Welcome To The Market!

We have a new egg vendor with us!! We can never have too many eggs, and we are a market with a heavy customer base of egg lovers!!

This summer, many of our egg vendors have been faced with a shortage in their egg supply…so, in order to make sure that our customers continue to get their eggs, we welcome…Rocky Ridge Homestead!

Rocky Ridge Homestead is a small, family operated, urban farm. We are currently offering non-certified organically produced eggs. We have a wide variety of happy free range chickens that produce nutrient dense, flavorful eggs. Our hens eat only certified organic feed to supplement their natural foraging. Our goal is to help provide a local source for nutritious, organically and sustainably produced food.

So, eggs, seasonal, about to end, produce, and all of the other amazing local products offered on this market!

Use this weekend to think about what you may need for the week, think about how easy it is to place a market order, and think about how good you will feel by keeping it all local!

Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam

Beautiful Day

It was a beautiful day…
Don’t let it get away…
Beautiful day…
(Beautiful Day-U2)

Today was one of those days that you just wanted to reach out, and embrace! Perfect sunshine, perfect temperatures, perfect soft breeze. The kind of day in very late August when you begin to see subtle changes. Changes in how the leaves look, changes in the hue of colors that begin to paint the natural landscape, changes in afternoon shadows, and changes in the evening fade…

It’s the time of season when everything looks like it is washed in golden tones. When we begin to think ahead to the shift of seasonal items, when we prepare to make this market, the only market in the winter months, when we embrace all of the remaining summer produce, almost at it’s peak, and taking advantage of it while we still have it!

I urge you go get to know this market, again. Or, continue to order just as you have been doing. If you have never placed an order, let this week be a week of trying something from our market. It’s fast, it’s easy, it’s affordable, the market is friendly, and best of all…it’s local!!

I open the market, tonight, after the most amazing day of golden sunshine. We are here for all of your needs, and we love our customers, so much!

Think about how you can make your life simple, and make each day a beautiful day. Order with us…

Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam

Local Love

Good morning, little local market of love customers!!

First…a HUGE thank you to all who placed an order, this week, and every week, or any week!! We are only as strong as our amazing customer base AND our awesome vendors!!

Second…tonight, in the lobby of the YMCA, during the order pick up, we will have two tables of local vendors, with their amazing seasonal produce!

We welcome back, Herr Family Farms with their second round of locally grown peaches, AND Dialton Farms who bring the farm straight to us, for additional produce shopping!

If you forgot to place an order, stop in the lobby to stock up on things you may want from these two vendors!

The Herrs will need to leave by 5:30…both vendors are set up at 4pm!

Please…bring cash for both of them!! They do direct sales instead of going through the YMCA!

One other local love bit of news…we have added an additional egg vendor!! Look for them when the market opens, tonight! We love our egg vendors but some of their chickens are being stubborn little things…and we NEED the eggs!!

Get your local love fix!

Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam

Let's Go!

She says, “let’s go”…
(Let’s Go!- The Cars)

So, it’s an exciting behind the scenes, tonight, at our little local market of love!

The market is skyrocketing, the vendors are all seeing such amazing sales, and your market manager would like to say…Let’s Go!!

We have until 10pm!! It’s your chance to take advantage of all the market has to offer!!

We can fill your needs, your orders, your wishes! We have an amazing array of produce!! It’s the peak of the season! Take advantage!!

I am watching the last minutes…hurry, place your orders, and…Let’s Go!

Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam

Sugar, Sugar!

Like the summer sun…
Pour Your sweetness over me…
And, you got me wanting you…
(Sugar-The Archie’s)

This morning, I was outside, having early morning coffee in the brisk chill, on my front porch.

I like to see the sun coming to it’s morning entrance, between loaves of baking bread. This morning had the sun peaking up from the edge of a cloud, it’s rays were those giant kind of rays, and I immediately felt happy.

Happy for the sunshine, happy that it made me smile, made me love the day, love where I live, and love the whole local scene.

What it’s all about…the goodness of local, the sunshine feeling of this little local market of love, and what it means to buy, sell, live the local life.

Today is Tuesday! Find your local sunshine in this market, place your order, and bask in the warmth of keeping it all local.

The market closes at 10pm, tonight…let the sun shine!

Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam

Fields

To Sway Like Flowers In A Field…
(Fields- Great Wide Open)

So, you know I love all that there is to love about local, and tonight’s Weblog opens with a lyric from one of my favorite local bands. And, I have many favorite local bands. In fact, this area is just rich in local musical talent.

This past weekend was an amazing example of that, up in Mutual, at the annual Madden Road Music Festival. A gathering of local music, local foods, and local love.

Anyway…this song is so pure, so beautiful, and it reminds me of days just like the day we had, today.

I love sitting out on my back deck, having morning coffee or evening wine, watching the beauty that is the sun, the sky, the fields behind me, the clouds, taking it all in…watching the fields all sway, watching the colorful beauty of it all.

It makes my heart happy in those moments. It makes me so happy that so very many years ago, for whatever the many reasons, I ended up in Champaign County. I may not have been born and raised in this area, but I love it as if I was, I support all local loveliness, and I love being a part of the local fabric.

I had a local foods council meeting, this afternoon, as we prepare for our third annual State Of The Plate event. I love being a part of the local buzz, the local excitement, the planning of such a local celebration. I will be talking more about this, in the weeks to come, I will be passing out save the date cards for October 4, but for now, all I want to say to this very lovely local community, is a HUGE thank you.

A thank you for letting this girl manage your local markets, letting me watch and learn, filling my heart with local love and pride…

This little local market of love is another piece of the local fabric that is near and dear, and I hold in my heart. Totally proud of what we have accomplished in the past four years, totally committed to watching it continue to grow, totally in awe of the family that this market has become.

I open the market, tonight, urging you to take advantage of the local, seasonal produce, to take advantage of shopping local, and to take advantage of products produced from local farmers, growers, artisans…we are so proud to be a part of this local love…

Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam

In The Summertime

And I love to live so pleasantly…
Live this life of luxury…
Lazing on a sunny afternoon…
In the summertime…
(In The Summertime-The Kinks)

We are now in the middle part of August. Still plenty of summer days left, plenty of lazy days of sun, but then outside forces want to keep pushing our thoughts to fall.

Early back to school, fall decorations, Halloween displays…can we just have a minute and stop? Can we just love the warmth, the sun, the amazing produce that is coming to us, locally, in these last weeks of summer? Can we just celebrate the remaining long and sunny days?

One way to celebrate is by ordering, locally, through our market. Order the produce that will not be around much longer. Get to know seasonal, local produce. Get to know the farmers behind the produce. Get to know all of your local producers of locally produced meat, dairy, eggs, fish, baked goods, produce, dried herbs, garlic, cheese…get to know it all, right here, on a sunny afternoon, at this little local market of love…

It is now Tuesday evening. The market will close for the week at 10pm! You need to think about your orders, get your account pulled up, and then begin the weekly ordering, shopping, that helps you support local while taking the stress out of your week…

You have until 10pm…go, make it happen!! Keep the summertime alive with ordering all of the produce that won’t be around for much longer!

Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam

Raspberry Beret

She wore a raspberry beret…
(Raspberry Beret-Prince)

Happy Monday, little local market of love customers!! I have been in an old school Prince music mode over most of the week, last week, and this song title seemed fitting for today’s market weblog!

Why? Well, because we have raspberries from Champaign Berry Farm!! I announced the red raspberries, and the blackberries, and now Cathy has put the golden raspberries on the market site!! My favorites!!! This week is limited quantities so order, quickly!

They have more to come, but if you want them, now, you need to rush and order!

And then go dig out your groovy Prince music…get your raspberry groove on!

Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam

Going Up The Country

I’m goin’ up the country, baby don’t you want to go?
I’m goin’ up the country, baby don’t you want to go?
I’m goin’ to some place where I’ve never been before…
(Going Up The Country-Canned Heat)

Hello, little local market of love customers!!!

It’s been a great week of all things celebrating local, ending in a local event, yesterday, up in Mutual, at the Madden Road Music Festival!

We are so fortunate to live in a community that supports our local food movement, understands what real local is all about, applauds all of our efforts, and welcome us to their events, showing us so much love!

Yesterday, I was one of the vendors at the music fest with my Cosmic Pizza My Heart Festival pizzas along with your assistant manager and family of Oakview Farm Meats as they grilled their popular local selections.

Throughout the festival, the bond of local was strong. The community interest in what we do, the interest in this little market was overwhelming, and the trend toward eating only local was spoken, all day.

This market makes me so proud. The vendors are amazing, the customers are the best, and our host, the YMCA, couldn’t be more accommodating!

It takes a team of local loyalists to keep spreading the word so that this market continues to thrive!

Thank you for being a part of this local, community local, in your backyard local, market!

We are open, we will be open until Tuesday evening at 10pm, we encourage you to make a list, place your orders with us, and make your week an easy, stress free kind of week.

Make sure to take advantage of seasonal items!!! We have red raspberries/blackberries from Champaign Berry Farm!

We have amazing produce from our produce vendors!!

Remember…the season is quick, and the seasonal products will soon disappear!!

Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam

Weblog Entry

You belong among the wildflowers…
You belong in a boat out at sea…
Sail away, kill off the hours…
You belong somewhere you feel free…
(Tom Petty – Wildflowers)

This week has shown me many things about myself, about what I hold dear, why I am involved in this local food movement, and why I love my circle of friends who let me be…well, just be me.

First…I was reunited with friends who have drifted out of my life for many reasons. Many of the reasons are just as simple as their paths took them off on new adventures, some drifted off to find themselves, and some just lost connection to me. In a sort of Cosmic pattern, I ended up with chance encounters with some, chance texts by others, and messages of some returning to me for a visit.

My heart holds all that is dear to me in a very tight, loyal, love filled bond. To see each of these friends drift back into my life, drew me to tears, and laughter, and hope. Each of these lovelies means so much to me. Each of them was a part of my life, in different ages and stages.

But, what has always been constant, has been our dedication to friendship, to a wildflower kind of relationship that allows us to catch right back up where we all left off, years ago.

Just like this little dedication I feel for this local love, for this little local market, for all of the love and friendship that has been poured into this market. It has taken hard work, laughter, tears, ideas, and a healthy dose of trust that we are always doing the best we can do for this market, that we are upholding this market, and that we do everything to make this market grow.

The market is always here. Year round. We see some customers, each week. We see some, every couple of months. We see some over the years. But, the never ending vibe is that the market is a constant. A light of local. A friend when you need us. A market that wants to be here for the times that you may need us.

We hold each customer dear to our hearts. We are here, ready to welcome you home, ready to say hello, ready to make your life a happy place!

Get to know us, once again…shop with us, let us help you through the busy weeks.

We’ve got it all for you, and we just want to welcome you back into our local market of love…you belong among the wildflowers…let us help you back into the bonds of local shopping…

Peace, Love, Good Vibes…
Cosmic Pam