Ready, Steady, Go!

Hey…did you know that you have an hour and a half left for ordering through our little local market of love, tonight?

The clock is ticking, we all are crazy, take just a second to look through the market, pile things in your cart, and be done for the week!!

So simple, so stress free, leading you to the state of happiness…

C’mon…you know you want to…I will see you at Last Call…

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

The Promised Land

Swing low sweet chariot, come down easy
Taxi to the terminal zone
Cut your engines, cool your wings
And let me make it to the telephone

(Grateful Dead – Promised Land)

Well, well, well, guess who just blew back into town? Yes, your favorite market manager is back from her quick trip down to Knoxville!!

Road trips are my favorite things!! Blasting down the open road, tunes blaring, not a care in the world…destination is all ahead of you!!

Saturday, I left the Springfield Farmers Market, and started my journey to the south!! Grateful Dead tunes on, volume cranked, with this song as my favorite road trip song to kick it all off. You see, you need good road trip tunes, you need a playlist, you need a blast off song, you need an exit song…Bob’s voice in this song kicked it all off on both ways of the trip.

My destination was Knoxville with a few stops in between. I am a Mid-Western girl by birth but a Southern girl via college and early stages of my adult life.

The South is a magical and mystical place. You may leave it for years and years but as soon as you return, you are reminded of the charm, the ways of all things southern, and the easy pace of things.

The Cosmic co-ed is also a product of the south! She was born and raised, in her early years, in Florida. She is an original Florida Cracker! They are a rare and celebrated thing down in the heart of Florida. She attends my alma mater in Kentucky AND she is interning in Knoxville. She shares my love and respect for the south and it’s southern charm.

On the way down, my road trip hit a bit of a snag. It could have been disastrous, but quick thinking, and lucking into a situation with southern gentlemen, knowing they would take pity on this girl, the situation was fixed, the road trip was back on the road, and my forever faith in the southern friendliness, hospitality, and charm, was never shaken!

It was customer service in the top shelf form!! And, as I was sitting in an out of the way southern auto shop, I was thankful for these southern ways, the customer service that was displayed, and how it reminded me of our little local market of love!

While we may not be southern at heart, I do feel that we run a market that is first and foremost, customer satisfaction driven!! It is important, to me, that all customers are happy and taken care of!! I manage the Mechanicsburg Market the same way!! Customers and their happiness and satisfaction come first!! The same with my own Cosmic Charlie business…the customer is first, the customer MUST be happy, and the most important thing, above all, is to give the love that makes it all happen!!

I feel that we do that, each week, in this market!! Our customers love the market, they compliment us, and they know that we are there for them, no matter what.

Let us show you what local customer service is all about!! Get your orders in, put your trust in us, and let us show you the love that we are known for!!

It is Monday!! Your market manager is monitoring the market. She is ready to make this week happen for each of you!!

We have some crazy weeks ahead of us…let us be your local satisfaction…let us make it all easy…

Give us your orders….we will give you our charm!!

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

All I Ever Wanted!

Vacation, all I ever wanted
Vacation, had to get away
Vacation, meant to be spent alone..
(The Go-Go’s – Vacation)

So, the market is NOT going on vacay but your favorite hippie locally grown manager IS hitting the open road!!

Saturday, once I finish down at the lovely Springfield market, bid farewell to the Bread Heads, and jump in my car, I am headed off for a few days of just me time!! I am so excited to have hours on the road, blaring tunes, nothing on my mind, no baking schedule, a total block of time for a total rejuvenation!

So, I open the market, tonight, with great pleasure!! I know you will rock it while I am gone!! I will be monitoring, from behind the scenes, in case of any questions or problems, but other than that, I am on hiatus!!

A few things to keep in mind….this will be the market leading into the kick off of the Champaign County Fair. Think about how great it would feel if you did all of your ordering and didn’t even have to hit the grocery! Think about what healthy items you may want for fair week!!

Let us put it all together for you….all you have to do is order!!

Have a great start to the weekend, enjoy whatever it is that you will be doing, and think of your lovely manager…off on an adventure!!

See you when I get back…

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Thank You!!

Once again, we would like to thank you for keeping it local with our little market of local love!!

We realize that you can shop, anywhere, we realize that you can spend your money, anywhere, but we really, really appreciate that you shop and spend, locally!!

If you ordered, we will see you on Thursday, at pickup!!

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Summer In The City!

Hot town, summer in the city…(Lovin’ Spoonful)

It’s hot out, be cool, get your orders in!!!

Enjoy the coolness and comfort of wherever you may be and use this next hour for market orders!!

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Feelin' Groovy!

I’ve got no deeds to do, no promises to keep
I’m dappled and drowsy and ready to sleep
Let the morning time drop all its petals on me
Life, I love you, all is groovy..(Simon And Garfunkel – 59th Street Bridge Song)

So, the weekend is screeching into a Sunday evening! Was it good to you? Did you make the most of all that was local? Did you get out and enjoy a farmer’s market, an activity? The annual local, Art Affair On The Square, in historic downtown Urbana?

Just a note on that event…you all know that I was one of three chairpersons. I was so excited to have that honor bestowed on me by the outgoing chairperson. There are people that I view as mentors, icons, a matriarch. To be given such an amazing responsibility by one was both exciting and overwhelming!!! But, at show time, it all came down, was groovy, and a lovely local time was had by all!!

This event brings both local and far away artists to our downtown. We carefully select local food/drink vendors. Musical guests are given almost online auditions. Artists are all juried and carefully selected. Local sponsors are selected and greatly, greatly appreciated. We start the planning even before December. Behind the scenes is a frenzied affair. But then when you take a step back and watch the festivities, you get a tear in your eye as you see just how much local comes together with local on all fronts!

From art to food to music to landscaping…the entire downtown is a backdrop of local richness. This year, in celebrating the event’s 10th year, we brought in a celebrated local artist, Scott Kirby!! A delightful man who was a joy to meet and speak with. I ran into him, later, at local Copper Top, and he was just as pleasant and cordial and lovely.

We live in a very colorful array of local goodness. Our own little local market had a strong turnout in our food vendors of Oakview Farm Meats, and Nanette’s, and The Depot Coffeehouse. LuAnn of Everyday Wellness, and local vendor, was also a chairperson. Laura, of ELM Tree Essentials was a soap vendor, Champaign Locally Grown was one of the sponsors, along with Cosmic Charlie, of the horse drawn carriage. Dr. Dave Smith, of Freshwater Farms, was lovely to let us borrow his café tables and chairs. Local producer and landscaper, Matt Turner blew everyone away with his amazing landscape vignette and piano with a waterfall…we really ARE all things local, right out of this little local market.

And, then we have you, the customers…Thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you who were out in the streets supporting all of us. Thank you to those who came over to say hello and give me a hug…I was beyond exhausted but your support and love meant the world!

Local….thinking it, living it, supporting it, in all capacities…it makes us all feel…Groovy:)

So, for even more local love, it’s Sunday night. The market is ready to take your local love in the way of orders. It’s hot, is a busy week for most of you, order now so you can put the stress in our hands so you can get on with it!! Come on, you know you want to, you know you want to feel groovy…

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

It's Magic

Summer,it turns me upside down
Summer, summer, summer
It’s like a merry go round…
(The Cars – Magic Lyrics)

Nothing says summer more than the magic that herbs and seasonings can bring to all of your fresh, summer produce!!

I bring you an announcement from Joe and Charlene Stapleton of Swisher Hill Herbs…

Swisher Hill herbs says: “Celebrate the summer with fresh vegetables”. They have an herb combo to complement any dish; dill weed is great for green beans, cabbage or cucumbers or try SHH Italian Seasoning for your fresh tomato spaghetti and marinara sauces. SHH South of the Border will give fresh garden salsas, the kick it needs. Speaking of kicks try adding red pepper flakes to that garden pizza. keep a supply of our dip mixes on hand to blend with butter and spread it on roasted sweet corn or make a dip for that oh so good vegie tray. Last but not least, you will need ground cinnamon for all of the zucchini breads you will be making this summer.

And there you have it…bring the magic of summer produce alive with the right seasoning blends!

Thanks Swisher Hill Herbs!

When I Paint My Masterpiece

Someday, life will be sweet like a rhapsody…
When I paint my masterpiece…
(Grateful Dead – When I Paint My Masterpiece)

Well, first of all, thank you, thank you for a lovely market, this week!! We appreciate you all so much and we totally groove that you love our little local market, so much!!!

By keeping it real and keeping it local, you are painting the masterpiece to good health, local growth, and helping to build the local economy.

As you think about this masterpiece of local love, think about what you are doing, this weekend!! You can support all things local by venturing downtown to the 10th Annual Art Affair On The Square!!

Your market manager is a chairperson, your favorite local meat producer, Oakview Farm Meats, is a food vendor, new locally grown vendor, Nanette, will be a dessert vendor in her new food trailer, and, your local organics store/vendor/ LuAnn Shafer of Tastefully Simple is also a chairperson!

See the masterpiece of local? It all goes hand in hand…

As I open the market, once again, for the week, I urge you to think about the local masterpiece you are painting…let us be a part of that creation. Let us help you paint it, layer by layer, by placing your trust in our little local market of love…

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Thanks and goodnight!

The market is now closed for the week!

Thank you for making this another great market!!! Our local customers are so awesome!

If you ordered, we will see you at Thursday’s pick up!!

We thank you for your support!

Closing Time

So gather up your jackets, move it to the exits…
I hope you have found a friend…
Closing time
(Semisonic – Closing Time)

And here we are, again…Closing Time for our market. It’s Tuesday evening and we are just about a half hour from closing up shop for the week!

If you still need to order, grab your phone, grab your laptop, run to your PC…just make sure to grab your list and make your orders!

Closing time…don’t be left out…

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam