Join Together!

Everybody join together, I want you to join together…
Come on and join together with the band.
We need you to join together, come on and join together…
Come on and join together with the band..
(Who – Join Together)

Good morning, little local market of love!!

Yesterday was a big day in downtown Urbana as we celebrated another amazing Chili Cook Off!! There are two huge, Monument Square District sponsored events, downtown. Art Affair is one (My baby along with my co-chair, and committee), and then Chili Cook Off! These events are huge. Not only do they bring in lots of people, lots of revenue, and lots of PR for the downtown, but they also do what this market is always talking about…they bring together community spirit and local pride!

I was a vendor, yesterday, as I usually am. I was set up in conjunction with Oakview Farm Meats, as I usually am. My other neighbors were new chili contestants who went on to win Third place, and as I was nestled in between my neighbors, and surrounded by so many friends who continued to come up to my canopy, give me a hug, give me a high five, talk, dance, wave…I had to just stop and take it all in.

Community spirit and pride make us strong. They makes us proud. They make us believe that we can conquer all as a united local front.

I felt very proud and very loved, yesterday. I love the networking and the building of a stronger and stronger local fabric. It reassured me that through this building of fabric, we can stand strong, we can face anything, and with the help of all of us, we can make a whole happen on the local front.

I am thankful for so much in my Cosmic life but I am most thankful that you put your faith in me, each week, with this market. I am only one person, though, in this local market of love. I also have my ever true, ever wise, Charlene Stapleton. She and Joe of Swisher Hill Herbs are such icons in this community. I love seeing her smiling face, each and every Thursday, as we prepare the market for each of you.

I am thankful for Mark Runyan and the entire Runyan family behind Oakview Farm Meats. He is my other assistant at this market who helps me get your orders out to you, each and every week. They are a power house of a family in this local community, and we are lucky that they are a part of this little local market of love.

Paul Wadsmith and the YMCA…I cannot say ENOUGH about this team!!! We would be very, very sad without the YMCA and their hard work that keeps our financials, houses our market home, and supports us out in the community.

Heather T…we are a market because of her vision, her hard work, and her endless hours in getting this market up and running in the early days and years…

To the vendors…without you, the market would be nothing!

To the customers…THANK YOU!!!! We appreciate all of you, each and every week!!! We welcome you, we applaud you, we love you!!

I feel like sometimes you just have to stop, look around, know who to thank for the goodness, and make sure that everyone knows how much they are appreciated!

We join together in many, many ways…and I thank you for this local front.

The market is open! It’s Sunday…the best day to organize the upcoming week, to see what you may need or want, and get your orders in!

A reminder…we are in the last month of late summer produce…take advantage!

Champaign Berry just let me know that they have added a very limited supply of Golden Raspberries!!!!

Volk Fruit Farm has added a few new varieties of apples!!!

And, as always, we bring you the best of the best of the best from the rest of your local vendors!!

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam