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!
Dancing Days
Dancing days are here again as the summer evening grows…
You are my flower, you are my power…
(Dancing Days-Led Zeppelin)
Well, the summer weather, the warm breezes, the opening of even more area farmers markets, and the beginning stages of seasonal produce at both this market, and the outside farmers markets, I would say we are about to be in full swing of our local love!!
It’s time to take full advantage of all that will be coming to this market, each week, now! It’s also important that you take advantage of the early seasonal asparagus, live plants/herbs…we about to see the end of the plants/herbs!! Get it all while we still have them!!
For the past few weeks, your market manager, and assistant managers have been working hard, researching, networking, exploring. Charlene has opened up the local Champaign County Farmers market, and has also been busy with side projects, and her own amazing, beautiful gardens.
Mark has been busy in the fields, he has been busy with barn work, he has been busy with raising Oakview’s hogs, moving hogs, restocking his shop, our market, and his area locations with locally produced product, and busy with his never ending promoting, researching other market venues, and side projects. He will help me, this Tuesday night, along with Michelle Comer of Homecomer Traditions, kick off the Summer of 2015 season with the Mechanicsburg Farmers and Artisans Market.
Me? Well, my little downtown local shop front is doing so very well, I have been out and about researching other market venues, I constantly bake for my shop, for this little local market of love, for the venues I am featured in, and I am getting ready to begin my crazy baking for market season. I have been working on Art Affair on the Square, promoting the downtown, and even had a quick news spot on the Channel 7 news, this past week. I will open the market up in the ’burg, on Tuesday, work my shop all week, work this market for you on Thursday, and then join the many vendors of the Springfield market, next Saturday. There is also the summer season of festivals and events, coming up…
So, not only are the three of us working hard for this little local market of love, we are also out in the trenches, rockin’ and rollin’ each and everyday!! Just like all of you…
But, in these crazy, dancing days of summer, it’s nice to have the calm of this online farmer’s market. The ease of ordering from your home, or any location. The ease of shopping without lifting a finger. Knowing that this market brings you the best of the best in products, prices, vendors…we are very vocal to our vendors, and they know that we expect the best from them because we want the best to come to you.
Part of our market research has been to explore what it out there in surrounding counties. What we can do better, or what we can do to better serve you. Our findings are this…we do local like nobody else does local. We are passionate, informed, loyal, local…we are so very lucky to have this county, this kind of local spirit, this kind of local love…
It’s Sunday…it’s a rainy day. Show some local love by placing your orders. You know you love us, we love you, and we share this love fest vibe…start your dancing days of summer..
Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam