Full Swing

School's in session, the weather is just barely thinking about starting its seasonal shift, and the Market, we expect, will be hopping this weekend.

The summer trifecta (sweet corn, tomatoes, and peaches) is still widely available at Market stalls. Peaches are winding down, though, so if you want the best selection you need to get to the Market soon. Happily, peak sweet corn and tomatoes will be around for weeks to come. 

Other produce - berries, greens, potatoes, summer squash & zucchini, cukes, beans, onions, okra, melons, and just about all summer produce will be widely available this weekend.


[Speaking of sweet corn, Urbana's Sweet Corn Festival starts this Friday in downtown Urbana at 5 PM and goes 'til 11 PM. The Festival continues Saturday from 11 AM - 11 PM. Corn, food vendors, activities for kids, lots of music - it's THE classic way to bid August adieu. ]


Community organizations attending the Market this weekend: Eastern Illinois Foodbank, Campus Middle School For Girls, Illinois Club, Crisis Nursery, Mothers & More, CIMIC, TIMES Center, U of I Nanotechnology, The Land Connection, and several others. The organizations provide interested patrons with information about their activities and possible volunteer opportunities, and like our farmers and vendors, are "homegrown". Check 'em out on the west side of the Market!


If you ever have any questions about the Market, you're welcome to go to the City of Urbana tent, located at the NW entrance to the Market, and ask. Staff there also accept lost and found items, can run your credit, debit, or LINK cards for tokens (especially great if you have the LINK card or have run out of cash), sell you one of our very popular T-shirts and/or tote bags, and can take feedback directly/hook you up with one of our "Something to Crow About?" comment cards. They're there to help!


As mentioned over the last couple of weeks, the Market is now doubling LINK token purchases up to $20 per card, per Market day. More information is here, or you can ask the staff at the City tent to help you out. The program has been a huge success thus far, but we want more new shoppers coming to the Market and using these resources. Do us a favor - help us spread the word about this program. It really is something we're so excited to be able to do, and part of our outreach plan is to use word of mouth in addition to posters and brochures.


Farmers markets have been in the news quite a bit these days:


You can vote for your favorite farmers market at this contest sponsored by the American Farmland Trust. If you want to vote for us (and we hope you do), click on the "large markets" tab at the link above and cast your vote.


Grist asked the question: Too many markets? Or not enough farmers? The article is interesting... and so are the comments. What do you think?


Here's another piece on the subject... and this piece is also related...


Finally, watch this space for more information on an event about the central Illinois food system featuring food systems analyst Ken Meter of the Crossroads Resource Center in Minneapolis, MN. We're co-presenting it with Common Ground Food Co-op on Saturday, September 10. Details coming soon!

Welcome!

Urbana-Champaign, as we type, is going  from a sleepy and quiet and summery college town to a wired, populous, and still quite summery bustling mini-metropolis. The U of I students are returning - or arriving for the first time - and it's though a giant has been awakened. While summer in U-C is lovely, there's something about the energy that comes with the student population that's transformative. We're glad you're here.


So! New here? Or - returning student who couldn't make it to the Market back in May? We'd love to have you visit the Market this weekend - bring your families, if they're still here! The fresh food, produce, and flowers are peaking right now, so if you're looking for amazing local eats, this is the place. We also offer up a variety of baked goods and prepared foods to augment the fresh stuff. Really, the Market is lucky to have such exceptional growers and food providers.


Oh - in case you weren't aware (and this is good to know if you run our of cash at the Market), the Market accepts credit, debit and LINK cards. The new LINK Double Value program, launched just last weekend, is going to be a huge success, if the launch is any indicator. WCIA even came out and did a segment about it. Many thanks to those who came to the Market for the very first time - we hope you'll be back. 

Local artisans are showing their work every weekend, too. This weekend you'll see paintings, jewelry of all kinds, blown glass, textiles, photography, leatherwork, woodwork, furniture, and more - perfect for gifts or dressing up your living space a little bit.


Look, too, for performance. We don't have a schedule of performers - our performers are busking throughout the Market. You might hear bluegrass, folk,acoustic indie rock, solo ukelele, one-man percussion, and who knows what else on a swing through all six rows of the Market.


If you're new to town and are looking for volunteer opportunities, or just want to find out what else is going on in the area, our community organizations area is the place to go on Saturday. This weekend you can talk to folks from the Eastern Illinois Foodbank, AWARE, CIMIC, St. Patrick's, Community Center For the Arts, Community Blood Services of Illinois, CARE Center, and several animal rescue groups will be in attendance, too. The organizations will be more than happy to talk with you about their efforts.


Special events coming up - Art at the Market on 8/27, the Urbana Free Library will be out 9/3, and our next Sprouts at the Market event will be 9/17 in partnership with the U of I's Family Resiliency Center.


We're glad to have you back!

It's Farmers Market Week!

We love the fact that there's an entire week dedicated to farmers markets - to the growing, purchasing, and consuming of local foods, to commerce and relationship between producer and consumer, to encouraging people to get out and socialize and see what else is in the area. Farmers markets are great for everyone. Here's how the Farmers Market Coalition (we're proud members) has laid it out:

Seven Days, Seven Ways to Celebrate Farmers Market Impacts

Sunday, August 7^th: Farmers markets and community education
Innovative partnerships that allow markets to serve as hubs of information

Monday, August 8^th: Farmers markets and public health 
Promoting good nutrition and healthful habits

Tuesday, August 9^th : Farmers markets as economic engines
Business incubation, job development, and local spending

Wednesday, August 10^th: Farmers at the center of the system
Governance and policies that put farmers first

Thursday, August 11^th: Farmers markets and food equity
Improving access to healthful foods in underserved neighborhoods

Friday, August 12^th: Farmers markets and civic engagement
Growing social capital and engaging volunteers

Saturday, August 13^th: Farmers markets and rural renewal
Supporting agricultural diversity and farm viability, while inspiring a new generation of producers

Good stuff. It's all really important to us, but the food equity piece is especially important. We've been accepting the LINK card since 2010, and in 2011 season we received a grant to double the number of LINK tokens requested by patrons using their LINK card - up to $20 per card, per Market day. This is a great way for people receiving LINK benefits to stretch resources, and for farmers and food producers to get their foods into new households. Win-win! For more information about the new LINK Double Value program, click here. The program's debut is this weekend.


[And, yes, that photo of peaches on the page linked above was taken at our market!]


This weekend's weather is suddenly starting to look a little touchy. Of course, you'd never let a little rain stop you from snapping up the best in-season locally grown stuff, would you?

And  even though we're all about the food for Farmer Market Week, don't forget that our prepared food vendors and our artisans contribute hugely to making the Market what it is today. You have to explore all five rows to get the real idea.


Also this weekend:

It's our annual corn event for Sprouts at the Market. Sprouts is nutrition and farm linkage programming for kids ages 3-8 - it starts at 9, runs until 11, is completely free, and features samples of corn in its many forms and lots of cool facts about corn. All kids finishing all tables at the Market receive a Certificate of Participation, which they can then take over to Art Mart Toys for a 20% discount. NOTE: If it's raining at 8:30 on Saturday or rain is imminent, we'll be canceling the event. Stay tuned for a possible rain date.


Community groups participating this week on the west side of the Market: Vet Med, Chambana Moms, Urbana Business Association, Eastern Illinois Foodbank, Sierra Club, CIMIC, UP Center, The Land Connection, Habitat For Humanity, and several others. These folks have their finger on the pulse of what's happening in our area, and are especially good resources if you're looking for volunteer opportunities this fall. Check them out!


Finally, a warm welcome/welcome back to U of I students and faculty. Best wishes for a great semester - we hope to see you out at the Market each Saturday through November 5!

Spice of Life

Variety, that is. And we have it at the Market this weekend (well, and every weekend!):

We're so lucky to have all these farmers and creators and entrepreneurs coming to the Market and offering up this gorgeous food and these lovely works of art.

Quickly, because this post is late - we want to announce that the Market very recently won a LINK UP Illinois grant to start doubling the value of LINK token purchases at the Market - up to $20 per card per Market day. This means that, starting August 13, if you bring your LINK card to the Market and swipe it for $20 in LINK tokens, you'll receive $40 in LINK tokens to spend on fresh food in the Market. It's good for our patrons, it's good for our vendors, and it's good for the Market. Much more information about how the Double Value Program will work can be found right here. Big ups to Experimental Station, Wholesome Wave, and Illinois Farmers Market Network for putting this grant program together.


The weather's looking good and the food's looking even better - plenty of community organizations (they're on the west side of the Market, right between our two main entrances) and performers will be rounding things out, too. Oh - and  the City of Urbana's Downtown Plan will be up for review at the Market this Saturday -  look for them by the City of Urbana and Urbana Free Library tents, located near the NW entrance to the Market.

See you out there - thanks, as always for your support.

Keeping It Local

The Market, this time of year, can almost function as a one-stop shop.

Not pictured: the vast amount of other fruits and vegetables at the Market, the Market's bread, flour, and pasta offerings. The meat, cheese, honey, and eggs aren't pictured, either (we can't get to everything!). You can get flowers for your table, and gifts for your guests. There are clothes and soaps. There are treats for your pet and treats for yourself. And all of it is grown, prepared, or otherwise handmade by Illinois vendors. Come see us this weekend - community groups and performers will be out as well to round out the Market


Urbana's Market at the Square is also a big supporter of other markets - the more local foods and goods available in the community, the better. Our Market isn't alone out there. 


Tuesdays, Market vendor Prairie Fruits Farm opens its farm just north of town to the public, offering not just their cheeses and gelato, but also produce from Blue Moon Farm and breads from Pekara Bakery & Bistro. Visitors can also hang with the goats and check out the farm. This on-farm market runs from 3-7 each Tuesday. More information can be found at their website.


Also on Tuesdays, the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District offers up a small farmers market at their facility on Kenyon Road in Champaign. For more information, call 217-352-7961.


Wednesdays, Market vendor Kleiss Produce sets up their market, with others, in the Country Fair Shopping Center on Mattis in Champaign. Click here for more information. They're there from 7 AM - 1 PM.


Thursdays, the University of Illinois' Sustainable Student Farm sells its farm-grown produce at their stand on the Quad, just south of the Union, starting at 11 AM and running until 5 PM or sellout. Drop by and check out their produce - Zack and his crew are always happy to talk about what they're up to at the farm.


Also on Thursdays, there's the Historic North First Street Market near downtown Champaign. This afternoon market runs from 3-7 PM and is perfect for some post-workday shopping. This market runs through the last Thursday in August.


Markets are a fantastic opportunity to meet face-to-face with people producing your food and other goods. We hope you make ours a stop this Saturday - the last Saturday in July!

Summer Trifecta

First of all? It's going to be hot. There's no way around it. We provides water at our tent, but if you're coming to the Market for an extended visit, you might want to bring your own water, too. A hat and some sunscreen wouldn't hurt, either. Things will really start warming up after 9 AM, so come early if you can.


It'll be worth it, for...

...the Holy Trinity of Summer has arrived. For the next bunch of weeks we'll have all three, but starting right now - July -  to mid-August? The absolute, ultra-peak time for peaches, sweet corn, and tomatoes. Maybe even in the same meal. Probably not the same dish.


Other produce: berries galore, summer squashes and zucchini, cucumbers, onions, garlic, carrots, peppers, beans, lettuces, beets, okra, potatoes, cabbage, and much more. You'll get the best feel for what's at the Market if you shop all the rows - don't miss a trick.


Of course, great companions to these showpieces of the Market include the other farm-raised foods - the meats, the cheeses, the farmstead gelato, the honey, and the eggs. And no table would be complete without fresh flowers - the glads are in and we wouldn't be surprised to see some tuberose in the mix this weekend, but it's not for certain.


Prepared foods: CraveTruck will be offering up fresh street waffles in the SE corner of the Market. Fryer Tuck will be providing their delicious breakfast sandwiches, among other things, in the same area. Bakeries located throughout the Market will be selling pies, cupcakes, breads, cookies, pastries, cakes, and other lovely things. Pasta Alley offers up handmade pasta in Row 4. Barb's Jams & Jellies sells those things and more in Row 5. The Moo Mobile will be selling  ice cream ("breakfast ice cream" is big at our house in the summer) in Row 5 and the kettle corn will be in Row 3, as always.


Artisans visiting this week will offer photography, glass, jewelry, leatherwork, woodwork, soap, textiles, and more. Beautiful work from local artists is a Market staple.


Community groups, now located on the west side of the Market, come to let everyone know what's happening in our community. This week, our visitors include the Urbana Business Association, the UP Center, AWARE, the Eastern Illinois Foodbank, Urbana Park District, Amasong, the Champaign County Forest Preserve, and several others. These groups have much to offer - news, volunteer opportunities, and much more. 


The next Art at the Market event is July 30, and the next Sprouts event - all about corn - is August 13. We'll see you out there!

Beautiful & Bountiful

Here are some photos of produce from last weekend's Market - taking snaps of the stuff can't be helped. It's so ATTRACTIVE in the early morning light. We threw in some particularly lovely candles and pendants for good measure.

C'mon. Look at those blueberries. You can look at these photos in larger sizes and other photos from the Market here. 


Produce this week will look a lot like what you see above, plus some sweet corn, peaches, green beans, salad greens, kale & chard, fresh herbs, potatoes, peppers, and more. Other farm products - honey, farmstead gelato and goat cheese, meats, and eggs. Don't forget the other yummy stuff - the baked goods and the prepared foods. YUM.


Special to the Market this week: 


Sprouts at the Market will be in full effect from 9 AM - 11 AM. There will be several tasting stations, chicks to pet at the Land Connection's booth in the community groups area, certificates of participation for all kids completing all stations, and plenty of nutrition information. All the farmers who donated produce to this workshop will be wearing Sprouts nametags and will be happy to chat with kids about their farms. Bring your Sprout (the workshops are geared for kids ages 3-8) to the Market! The Sprouts tent will be located near the NW entrance to the Market.


The Market's strategic planning effort is moving into another public input stage, this time about a draft version of the plan. Please visit the tent they'll have set up near the NW entrance to the Market and give your feedback, ask questions, etc. 


Community groups visiting this weekend: Baroque Artists of Champaign-Urbana, REGAP (greyhound rescue), ChambanaMoms, AWARE, The Land Connection (with baby chicks!), Community Center For the Arts, Vet Med, and several others. Come see what's happening in your community - the groups are located on the western end of the Market, between our two main entrances.


We appreciate the support we've received over the years. There's an easy way to support us by just clicking a few times - go here to vote for us as a favorite farmers market in Illinois. We're in second place right now!


See you this weekend...