
Walking through the tall trees
Going where the wind goes
Blooming like a red rose
Breathing more freely
Light out singing
I’ll walk you in the morning sunshine
Sunshine daydream
Walk you in the sunshine…
(Sugar Magnolia-Grateful Dead)

Create your own sunshine daydream when you log into our little local market of love, to release all of the amazing products that will come bursting out at you, just like the most powerful rays of sunbeams!!

We’ve got it all, just for you, to help make each week, a sunshine week!!

Go ahead, personalize your own order, for your own needs, and then let us wrap it all up in our own form of sunshine for you!

Our market is perfect for each of you to make it your own!!

XOXO,
Cosmic Pam

Welcome Back My Friends, To The Show That Never Ends...


Welcome back, my friends
To the show that never ends
We’re so glad you could attend
Come inside! Come inside!
(Karn Evil 9-Emerson, Lake & Palmer)

Here we are!! Don’t miss a minute!!

Welcome back, our friends, to the show that never ends, the market that never ends, the fun that never ends, the goodness that never ends…

Come inside, Come inside…you can’t order unless you tune into our market site, and begin your odyssey…

We are back, we welcome you, and we are open for the week!!

We’re so glad you could attend…

XOXO,
Cosmic Pam

Feeling Good


You know how I feel
Sun in the sky
You know how I feel
Breeze drifting by
You know how I feel
It’s a new dawn
A new day
A new life
For me feelin’ good…
(Michael Buble version/Nina Simone-original)

Whichever version of this song, just put it on, and play it, over and over…it’s my current obsession song.

And, why not feel good on this Wednesday morning?? You still have until 8am to get your orders in, and that is very, very feeling good kind of news…

See you at market closing…don’t miss out on feeling good…

XOXO,
Cosmic Pam

Tuesday Night Reminder


Just a reminder, as you shovel out of your houses, thaw the icy steps, stay warm…the market is open until tomorrow morning at 8am!

I don’t blame you for not thinking about ordering when this weather has thrown such a cold, icy chill our way…but, what better time to order??

While it is glistening, and diamond like, outside…take a moment to get your thoughts together for your weekly stock up from your little local market of love!

Also, I have been hard at work on the market site! I have streamlined the market column at the left side of the page! Most vendors all now have their own top billing either in their own category or in their subcategories!

It was time for a bit of house cleaning…

Ok…I’m leaving you, as I get ready to pour a glass of wine, and begin my dinner prep with items that I ordered, last week, from our market…

XOXO,
Cosmic Pam

Morning Morgantown


We’ll find a table in the shade
And sip our tea and lemonade
And watch the morning on parade
In morning, Morgantown
Ladies in their rainbow fashions
Colored stop and go lights flashing
We’ll wink at total strangers passing in
Morning, Morgantown
Morning Morgantown
Buy your dreams a dollar down
Morning any town you name
Morning’s just the same
I’d like to buy you everything
A wooden bird with painted wings
A window full of colored rings
In morning, Morgantown
But the only thing I have to give
To make you smile, to win you with
Are all the mornings still to live
In morning, Morgantown
Morning Morgantown
Buy your dreams a dollar down
Morning any town you name
Morning’s just the same
Morning’s just the same
(Morning Morgantown-Joni Mitchell)

Just some mellow Joni to get your Saturday started on a lovely note…

We are here for you, all weekend, with all of the products you have grown to love, hoping that we can take this winter weather anxiety away from you, if not just for your culinary shopping, your bath and body shopping, your artistic shopping, your candle light shopping, your pet treats shopping…we can’t make the weather go away, but we can help to make it all more bearable, knowing that once you get to us, we will have you packed up, ready to get right back out the door, and be on your way with loveliness…

Also, on this mellow morning, this is also a reminder that in these months of winter blues, not only can you chase them away with the proper nutrition, but also with exercise of all kinds. And, while we can get you the food end of things, your pick up location, the YMCA can give you the workout you need to keep you happy and healthy during these winter days.

I am totally loving the cycle class that Paul, the CYO of the Y teaches, on Wed, Friday, and Saturdays, but our market also brings you another cycle instructor on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with Marc Stadler of Valley View Farms…and, our own puppy treats curator, Kim, not only runs the front desk at the Y, but she also teaches a dance/aerobics class on Monday evenings! And, a whole lot of our customer base are members of the Y, and involved in all kinds of classes!

Good nutrition, fitness, well being, health, it all goes hand in hand…

Ok…let’s see where this incoming weather takes us, while you all get those orders in…

XOXO,
Cosmic Pam