Sweet Talking Hippie

Sweet Talking Hippie-Blues Traveler

This sweet talking hippie, your market manager, is passing on some sweet talk, to you, the customers, from our own Valley View Woodlands…

Let’s sit back, and read what sweet talk, Marc and Shary have for us…

A sap-run is the sweet good-bye of winter. It is the fruit of the equal marriage of the sun and frost.”
~John Burroughs, “Signs and Seasons”, 1886
 
Here in our sugar bush at Valley View Woodlands, this unusual warm spell is creating trouble.  To produce sap, maple trees require nights below freezing and days above freezing.  The taps have stopped flowing because it has been several days since we’ve had a freezing night.  Late February is usually the middle of the maple syrup season, but it looks like this season may already be over.  Unfortunately, local syrup producers have made only a fraction of their normal production. 
Another problem we face is the potential for the trees to begin to bud.  Once warm weather allows the trees to bud, the sap develops an off-flavor and we must shut down our operation for the season.    Now it’s a race to see if a freeze can arrive before the trees bud.
We have made some delicious syrup, so the season is not a total bust.  We were able to tap our trees very early this month, and our first syrup was wonderfully light and delicate.  It has hints of vanilla and caramel.  Later batches are an amber color and have a more robust maple flavor.
Just as farmers plant and hope, we tap and hope.  Mother Nature is always unpredictable!
 
Marc and Shary Stadler

The Sound of Silence

What an odd entry, you might say, but for me, tonight, after a totally crazy couple of weeks with my businesses, tonight is nice to hear nothing, listen to nothing, and to plan my soon to be meet up with my pillows…

I did want to give a big shout out to vendors and customers, alike, for attending Champaign County Empty Bowls event, this evening!!

Your market manager was the bread baker, and together with your other market manager, we offered soups from our Hippie and the Farmer!! It was amazing to mix and mingle with so many familiar faces!!

I also need to send a quick housekeeping note…if, as a customer, you place an order, but forget to pick it up, even after your reminder call, it’s cool, we understand that life happens. When I return, each week, to find the same orders, not picked up, it makes me have to send a reminder about what this does to our market.

The customer places the order. The vendors get the order ready, and to the market, and deliver on order pick up day. We pay that vendors. You forget to show. You keep forgetting. We go months and months…crickets. Ok, so then we have to delve into bookkeeping…we either then have to ask for vendor money back because the sale was not picked up, or paid for, and therefore it sucks the money out of our account, our grant money. Or, we let it slide, and have no money to show at all. Once again, depleting little pockets of our grant money.

We are entering into our sixth year, and for some reason, have just started having this problem in the past six months. Let’s explore this, let’s prevent this, and let’s all take a minute to….think about the market, our love for you, and love for our products, and our love for your happiness, and our happiness…

Ok…everyone feel the love? Good. Because we really do love you…now, let’s get some ordering action…

Happy Thursday…let’s make this week count!

And, now, your manager if off to enjoy the sounds of silence…

XOXO,
Cosmic Pam

You Love Us!

Hey, now!! The orders are rolling in, and we couldn’t be happier!!

You have one hour to get your thoughts together, and make your orders before the 10pm deadline!!

You are the reason our market is so fun, so full of love, and so dear to our hearts….go ahead, take the plunge, show us the love…

XOXO,
Cosmic Pam

You'll Accompany Me

A gypsy wind is blowing warm tonight
The sky is starlit and the time is right
(You’ll Accompany Me-Bob Seger)

Well, little market of love customers, here we are, in the tail end of February, and it feels like are in the middle of April.

I’ve had windows open, driving around with my sunroof open, selecting tunes of my yesteryear music that used to signal sunshine days, cars cruising around with open windows, lazy days of Frisbee, hanging out in the park that was near The West End, meandering around with nothing to do, nowhere to be…the ease of it all.

These warm days have allowed your co-market managers to get kale planted in their Hippie and the Farmer gardens, our seedlings for tomatoes and peppers are all sprouting, you see people, shoppers, vendors, all excited, and hustling around with their plans for the upcoming season.

Little by little we will see the return of seasonal products to this market, and the entrance of our new dairy producer.

This market is always alive in every season, in different ways!! Give us a try, revisit us, check out our extensive products, and just generally show us some love. We’ve got nothing but love for you!!

In other words…won’t you accompany us? Go ahead, place your orders, before the market closes, this evening, at 10pm!

XOXO,
Cosmic Pam

Market Of Love!

It’s the magic hour, again!! That special time when the market reopens for the week, and all is happy, and glittery, and shiny!!

The magical time of the week is here, so take advantage, place your orders, and make some magic!

XOXO,
Cosmic Pam

It's A Lovely Day!

It’s a lovely day, filled with nothing but love in the air, and hopes that everyone got a bit of love, today, on Valentine’s Day!!

If you would like to show the market a bit of Valentine love, we are open until 10pm, this evening!!

Plenty of time to throw some hugs and kisses our way!!

Thank you for your continued support, love, and community spirit!!

XOXO,
Cosmic Pam

New Kid In Town

There’s a new kid in town…
(New Kid In Town-The Eagles)

We are happy to say that our newest vendors are ready to greet the market with their first offerings!! While we eagerly await their produce, and herbs, we are excited for their first project to hit the market!!

First, a few words from their director, and then, you…ordering!!

A.B. Graham Ohio Hi-Point FFA Greenhouse and Nursery Management and Animal and Plant Science classes are working together to produce numerous herbs and vegetables from our school greenhouse. The hands on experience in the greenhouse allows students to expand their knowledge in proper care and maintenance for different kinds of produce. Our greenhouse is located in St. Paris, Ohio at Graham High School. Thank you for the support for the agriculture youth in your local community.

Our Animal and Plant Science class raised chickens in order to deepen their knowledge of animal husbandry. Students cared for the chickens for 7 weeks and used humane practices. The meat from the chickens is now available for purchase in a limited quantity.

Exciting times for our market!!

XOXO,
Cosmic Pam

New Kid In Town

There’s a new kid in town…
(New Kid In Town-The Eagles)

We are happy to say that our newest vendors are ready to greet the market with their first offerings!! While we eagerly await their produce, and herbs, we are excited for their first project to hit the market!!

First, a few words from their director, and then, you…ordering!!

A.B. Graham Ohio Hi-Point FFA Greenhouse and Nursery Management and Animal and Plant Science classes are working together to produce numerous herbs and vegetables from our school greenhouse. The hands on experience in the greenhouse allows students to expand their knowledge in proper care and maintenance for different kinds of produce. Our greenhouse is located in St. Paris, Ohio at Graham High School. Thank you for the support for the agriculture youth in your local community.

Our Animal and Plant Science class raised chickens in order to deepen their knowledge of animal husbandry. Students cared for the chickens for 7 weeks and used humane practices. The meat from the chickens is now available for purchase in a limited quantity.

Exciting times for our market!!

XOXO,
Cosmic Pam

Hello, Again!

Short and sweet, tonight, as your market manager is tired, and heading to some much needed rest…

I am opening the market, again, for the week. You will see your favorite growers, coming and going in the next month or so. They are working on product, we are all getting ready for the growing season, some are waiting on sun filled days for green house growth, others are waiting on Mother Nature. We are looking forward to the arrival of the dairy producer, and we are looking forward to days of sun, warmth, and produce…

It will all come back…just be patient with us, and order what we do have…

We will love you, forever…

XOXO,
Cosmic Pam

Closing Time

You have a half hour to get your orders in!!

We’ll leave the light on for you…

XOXO,
Cosmic Pam