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!
Better Than Sunshine?
Let your soul shine…
It’s better than sunshine…
It’s better than moonshine…
Damn sure better than rain…
Yeah now people don’t mind…
We all get this way sometimes…
Gotta let your soul shine, shine till the break of day…
(The Allman Brothers…Soulshine)
I am pretty sure that I used this song, before, but it seemed so fitting for all of today that I am using it in another form:)
You know those days when it feels so good that it’s like sunshine? But there is such a cool, hipness to it that it is more like moonshine? The combination of sunshine/moonshine becomes that old feeling of…soul shine..
I lived for a long amount of time down in South Florida. It was perfect for outdoor concerts, bands, and festivals. The Allman Brothers, The Grateful Dead, The Black Crowes, The Outlaws…lots of amazing sounds coming out of where I used to live, back in the day.
Soul shine, the anthem of The Allman Brothers, and South Floride, to me, is a state of mind. That point when you are beyond happiness, and on your way to the next level. A level of excitement, pride, bursting with shine!!
That is what I felt like, today. As usual, we opened the market, we filled orders, and then we had visitors from Miami County. They wanted to hear all about our little local market of love. All about what we do, who we are, the vendor base, the customer base…
I found that I couldn’t stop talking about each and every person associated with this market!! I was so excited to pass the information, along, and to share our experiences, our growth, our amazing band that makes us who we are, that I thought my soul would burst open and shine!!
My love runs deep for the people, places, and things I am passionate about. This market is right up there on the love scale! I was so filled with pride as I talked about how we began, how we got to where we are now, and what I see us still reaching to achieve!!
Soul Shine…there is nothing like it. I feel like it is when the sun, the moon, the stars, and the planets all line up, give hugs, give huge high fives, and dance around at the happiness of it all!!
I open the market, tonight, with the soul shine feeling. Keep it shining, keep it bright, keep the love flowing…we have so much to be proud of, we are being noticed on so many levels, and we are a power house to the local community!
Go ahead…let it shine…it’s pretty amazing..
Thank you for letting me be the manager that helps to make you shine! I love you all!!!
Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam