The Weblog

The local foods movement is alive and well in Champaign County! Here are some updates on other projects while we finalize our virtual market:

Local Producers Map:
Our local producers map is ready for publication and you will soon be able to find it on gochampaign.com. Copies will be distributed around the community, in the local telephone book, and other “hangouts”. The guide lists the location and contact information for nearly 50 local producers within our county. The map was a project of the Local Food Council and printed with the help of some local sponsors including the Monument Square District, Champaign Bank, the Community Improvement Corporation, the Chamber of Commerce, the Farm Bureau and others. It is a great start to finding a local source for Champaign County’s finest!



 
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American Girl


Well, she was an American girl
Raised on promises
She couldn’t help thinkin’
That there was a little more to life somewhere else..(Tom Petty – American Girl)

I am that girl who loves a good celebration, loves a good fireworks display, loves to watch as we celebrate our country on July 4th.

I have lived all over since I left college in the mid 80s. I was the girl with constant wanderlust going where the wind would take me, in a way. My travels and the cities I have lived in have made me who I am. All of my early adventures in big cities, all of my learning experiences, all brought me to this little local town that I have called home for a very long time, now. Well, almost 16 years, but a long time for a girl who likes to live on the fly.

I was a flight attendant, for a few years, and it was the perfect career for this people oriented, social butterfly, girl on the go. I got to travel, I lived all over the place, I got to meet so many different people, and I experienced so much in that time of my life.

The life of a flight attendant isn’t for everyone. It was a crazy life with crazy hours spent with all kinds of crazy people. (Crazy good, crazy bad, depending on the day, the flight, the moon:) But, one of my favorite yearly times to work flights were over the July 4th holiday.

I used to fly the LAX to JFK all night flights. I was based in LAX, we were all a junior crew, we ruled the DC-10, and by the time we landed in NY, we had 32 hours to roam the city. But, with the night flights, on that holiday, we could cross each state, each little town, each big city, and be treated to amazing firework shows as we passed through the night sky.

To me, it was like big sparks of magic, exploding in celebration. I used to just stare down, think about the town, think about the people, think about the pride that each town was displaying in honor of this very important holiday.

I have spent many July 4th holidays in mountains, on beaches, one Grateful Dead concert, on rooftops of old apartments, where I resided, but nothing ever compared to the view that I was lucky enough to experience from the sky, looking down.

I used to wonder about the people who lived in those towns, about their local customs, about their daily lives, as I watched the light show. After all the years of running and exploring, I think I have finally figured out that local pride is all around, no matter where you live, no matter what you do.

We have amazing local pride right here, in Champaign County! You can feel it, everywhere. You can see it, everywhere. I like to think that this little local market is where I make my local mark, show my local love, make it all about my local pride.

This little local market makes this wandering hippie girl, who became your market manager, full of local love for both the market and the customers who come to us through this market.

As you begin your celebrations, think about what makes you proud in your community. Think about how lucky our community is to have so much local pride. Take some time, just to reflect…

The market is open until tomorrow evening at 10pm. We are bursting with all things local, all things that make us proud to offer to you! Get your lists ready, place your order, and let us take the work out of the week, for you!

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Turn On Your Love Light


Turn on your lights, let it shine on me…
Turn on your love light, let it shine on me…
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine…(Turn On Your Love Light-Grateful Dead)

So, we have totally been feeling the love that you all have been shining on us as our market numbers grow and grow in customers, vendors, sales. We have been feeling the local love fest so much that it just makes us truly want to turn on our love light for you, each and every day!

Building trust, building a customer base, building a vendor base, building the love, is a long and steady practice that needs constant attention, constant care, constant nurturing.

What I am seeing at this lovely little local market is an amazing balance of customers to vendors to happiness. Our customers are a varied bunch from all ages, all wants, all needs, but with a common bond of wanting the best, wanting to keep it local, and trusting us to give them what they desire.

Our vendors are a varied bunch, as well. We have all types of vendors, all doing separate/different amazing things and bringing the market the best of the best, each and every week, in our desire to keep it local, building those bonds of trust, and trying to always give the customers what they desire.

I am lucky to be able to sit behind the scenes and watch this little local love fest all unfold. I see what the vendors all bring to the table, I talk with them, each and every week, I hear their ideas, I hear their excitement, I witness all of the goodness that they put in front of us, each week. We have varied vendors bringing you eggs…each different, each amazing, and each building a customer following.

We have a large amount of bakers who are all doing their own thing, baking to their own philosophies, offering you baked goods without all the added junk that you would get by purchasing a box of processed baked goods at a mass chain store.

We have meat producers who bring us the best of the best in the county and surrounding counties. The customer base for our local meat producers is staggering! That speaks volumes about the trust that has been built between vendor and customer.

Our growers are beginning to show up with more and more produce. We have an AMAZING base of growers who are growing in new and different ways. I am excited to see the mingling of the established farmers beside these young and up and coming farmers. They are all learning from each other but the common bond is that they deliver the highest quality of what they are producing.

Our herbs, flours, and spices and garlic are all from local, chemical free farms, doing all of the work, all on their own. Long hours, a belief in what they are doing, and building a huge customer following through educating the customer, letting product tastings do the talking, and knowing that their season is short, so the excitement builds, each spring and summer, with these amazing products!

We have over the top, local berry and asparagus farms that bring in their seasonal products that are at the height of their flavor and nutrition. If you want to know excitement, sit with me, behind the computer screen as asparagus/strawberry/raspberry seasons all unfold…it’s a frenzy to watch!!

Local dairy is the freshest you will find and arrives to us, each week, ready to meet the great customer demands!

Our local fresh water fish farm delivers to our market and the customers are pleased to have so many of the options that come with the freshwater fish!

We have several jam, honey, and maple syrup vendors, as well as sorghum molasses…all with huge customer followings, all different products, all ready to fill the need of each customer!

Hands down, we do LOCAL, we are LOCAL, we are growing in numbers, we show no signs of slowing down, our only vision is how can we move to the next level, how can we bring even more customers into this little local love fest? How do we always tell our loyal local lovelies how much we always, always, appreciate their business?

We are all in this, together. We all want local, we all want to share the local love, and we all want the market to exceed beyond our wildest imaginations.

So, take a bit of time, today, to plan your week. It is a holiday week which means it is going to get crazy for you. If you take a few quiet moments, now, to place your orders for your weekly needs and for your July 4th weekend needs, you will be happy, relieved, stress free, and ready to celebrate.

Turn on your love light while we turn on our love light. Together, we are making this little local love fest really happen!

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Whatever Gets You...


Whatever gets you through the night
It’s alright, alright
It’s your money or your life
It’s alright, alright…
(John Lennon – Whatever Get’s You Through)

I am late, late, late for a very important….market opening!! I am so very sorry but when I left the market, I had a long, much needed, regrouping/venting conversation with a good friend/amazing vendor, and there are just times, where you just put a friend, in front of all things.

We have been friends for a long while, I respect her, she respects me, we have built our businesses almost side by side but by different means, different directions.

In the early days, we were just trying to make it all work, trying to find our places in this little local world. We shared tears, we shared laughter, we shared countless, countless bottles of wine. We planned, we dreamed, we worked with each other, and we helped each other. Those days were long, the hours tremendous, the joy, well, not always. Not like it is today. We were just building the love of our customers. One tiny, little customer base at a time. We have come so far, worked so hard, said hello to so many dreams, and have so many more tricks up our sleeves.

So, tonight, it just meant a lot, to have a long conversation, to revisit, to just relive those long days/nights where we all just helped each other get through it all.

Loyalty…I posted a simple quote of this word, this morning, on my personal Facebook page. Loyalty in friendship and in business. I had no idea it would speak to so many friends. But, it did. A small word, a simple thought, but an entire world in it’s meaning.

Just like an old, treasured friendship that we are all loyal to, I feel this loyalty spilling into our little local market. The friendships of customers and vendors, the loyalty in the bonds we are building, and the solid foundation that comes from so many of these building blocks.

Tonight, I open the market and I am smiling at the loyalty that you all show us and the loyalty that we feel towards you, the customers.

We are so happy to be whatever gets you through your week, your day, or your night…we appreciate each of you!!

Just a quick note!!! This week is the market right before the July 4th holiday!! Think about all that you will need for grilling, entertaining, serving desserts, fruits, veggies…whatever your holiday needs may be, I feel that we have it all for you!!

As always…we thank you for keeping it all local and for showing us that loyal local love.

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Meet Me At The Jubilee...


Shake it, shake it, Sugaree…(Grateful Dead-Sugaree)

Well, meet me at the market instead of the Jubilee but it’s still always a great evening at market pick up!!

A few things before this evening!

The Cosmic Coupon of Love winners are…Janet Corbin and Marcia Cope!!

The Market Love Playlist winners are…Tracy Bleim and Elaine Halterman!!

We look forward to seeing each of you, this evening, who placed an order!! When you arrive, you be able to be the first market group of customers to see our shiny, new, professional shelving, cabinets, and counter!! Make sure to give your market volunteer/market assistant, Mark Runyan, a HUGE thank you for seeking out the equipment, getting the price quotes, presenting the quotes to the YMCA and for then taking the last couple of evenings to assemble all of the shelving!!

Have a great day!!

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Thank You For The Local Love!


Thank you for an amazing market, Locovores!!

You totally rocked it!!

Thank you for your orders and we will see you all at Thursday’s pick up!

Again, you are amazing!!

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

My Reminder


You now have 15 minutes before the market closes for the week!

Make it work…

The Rains Came


Locavores!! It got really super stormy and rainy, out there, this evening!!

If you were part of my vendors up at the Mechanicsburg Farmers and Artisans market, we all JUST made it into our cars after an amazing market!! The drive back to town was really dark and eerie.

But, home safe and sound, and sending out the evening reminder to get your orders in! This market is rain, shine, sleet or snow….we never close for weather. So, grab your lists, see what you still need to order, and get groovin’!

You have until 10pm, this evening. I will give you a last call, and then I will give you closing time shout out!

Don’t miss out on the fun…get your orders in, we are having an AMAZING market of high numbers, and we want to see your smiling faces at order pick up!!

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Rainy Days....


Hangin’ around, nothin’ to do but frown
Rainy days and Tuesdays (Mondays) always get me down…
(The Carpenters – Rainy Days And Mondays)

That’s right…it’s not Monday but it is Tuesday and it is supposed to be a rainy type of day, today.

Why not make the most of it and kick back, look at the market, and get your orders in? As of midnight, last night, this market is breaking a record for this time of the week, we brought in record amount of brand new customers, and we have so much to offer, and so many new vendors who seem to be joining us, weekly!

Take the rainy day and make it a day of sunshine…order, feel good about the local love, and feel good about the goodness that will await you on Thursday!

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

Hey now ! Hey now !


Talk-in’ ’bout, Hey now ! Hey now !
(Iko, Iko…Grateful Dead)

Hey, now is right!!

Just letting all of you Locavores know that you are setting this week’s market on FIRE!!!

It is Monday evening, we have until tomorrow night at 10pm, but we have set a Monday record!!

Keep it coming, get your weekly orders in, let’s see how far we can take this little local market before we close it, tomorrow!!

*This week, there will be TWO Market Love playlist winners!!! Get your groove on!!

I leave you with a market full of options, an entire evening ahead of you to place orders, the potential to win a fun Market Love playlist, and the best part?? We take all the work out of your week! Just take a bit of time to place your order and then we take over!

Hey, now!!

Peace and Love,
Cosmic Pam

The Weight


I picked up my bag and I went lookin’ for a place to hide…(The Band-The Weight)

Well, I bring you this Monday morning weblog from my morning office aka my lovely front porch. I should be busy baking, busy racing around, busy scanning and emailing forms for Art Affair, emailing minutes and an agenda to members of another board that I serve on, getting my daughter ready to move to Knoxville, catching up on the one million things that make up my life.

But, other plans must have been in store for me and well for my surrounding area of the county. We are all without power. At first, I was highly annoyed, highly paranoid about not being able to start my mountain of obligations.

Then, I wandered out to my front porch with the only cup if coffee I managed before the power went out, and I sat on the front step. My face is drinking in the early sunshine, I am listening to birds, enjoying the view, and realizing that for just this moment, I am enjoying not having the weight of things calling my name.

Sometimes we have to be forced into a timeout from life to make us just sit, think, breathe, regroup.

This cannot happen, often, but today, just for a moment, I just really needed the time.

Take your own time, today, and look at our market offerings. Think about how ordering can take a huge weight off of you and your week.

Taking that small step can free you and your mind. Go ahead..