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!
You Really Got A Hold On Me
I don’t like you, but I love you…
Seems that I’m always thinkin’ of you
Smokey Robinson – You Really Got A Hold On Me)
I was up earlier than usual, this morning, with the time change and my baking schedule, but I was flipping through playlists, deciding what would be my backdrop for the morning of baking, and decided on The Beatles. I love their cover of the song lyric that I chose. And, the first line really made me think of this little local market of love…
We don’t just LIKE this little market, we LOVE this little market. And, for me, your market manager, I am ALWAYS thinking about this market, about you, the customers, and the vendors, about the products, and how we can make you all happier, make you feel the love even more…I am a constant thinking machine:) And, my main concern is that everyone is happy, everyone loves us, and everyone makes us their first thought for local shopping!!
I have a friend who is one of my most favorite people in the world. We spend a lot of time, together, through our friendship, through our business dealings, and through an event that we chair. She is younger than I am but we met through business, we grew through business, and we became friends. Our friendship works on many levels despite our age difference or maybe because of it:)
Anyway, we try to meet up, often, outside of businesses and work, to have a glass of wine, or dinner, or just unwind and touch base. The other night she came to my house. It had been a busy day for me, I was whipping up a quick dinner for both of us because we sometimes forget to take the time to eat during our manic days. She had not had a good day and she knew that she could unleash to me but after I let her go on and on, I stopped her and asked her why she liked coming to my house. She named off the welcome feeling she gets, the candles, the music, the cocktails, the food, the feeling of calm. I simply smiled at her, and she knew that it was time to just forget her day so that we could have a few laughs and then I sent her on her way.
Friends mean the world to me. Friends are my family, my people, they guide me, inspire me, fill me with happiness. I try to reflect all of that right back to them.
After she described how it feels to come to my house, I started to think about this market and how I hope that this is the feeling that you all get when you become part of this little local market of love…
I hope that you feel inspired, full of love, full of happiness, and that our market becomes your main source of local shopping, local nutrition, and local awareness.
It is impossible to just like this market, once you get to know this market. Chances are you are going to LOVE this market, you will begin to ALWAYS think ABOUT this market, and you will make us your one stop, your favorite stop, your stop filled with LOVE…
It’s Sunday…think about those orders…the day is young and full of time to plan…
Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam