Market Musings

So, while I sit, waiting on bread to come out of ovens, more trays to be loaded, and getting ready to open my shop for the day, I thought I would touch base on a few market thoughts…

Today is order pick up…as a reminder, our hours are now 4:30-6pm. We changed our hours a while back. We understand if, at times, you are running late.

If you are going to be late…try to touch base with me. My number is 926-4833. It’s also posted all over the market pages. Just let us know, so it makes it easier on us, and on the staff of the YMCA.

If orders are left, I give a courtesy call. Thank you to everyone who then makes a hasty drive to retrieve orders.

If your volunteers need to leave, before you arrive, we make notes on your paperwork reminding you to grab items out of the fridge and freezer.

What makes it very hard for us are any orders that are not picked up, no contact has been made, no payment arrangements.

Thank you for your courtesy in all of the above notes…we LOVE our customers, the market, the YMCA…we love it all to be peace, love, and harmony…

We realize that we have a void, at the moment, of cookies/pies/quick breads/cakes. We have taken care of this void, and in the coming weeks, we will announce some of the sweets bakers who will be joining to help all of you with a sweet tooth.

Local honey will be making it’s return in just about a month! Honey Boy Honey will return!! YAY!

Many local events and festivals will be coming up in the next few weeks. I will be sending out updates to all of these as they are market related.

I am contacting Volk Fruit Farms to see if they are able to return with their amazing apples!

Thank you, so much, for making this market your market of choice. We realize that you have many choices where you can spend your money. We love you for keeping it local…We thank you for using our Locally Grown year round market…

Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam

Checking The Time

It’s that time…it’s a Tuesday evening, the bewitching hour is near, and the market will be closing in just 30 minutes.

Get the seasonal produce while you can…this is the time of the season when it begins to phase out…

Go, look through the market, make your selections, see how easy it will make your life!

Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam

Sorry For The Interruption...

The previous Weblog has a paragraph with lines going through…please disregard the lines and just read the note from Charlene.

This market site sometimes has a mind of it’s own, takes the pasted copy, and does what it feels like, without me knowing…

Read the copy, not the lines, this was no slight or an attempt to cross out the information.

Just a sometimes crazy market site..

Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam

So Many Roads

So many roads to ride…
So many roads, so many roads…
(So Many Roads-Grateful Dead)

This song is one of my favorites to have heard Jerry sing, back in the day, in his last days. And, the lyrics lend themselves to a series that will run, here, in conjunction with, A Day In The Life.

Charlene came up with an idea for each vendor to give us all things they are involved in, or where there business takes them, or a schedule of where all you will find them when they are not busy with your orders for virtual market.

We continue with A Day In The Life, and now add the sister companion, So Many Roads.

Enjoy…and if you can, go out and support your favorite local vendors. We are everywhere…

And, now…this note from Joe and Charlene Stapleton…

Throughout the year many of The Virtual Market Venders can be found out and about on any given day at other events in a 3 to 4 County area. We support other conventional Farmers Markets, CSA’s, Festival, special events in and around the County and sometimes we travel to one of our neighboring counties. We carry our store front with us where ever we go. This is our life, this is our living. We are all a big part of the live local, buy Local Movement. The Theme is “We” It takes us all, the Vendors and you our customers. On this note I would like to tell you about 2 events that Swisher Hill Herbs will be attending and supporting in next the 2 weeks.
CRSI Health Fair – This Wednesday- September 9 from 1:00pm 5:00pm – Located at 1471 E, St. Rt. 36 Urbana. This a one stop health Fair. You can get many different health screenings, you even can get a massage! Swisher hill Herbs will be promoting our Salt-Free products, we will have samplings and handouts. Stop by our booth, say hello and sign up for our door prize.
We will also be giving a program on Herbs at the National Trail Parks & Recreation District 1301 Mitchell Blvd. Springfield, Ohio. Ph. 937-328-7275-Webebsite: www.ntprd.org e-mail; nationaltrail@ci.springfield.oh.us
Cooking with Herbs
Ages; 16 & older – Friday, September 18 10:30 11:30 –NTPRD Administration building 1301 Mitchell Blvd. registration fee: $5.00 Registration Deadline; September 16
Learn how to use fresh or dried herbs while cooking, with instructor Charlene Stapleton, co-owner of Swisher Hill Herbs. Receive instructions on how to harvest, dry and store herbs. Enjoy Herbal samplings and Simple recipe handouts.
Take Thyme, Joe and Charlene Stapleton

You Ain't Goin' Nowhere...

Buy me a flute and a gun that shoots…
Tailgates and substitutes…
Strap yourself to a tree with roots…
You ain’t goin’ nowhere…
(The Byrds – You Ain’t Goin Nowhere)(Written and also performed by Bob Dylan)

This has been a whirlwind, crazy kind of week. Flying by, loads to get done, markets to tend to, shop hours, and all of my venues. Those of you who know me, know that I get by with coffee, wine, tunes, and of course…a little help from my friends.

Yesterday, I needed to make my delivery to Springfield, where I am the house bread/table bread of Seasons Bistro and Grille. I was tired, I close up my shop, and hit the road with crates of bread. This song popped on my playlist, I had totally forgotten how much I adore this song, and before long, I was singing, blasting the tune, and tearing up the streets to my destination.

Like all of you, I get help where I can…yesterday, it was all about the music, and helping me get through that delivery drive.

Our little local market of love is like that…it can be your friend, it can help you through your busy week, and it can give you that last little energy boost, next Thursday, at pick up, that you didn’t know you needed, but it will feel so totally groovy knowing that all you need to do is crank up your favorite tune, head to the YMCA, and let your market friends take care of all the work…

We “Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere…”

It’s Thursday, I open the market up for the week, and I would like to urge you all to take advantage of the berries…Cathy told us that it could be the last week…don’t miss out!!

And…BTW…did any customer mistakenly go home with a pint of my golden raspberries? I always keep them at the managers table, to snack on during the market, because I never have time for lunch on Thursdays. But, tonight, after filling a few orders, they were gone…if you have them, please enjoy them!! They are my favs…they will become your favs, too!!

Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam

Market Information for Vendors and Customers!

Just a quick note to let you know that just like every other year, at this time, the YMCA is on shut down for general maintenance, housekeeping, etc…

Like always, this does not hinder our market, in any way, at all. You will still enter through the front door, the front desk will be ready to take your payments, and we will be in the usual location.

Thanks so much!!

Cosmic Pam

Tuesday!!

So, it’s Tuesday…it’s 9pm…it’s an hour away from market closing time!

What does that mean for you? Well, have you ordered for the week? Did you order but forgot a few items? Have you always wanted to give us a try? Have you been MIA, and want to return?

Whatever the reason, we want you to place your order!! We want you to be part of the local goodness!! We want you to be happy and stress free…

C’mon!! Get your groovy orders in!! I am excited to see where this market takes us, this week…

Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam

Sunshine Day!

It’s Tuesday, it’s a sunshine kind of day, and it’s also the day we close out the market for the week!

You have until 10pm to get those orders in!

Let’s rock it!

Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam

Dancing In The Moonlight

Everybody here is out of sight…
They don’t bark, and they don’t bite…
They keep things loose, they keep things light…
Everybody was dancin’ in the moonlight…
(Dancing In The Moonlight-King Harvest)

So, what a crazy, busy, fast paced life this past week was!!! My baking was never ending (a very good thing!), everything that I am involved in needed attention, or was so busy, or took me in all directions…but, you know me, and you know that I wouldn’t have it any other way.

I would get home, each evening, go out to my back deck with a glass of wine, and just relax in the beauty that has been the moon, these past nights.

This song always makes me smile, makes me think of summers of my growing up, and I sing it to myself every time there is an amazing moon to watch.

The lyric that I chose not only makes me sing, but it reminds me of the love that I feel, each week, with this market. Everyone shines so super bright, nobody is uptight, we all move and groove like a big family, and we try to keep it all as light and easy for you as we can!

It’s Sunday…we have amazing, amazing selections on the market!! Make sure to take advantage of local, of nutrition, of affordability, of ease…

You will feel like dancing in the moonlight…

I would also like to welcome back so many long lost customers, this week!! I am seeing your orders pop in, and your names make me smile…

Do the local dance…place your orders…

Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam

The Chicken Dance

As you all know, our market has been experiencing a shortage of eggs…

Here is some knowledge for all of us from Ruth Runyan of Oakview Farm Meats…

It’s that time of year! Shorter and cooler fall days signal it’s time for the hens to go on “vacation.”
The hens begin to “molt” meaning they will lose their feathers and grow new ones. While in this process, many will quit or slow down laying eggs, while all their energy goes to the regrowth of feathers and body rebuilding. All chickens molt, but at different rates at different times sooner or later. Egg producers try to plan so this doesn’t happen to all the hens in their flock at the same time.
The hens will be back “on the job” in a few weeks.
Deer Run Farm is still able to provide Oakview with a few dozen, but should be back in full force in a few weeks.

We did add an egg supplier, and hopefully, soon, we will be over run with eggs, again!!

Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam