The End of the End

At the end of the end…
It’s the start of a journey…
To a much better place…
And a much better place…
Would have to be special…
No reason to cry…
No need to be sad…
At the end of the end…
(The End of the End- Paul McCartney)

On a somber and sad note, I would like to let our little local market of love community that one of our own has passed away. Today, we mourn the loss of the beloved Katie Hoover of Sunshine Gardens.

Katie left our market, a while ago, as her health was taking a turn downward. Being the little fighter that she was, she outlived the time spans that were given to her. She was a strong spirit, a strong presence, and a strong leader.

Katie was a pioneer in this local food community, local food movement, before it was the trendy thing to do. Back when local food, real food, was just regular food.

Katie was an expert baker, gardener, and led the community with love, and her faith, for many years.

Many bakers learned at the hands of Katie. Many who sought wisdom, comfort, and compassion, would find themselves in Katie’s kitchen.

I grew to know Katie when I first entered the local scene as a new baker. She and her husband Rufus were always in the same spot, at the end, or the beginning of the market midway, at the Champaign County Farmer’s Market. When I entered as a new vendor, though our baking styles were entirely different, she came to me and welcomed me, and always had a cheerful smile, a welcomed greeting, or a knowing way about her as she looked at me, at all of us.

I know that others have many tales, accomplishments, and memories about Katie…I can only write from my heart about a very kind woman, who was small but mighty, friendly but fierce/protective to the ones she loved, talented in her craft, and steady in her faith.

Katie may have now reached the end of her end, but her journey is now just beginning…our hearts are all better for having known her.

Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam

PLEASE READ

There seems to be something running through out system of a hacking nature.

If you get an email from LocallyGrown asking you to change your password, click on a link, do anything that does NOT come from me, PLEASE DO NOT DO IT.

I have been getting these emails, all morning, and was just alerted by another customer.

We would never ask you to change emails, passwords, or ask for any payment through our system.

If your email is not signed by me, then please, please disregard!!

Thanks so much!
Cosmic Pam

The Time!

Ok…you have just a few minutes before the 10:00 hour to get your orders in!!

We know it’s a holiday week, spring break, a vacation from the norm, so let us help you make your shopping a bit easier!!

Go, order, and be done for the week!

Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam

Vacation!?

Vacation…
All I ever wanted…
Vacation…
Had to get away…
Vacation…
Meant to be spent alone…
(Vacation- The Go-Go’s)

Well, it IS spring break time some in our little local market of love customer base. Maybe you left town, maybe you are taking a break, right here, in town, OR maybe it’s just life as normal after the Easter weekend.

If you have remained in town, why not give yourself a vacation from shopping, and place your weekly orders with us!! Let us do the work while you breeze through, grab your local goods, and continue on with your sunshine, soul trippin’ fun?

We are open until 10pm, this evening!! Go ahead…give yourself the break you deserve!! And, what better way to kick off the warmer weather, than with healthy choices in local food??

See you soon…
Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam

White Rabbit

And if you go chasing rabbits, and you know you’re going to fall…
(White Rabbit-Jefferson Airplane)

Just a quick Weblog, this morning, little local market of love customers, to tell you to have a lovely, sunshine filled, daydreaming kind of Easter!

When you are finished with your celebrations, you can settle down with out market, and ease your way into the week, by placing your orders…

Just a quick word…with the early warm weather, several vendors are alerting me that it will be just a few short weeks, and they will be able to bring in a bit of early seasonal produce!! YEAH!!

We have had to say goodbye to Star Dancer Creamery, and we wish them well!!

In the coming couple of months, we should be able to offer you a new dairy source!!

So much to look forward to, so much market excitement!!

Have a lovely day, show some love, and then come back to us, with your weekly orders!!

Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam

Magic

It’s magic…you know…never believe it’s not so…
(Magic-Pilot)

Such a cool song, such great memories from when I was oh, what? 4th grade? I remember buying the 45 of this song. I lived to spend every penny I had at the local record shops!

Magic…it’s sort of what makes it all happen around us. It gives us spark, and hope, and it gives us the belief that all things will be great, successful, amazing!

This market exists and succeeds on a lot of hard work, planning, and a bit of magic. The magic is the pixie dust that keeps us all groovy!

I couldn’t get this market pulled off, each week, without all of you. When we all work, together, we make the magic happen.

Today, I clearly was going to be in a time crunch. I had baked for this market, set up the market, had a huge baking order for a restaurant, and a small design party that asked me to cater. I knew that it would take a big of magic and a huge magic wand waving over everything to get it all done, all at the exact times it all needed to be done, and everyone taken care of.

With the cooperation of my other manager, the YMCA, my quick thinking, and the vendors, I was able to pull it all off and STILL make it back for customer pick up!

To the YMCA…thank you for taking care of us with our checks for vendors, and customer payments! To the vendors, thank you so much for being able to go with the flow. I was able to put your checks out, you dropped the product, and you grabbed your checks as you were done. To my fellow manager, Mark, for arriving early enough to oversee the first few customers, and to the customers…thank you for coming back, each and every week! That is the kind of magic that never ceases to amaze me!

I am opening the market, tonight, wishing you all the happiest of weekend holidays. A happy Easter to you all!!

Much love, magic, and grooviness…

Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam

I And Love And You

I and love and you…
I and love and you…
I and love and you…
(I And Love And You-The Avett Brothers)

Three simple things…three simple things that are all about this market, except add We for the I…but, I love you, too!

Today has been one of those days that followed one of those days. But, in the end, after decisions, after soul searching, after peacefully trusting all that I am, and after being loved by my circle of closest friends/mentors/everyone who makes up my tribe…I am ending the day knowing that all is fine. I had supportive people, arms that hugged me, words that said they understood me, and love that knows no bounds from this lovely little tribe I call my circle.

I feel that in any given situation, you are given choices to get through it. When faced with a decision, I knew in my heart what I needed to do, but it took that one ingredient…that all encompassing ingredient of love from all who matter, to make me know that I am ending the day on a peaceful note with a peaceful mind.

In any situation you need all of the ingredients to make it all work. Finish the equation. Make all parts whole. This is what this market is all about. All of the parts work together. We unite in love. We bring that love to this market. Our customers feel that love, and show it right back to us…

It’s a groovy thing, my loves, when this equation all works. It’s like when you are deciding on your orders, you make your decisions, you put your trust and love in our market, and we are eager to give it right back. The perfect equation.

I and love and you…

The market closes at 10pm, tonight! Think about Easter, think about any upcoming Spring Break needs, think about all of the love that you need from us…

Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam

Dancin' In The Moonlight

We get it almost every night…
and when that moon gets big and bright…
it’s supernatural delight…
everybody was dancin’ in the moonlight…
(Dancin’ In The Moonlight- King Harvest)

An early morning post to the little local market of love! If you are awake, I urge you to go to a window, or venture outside, and look at the beauty of the moon…it was so amazing when I got up, way so early, and was having coffee before I started to bake.

The moon…I love the dark, clear skies, the twinkling stars, and the different phases of the moon. So comforting, so assuring, so mesmerizing.

Growing up in the West End, there used to be lots of backyard campouts, as all of us would put our tents up, and our parents would allow us to sleep outside, telling ghost stories, running the West End, through backyard games of late night tag, Ghost In The Graveyard, and generally running around like a bunch of crazy loons. Flashlight tag would result in all of our parents coming out to yell at us for waking up the neighbors. We would all settle down, tell ghost stories, try to levitate each other with the whole light as a feather thing, and then sneak off on our bicycles for late night biking on the country roads that surrounded the West End.

Good times…the highlight would be the moon and star gazing. I would sit while the others would be running around, and just stare, dream, plan, and scheme, while looking at the vast night sky.

The moon, this morning, reminded me of those carefree days, the coming of the warmer weather, and then my thoughts turned to…OMG…this weekend, with the time change, last weekend, is…EASTER!!

So, while thinking moonbeam thoughts, I also want you to think Easter thoughts!! Get your lists ready, get your orders in!! Will you be baking, grilling, entertaining, coloring eggs, making the whole dinner?? Will you need to serve breads, rolls, sweet rolls? Will you need a variety of meats for Easter breakfast, lunch, dinner? Eggs for coloring, eating, making breakfast casseroles? Maple Syrup and honey for Easter sweetness? Dried herbs and seasonings for all of the yummy Easter dishes to go along with the dinner? Eggs, flour, gluten free flours and mixes, for baking? Pies, cookies, candies, confections? Granulated garlic in all varieties? Jams, jellies, mustards, a bit of candied jalapeno…all to add to dishes or to serve alone? Milk for more baking, and drinking…my grandmother used to make us Easter Milkshakes! Don’t forget to give your home and yourself some love, too! Scented candles, soaps…all groovy for making it a lovely day…

So, go look at the moon, get your Easter list started, and don’t forget to order by 10pm, tomorrow evening!

Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam

Wild Child

She’s a wild child…
Got a rebel soul with a whole lot of gypsy wild style…

(Kenny Chesney/Grace Potter – Wild Child)

Wild child…exactly how I feel about this little local market of love. We are so close to celebrating our fifth year since opening our doors, er, our computers, to the public!!

Back in the days of planning, the days of dreaming, the days of wondering just where this market would take us, the potential, or, the unspoken…what if we fail??

Well, we see THAT didn’t happen. Yes, we were very unsure in the beginning. Very new, very cutting edge, very much a new way of shopping a farmer’s market. We were the wild card of markets. The wild child. The market that decided to pave it’s own way, be it’s own kind of market, make it all happen on it’s terms.

It’s not easy being the wild child. But, just like a wild child, this market was built on taking chances, jumping right into things to see what would work, spreading love of local wherever we went, and building our community bond, each and every day.

When you step into the unknown, it’s always a wild card move. It takes a whole lot of trust, determination, dedication, loyalty, and love…it’s all you’ve got going for you, and it’s up to the wild child or as our market has many wild vendors, to pave the way…to where nobody dared go before. Because it’s the wild ones, the wild thinkers, the wild chance takers, that get things done!

If you have been along for our wild ride, we love you, we cherish you, and we look forward to many, many years in a flourishing, wild child, little local market of love!!

Get to know us, continue with us, or love us as you have been…just like the wild child vendors, our customers are wild at heart for coming along…

The market is open, we are looking at our first day of spring, and it’s a sunshine kind of morning!

Perfect to get a little wild…perfect to place your orders!

Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam

Wild Child

She’s a wild child…
Got a rebel soul with a whole lot of gypsy wild style…

(Kenny Chesney/Grace Potter – Wild Child)

Wild child…exactly how I feel about this little local market of love. We are so close to celebrating our fifth year since opening our doors, er, our computers, to the public!!

Back in the days of planning, the days of dreaming, the days of wondering just where this market would take us, the potential, or, the unspoken…what if we fail??

Well, we see THAT didn’t happen. Yes, we were very unsure in the beginning. Very new, very cutting edge, very much a new way of shopping a farmer’s market. We were the wild card of markets. The wild child. The market that decided to pave it’s own way, be it’s own kind of market, make it all happen on it’s terms.

It’s not easy being the wild child. But, just like a wild child, this market was built on taking chances, jumping right into things to see what would work, spreading love of local wherever we went, and building our community bond, each and every day.

When you step into the unknown, it’s always a wild card move. It takes a whole lot of trust, determination, dedication, loyalty, and love…it’s all you’ve got going for you, and it’s up to the wild child or as our market has many wild vendors, to pave the way…to where nobody dared go before. Because it’s the wild ones, the wild thinkers, the wild chance takers, that get things done!

If you have been along for our wild ride, we love you, we cherish you, and we look forward to many, many years in a flourishing, wild child, little local market of love!!

Get to know us, continue with us, or love us as you have been…just like the wild child vendors, our customers are wild at heart for coming along…

The market is open, we are looking at our first day of spring, and it’s a sunshine kind of morning!

Perfect to get a little wild…perfect to place your orders!

Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam