A Word From The Sugar Shack!

I love the Stadlers, and love their product. I love that they are the Sugar Shack. One of my favorite clubs to hang out in Los Angeles when I lived there was the….Sugar Shack. So, of course, I am all over the whole Sugar Shack fun!

Anyway…this season needs a word from Marc and Shary…

After the brutal weather we’ve had in February and late March, it’s hard to believe there is a downside to this wonderful weather we are experiencing. But for maple producers, there is.

The “normal” season for making maple syrup starts in mid-February and runs for four to six weeks. An ideal day for collecting sap is sunny in the 40s to 50s, with nights below freezing. The freeze-thaw process creates changes in pressure within the tree, causing sap to flow. Nothing flows before it warms up, and the small holes begin to heal themselves and close after four weeks. Once the trees begin to bud, the sap turns bitter, and all collection stops.

This year, we got our latest start ever. On Saturday, Marc finished tapping our trees, and we were ready to email everyone, letting you know that Maple March Madness had begun. With warm temps, we expected a banner collection of sap. But the trees reminded us that it takes them a day or so to really wake up from their winter rest. Our first collection was meager, and the sugar content was down as well. In a typical year, sap contains a 2.5% sugar content; this year it’s looking more like 2%. What that means is that it will take more than the usual 40 gallons of sap to make a gallon of syrup.

The weather forecast initially did not call for another freeze until two weeks out. We were lucky to have a low in the mid- 20s last night, so we will be collecting again today or tomorrow. But if you look at the extended weather forecast, there are not many days which show the needed below freezing weather at night. So we are uncertain how much maple syrup we will be able to produce this year. We are a small producer, with only 100 taps. We bottle our syrup after each boil, and put it in clear bottles so you can see as well as taste the difference in the syrup as the season progresses. We hope to be sharing our syrup with you again this year, but we have temporarily taken our syrup off the market as we wait to see how much we can produce this year.

For anyone who thinks maple syrup is a get-rich quick scheme, you might not know that most maple trees aren’t tapped until they are 30 to 40 years old. Also, we invite you to listen to this humorous poetic performance:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqreE_O6mBU.

Thanks for your support.

Marc and Shary Stadler

Valley View Woodlands

Sweet Child O' Mine

She’s got a smile it seems to me…
Reminds me of childhood memories…
Where everything…
Was as fresh as the bright blue sky…
(Guns ‘N Roses – Sweet Child O’ Mine)

We have had an amazing few days of weather, totally inspiring to our souls that we are about to exit the depths of winter, and come out on the other side to see spring, sunshine, excitement!

This song was in my head when I woke up, on my baking playlist at 3am, this morning, AND one of those songs that requires an open sunroof, a convertible, or just windows down, song blasting, just going where the wind will take you.

It was so amazing to greet so many customers, tonight, at market pick up!! New customers, old customers, frequent customers. And, now that the weather is breaking, how about everyone decides to place an order and come out to see us on Thursdays!

It’s easy, it’s fast, it’s fun!

I am now opening the market for the week…I do have one announcement…

Littler Farms has been out of town. They will need to remain out of town for a period of time with family commitments. They are missed, thank you to all of their fans who asked about them, and we will be happy to announce when Bev gets back to town, and ready to bake everyone’s favorite cookies!!

Okay…let the fun begin with ordering all of your favorite products!!

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Homeward Bound

Homeward bound…
I wish I was…
Homeward bound…
(Simon And Garfunkel – Homeward Bound)

This song kept playing, on repeat, in my brain, tonight, as I went from a long day at the Cosmic shop to a dinner meeting of Monument Square District. Annual meeting, I wear many hats, both literally and figuratively, gave too many speeches about events that I chair, and the whole time, I wanted to just be home, comfy oversized shirt, glass of wine, and peace:) It was all good, the meeting went well, etc. but it was rainy, dreary, a chill to the air…the kind of day where you just seek comfort and quiet…

Comfort comes in many shapes, many forms, and many ways….but, tonight…well, tonight was a night I would have been happy to just be…do nothing…hang out. In the midst of wanting all of this comfort, I started to think about this little local market of love…how comforting it was, to me, to know that I had placed my order, I have nothing to worry with, deal with, or stress over…the ordering is easy, you can do it from the comfort of home, even…and the pick up is a breeze, a snap, a walk in the park…

Why not let yourself have a comfort filled, stress free kind of week? The market is you local home…come home to us…be Homeward Bound…

You have one hour, this evening, to get your orders in! I will close the market at 10pm….let me see the love…let me see the spirit…let me see your orders…

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

It's Essential!!!

I am passing along this message from our friends from Swisher Hill Herbs…

The essential lowdown on their essential oils!!!

And, may I quickly give them a HUGE shout out for having amazing oils? The Geranium oil is a perfect oil for your face, and the Patchouli…well, to know me is to know my love the Patchouli!!

Here you go….

Swisher Hill Herbs purchases their Essential oils from a family owned company that has been in business since 1908. We began purchasing their products in 1982 and we have confidence in their experience and technology in the fractionation and distillation of essential oils and we are convinced their essential oils are of the highest quality.
Swisher hill herbs has introduced 2 new essential oils to the Virtual Market. Grapefruit and Sweet Orange. Due to the increase in popularity of our oils we are able to order in larger quantities, therefore we are able to pass on savings to our customers

We also have an information handout on the properties of essential oils to help give our customers a better understanding of the chemical properties and complexities of using essential oils. If you would like to have a copy of this and also a copy of our suggested uses handout just e-mail us at swisherhillherbs@gmail.com.
Thank you for shopping the Virtual Market and supporting local growers and producers of Champaign County.
Joe and Charlene Stapleton Swisher Hill Herbs

Good Day, Sunshine!

Good day sunshine…
Good day sunshine…
Good day sunshine….
I need to laugh, and when the sun is out…
I’ve got something I can laugh about…
(Beatles – Good Day Sunshine)

Well, finally…the kind of day that I can smile about. The kind of day that makes me feel alive. The kind of day that tells me growth, green, the next season is finally within our grasp! Yes, Good Day, Sunshine…it’s amazing!

It was so therapeutic to drive with my sunroof, open, this morning. To shed the 20 layers that I needed, all winter, just to keep warm. It was nice to just drive with tunes, breeze, sunshine, hair blowing in the wind, and finally feel like I am whole, again!

The other sunshine feeling I am getting is looking at the market orders, so far! A nice market for a Monday…I can tell that customers are ready to begin venturing out, once again…to place orders, to anticipate coming out to order pick up…to once again give some love to our little local market!

I would LOVE to see this market soar into record breaking numbers, this week, to celebrate the return of the sun, of the spirit, of the soul…let’s do this!! Even if every customer and vendor orders just ONE product, it would be amazing!!!

The market is open, it will be open until tomorrow night, at 10pm. Make me even happier than I am right now…flood this market with love and orders!!

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Enough, Already!

I know that I speak for all of us when I say…please just take these freezing cold days and give us some rays of sunshine, some warm breezes, and a hint of spring like weather…haven’t we had enough??

Apparently not since I am sitting here trying to get warm in layers of clothing and a glass of wine.

Well, until we get through this, let our little local market of love warm you up, light your fire, be your ray of sun!

I am opening the market, tonight, take the next few days to think about what you need, what you want, and how we can make that happen for you in the best way we know how…

Have a great evening!

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Last Call!!

This will serve as your last call before the market closes for the week!!

Get your orders in, make your week just a bit easier…

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Crash Into Me

Sweet like candy to my soul…
Sweet you rock…
and sweet you roll…
(Dave Matthews Band-Crash Into Me)

Have you ever had one of those days where you were gliding along, all happy, cool, groovy…and then, out of nowhere in particular, totally ungroovy events happened? Yeah…well, that was my afternoon. But, instead of crashing down, I have decided to look at all of the positive things that I love, that bring me a sense of pride, and show me where the scene really is!

Our little local market of love, our local spirit, our dedication as a united front to present all that is honest, all that is local, all that is good, all that is what we have built…that is what grounds me. That is what makes me proud, happy, dedicated…it rocks and rolls my soul.

I urge you to think about local, think about this little local market of love, and show us some love. The support that we get, weekly, from customers, vendors, the YMCA, outside comments…it all means so much to us!!

Crash into us…either for the first time, the hundredth time, the weekly time….we totally love it!!

Give us your orders, and we will give you our local love! You have until 10pm…we want you to crash into us…

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

The Lion Sleeps Tonight

In the jungle, the mighty jungle…
The lion sleeps tonight…
In the jungle, the quiet jungle…
The lion sleeps tonight…
(Token – The Lion Sleeps Tonight)

Well, look at today…March 1, pouring down snow, and living up to the saying…In like a lion…

Let’s just hope that the same saying…Out like a lamb…is also going to happen. Personally, I am done with the winter. I am usually done with winter the day after Christmas. I am ready for sun, warm days, green, growth, and all that my favorite months bring.

But, it’s not all bad on today, March 1…because on this first day of March, we see my favorite month of the year. Yes, once again, we usher in March Madness!! Even sweeter? My team…the Kentucky Wildcats remain undefeated!! We are looking good…very good…to enter this month!!

So, let’s forget the weather, let the lion do it’s thing. Let’s look forward to a college basketball fan’s month that rivals Christmas, and then let’s hope that the lamb is not too far off…

Think about your week, your needs, your orders. The good news is that we will see warmer temperatures as the week progresses. Plan to order, plan to venture out, plan to come see your favorite little local market of love, filled with your favorite local vendors, and where you get to chat with your favorite market volunteers!

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Opening!!

The market is now opening, again, for the week!

Your manager is tired, hungry, and ready for beauty sleep…so, it’s a short and sweet opening, tonight!

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam