Final Countdown

Hm. A longer update was promised quite awhile ago, but it's been a crazy spring visiting farms:

PrairiErth Farm in Atlanta, IL

Processing applications:

Incredibly messy desk

and making Market plans. Updating the Internet on our doings kind of fell by the wayside, so we offer apologies all around! There will absolutely be more updates now that the season gets underway... gulp... a week from tomorrow.

The Market is never the same year-to-year, so longtime patrons will notice some changes in 2012. Among them:

- New vendors. Every year we're lucky enough to have new vendors in every category. We're looking forward to PrairiErth Farm joining us this year (Row 4), as well as Ludwig Farmstead Creamery (Row 4) and a wide variety of food producers and artisans. Any vendor that has a website will get added to our sidebar soon. It's also worth noting that many of our vendors have Facebook pages now - if you go to the Market's Facebook page and check out our "likes", you'll see them. We're updating as fast as we can! If you're interested in becoming a vendor at the Market, check out out vendor information page.

- Missing vendors. Every year some folks decide not to come back - they retire, or they move on to other endeavors. While it's hard to list everyone who might not be back this year (some may decide to join us later in the season), we know Steve and Connie Owens have retired from the flower business. Fortunately, Connie's cousin, Glen, is in the same business growing a lot of the same flowers - glads, mixed bouquets, etc. You'll find Oosterhoff and Son at the north end of Row 2, where Steve and Connie's spaces were. Steve and Connie sold flowers at the Market for over 20 years and were absolutely wonderful to work with. Also not joining us this year are Charlie Draper and John Coppess. Both these gentlemen work with leather and made great stuff - we'll definitely miss them as they spend time with grandchildren (Charlie) and pursue a career in music (John).

- Community organization re-relocation. Looking for the Champaign County Democrats? How about the Eastern Illinois Foodbank, U of I's Science at the Market, CIMIC, the Forest Preserve, or a host of other groups? You'll find them in row 5, facing east, in the same row as the Crave Truck and hopefully a bunch of other food trucks/prepared food booths. If your group is interested in participating, the application materials are available here.

- City tent relocation. The City tent (and those of its partner agencies) will no longer blend in with the vendor booths at the north end of the Market. We'll be moving to the intersection of Walnut and High Streets at the northwest so we'll be the first thing you see if you enter the Market that way. We're where you get your Market Scratch tokens (credit, debit, and LINK accepted!), your Market T-shirts, and information about vendors, groups, performance, and City of Urbana programs and services. This means, however....

- Walnut Street/High Street intersection will be closed to through traffic. This is the intersection at the corner near Health Alliance - the one you walk through to get to Common Ground Food Co-op or Art Mart from the Market (or vice-versa). It's become a dangerous intersection over the years, especially with the increase in foot traffic to and from Lincoln Square from the Market. We also needed more room and higher visibility for the City tent. To remedy these situations, vehicular traffic will no longer be permitted through the intersection. We'll have signs on the gates to remind you as you approach. This will not affect the number of parking spaces or vehicles' ability to navigate the parking lots themselves. Please note that Lot 24, just south of the Market site (west of the dry cleaner's) has plenty of space open to patrons as well.

- Walnut Street Performance Area. On the last Saturday of each month (except October), in conjunction with the Urbana Public Arts Program's "Art at the Market" series, we'll present live acoustic performances from local musicians in the Walnut Street area, just west of the Market site. The talent's been booked, and we'll announce very soon who these artists are. Performers who still wish to busk within the Market site may still do so, as long as they register with the Market first and perform in approved spaces. If you're interested in performing, the application can be found here.

Change is good for the Market, but so is stability - we'll still have most of the excellent vendors you've gotten used to seeing and buying things from, Sprouts at the Market is still going strong (more info about Sprouts coming very soon), the Urbana Free Library will still be out to visit the first weekend of every month, and the Market's incredible good vibes will still abound. It's still the primary place for you, the eater, to meet the person who grew your food (or made your art!). It's important - and fun -  to develop relationships with local producers - we hope you'll join us May 5!

Yep

Longer update soon!

Season's Greetings

Might be easier to get into the holiday spirit if we had some snow - how ABOUT this weather?? - but we'll do our best anyway.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS, EVERYONE!

We'll be back in 2012 with news about what we're working on with the Market, stuff going on in the world of food, and much more. Thanks so much for all your support in 2011 - we look forward to seeing everyone on May 5, 2012.

Not-So-Hibernatey

People often wonder what Market staff is up to in the off-season. While we would certainly like to be holed up in a cave somewhere, snuggled under a warm blankie, sipping hot chocolate, and watching Muppet Show reruns on DVD, we're actually doing nothing of the sort. One word sums the off-season up pretty well:


Planning.


Policy nerds, market managers, and farmers enjoy getting together for conferences and exchanging ideas and best practices whenever they can, which is usually in the winter. The Illinois Grassroots Policy Advisory Committee will be having its annual meeting this week, and we'll be there; there's lots to talk about, both successes (Cottage Food Bill) and failures (a good national Farm Bill, for starters). UMATS will be speaking to growers about marketing themselves at one, and possibly two, Farm Beginnings gatherings in January, and will be speaking about community commitment to public markets at the Illinois Specialty Growers Conference, also in January. While we're there, we might be meeting with the Illinois Farmers Market Task Force for the first time, as well as with the steering committee for the fledgling Illinois Farmers Market Network, our statewide association. And it could be that we branch out of Illinois and deeper into the region by attending a conference put on by these folks in Ohio, but we're not sure yet.


Closer to home, we hope to have a Farmers Market Advisory Commission (possibly named something else) ready to go well in advance of the 2012 season, which starts May 5, 2012. There's also a report to deliver about the 2011 season to City Council sometime in January or very early February (for previous years' reports, click here). Applications for the 2012 season will also be available in very early February, and once those start rolling in... whoa. We'll also be working with the C-UPHD on firming up new local cottage food guidelines for food vendors, thanks to a brand new Illinois Cottage Food Bill going into effect January 1, 2012. Then there's the marketing plan, staff, social media upkeep, Sprouts and Art at the Market planning...


We're very much looking forward to the 2012 season and hope you are, too. In the meantime, you can get more frequent updates about our doings (and the doings of others that might interest you) via our Facebook, Twitter, and Google + feeds - links to those are on the right. If you're feeling particularly lonely for the Market on a snowy winter day, you can check out our Flickr page for some summery images - the link to those is on the right, too.


Stay tuned for more news!

Miss You Much

Remember - while we're done for the season, the Urbana Business Association's Holiday Market is just getting started. The two markets share lots of vendors, including fresh produce growers. We heard Jeff Meyer of Meyer Produce tell someone he'll have Brussels sprouts for the duration of the Holiday Market - best get over there. YUM.

In other news:

The strategic plan for the Market was passed by City Council on November 7. Look for more information about what this means for the Market and its future. You can get a pretty solid idea by checking out the plan, which is available here as a PDF. Here's the mission statement for the Market that was approved as part of the plan:

Urbana's farmers market is a vibrant market that connects the community with local food growers and producers, strenghtens our local food economy, provides access to local artisans, and serves as a community gathering place.

We're now on Google Plus, if you're so inclined to follow us there.

The Market starts 172 days from today. Trust that the planning has already started.

Final Weekend

More information about the Urbana  Business Association's Holiday Market at Lincoln Square, which starts 11/12 at 8 AM and runs through 12/17 at 1 PM, is available here. You can follow them on Facebook, too!

For those of you who are all about the outdoor farmers market experience in Urbana... it's coming to an end for the season after this Saturday's market. The weather forecast for this bittersweet day is auspicious - a chilly start in the 30s, but sunny and into the high 50s by the time we end the season at noon - and there will be food. Lots of food.

Not pictured: Some of the best carrots we've ever seen at the Market, huge piles of broccoli and cauliflower, some hanging-on-for-dear-life heirloom tomatoes, tons (literally?) of squash, and more. We would be remiss if we didn't mention how gorgeous the greens are right now, too. They're amazing!


While we won't have as many artisans at the Market as in weekends past, several of them are still out at the Market this weekend, hoping to help you get a head start on your holiday shopping. 


Speaking of potential gifts, this weekend will also be a great opportunity to pick up a Market T-shirt or shopping bag. The T-shirts are available in a variety of adult and kid sizes and are $10 ($8 for kids). The bags are roomy, sturdy, and made from recycled cotton - $15! Both items are great gifts. The staff at the City tent at the NW entrance to the Market will be happy to sell you either one (both?) of these.


Community groups, CraveTruck and Candide Roasteries will be in Row 4, ready to provide info, engagement, waffles, and strong coffee. 


Thank you so, so much for your patronage at the Market this season. Staff, vendors, community organizations, and musicians appreciate your support of their food, their work, and of the local economy. We're already looking forward to next season - we hope to have a new strategic plan in place and will be working hard to bring an even better Market to the community in 2012. Also, we'll be updating this blog periodically during the off-season with Market-related news and other items of potential interest to readers - please don't remove us from your feed readers or bookmarks! And remember - we invite feedback in comments, or you can always drop us a line via email.


In the meantime - swing by and say farewell to us. It'll be worth your time. The Market is smaller in size, but not in spirit on its last day. 

We're Not Done Yet!

The Market runs through November 5. For more information about the Urbana Business Association's Holiday Market, please click here.

Funny how some folks think farmers market season should be over by now. After all, it's late October! There's not much left in home gardens! No peaches, no sweet corn - no food, right?!


WRONG.

There's no shortage of food at the Market late in the season. If anything, there's more food available to all you eaters, not less. We didn't even get the photos of the fruit - apples and pears have been delightful.


Last week's chilly temperatures froze a few things out - the Owens family, whose cut flowers are a highlight of the Market every weekend, won't be back for the rest of the season due to the heavy frost they experienced - but you can expect the Market to look, food-wise, a lot like what you see above. That includes the sun, thank goodness.


While we have nothing official going on for Halloween this season, costumes are always encouraged at the Market on the weekend before, and treats are to be had at several vendor booths - and the City tent! Make sure you bit the entire Market. Speaking of...


... the Market will likely be consolidated into a total of 4 rows, including community organizations, this weekend. Yes - community organizations are still around - in fact the folks from Staerkel Planetarium will be there with two telescopes (one for safely viewing the sun!), the C-U Folk & Roots Festival will be there, CIMIC will be there, U of I UNICEF, and several others. Look for them on the east side of the Market, in the same row as Crave Truck (pumpkin waffles through 11/5!) and Candide Roasteries. 


By the way - don't forget the Market merch! We still have t-shirts left - men's and women's are $10 apiece, and kids' shirts are $8 - and just a few totebags remain (see photo in last week's blog entry) - they're 100% recycled cotton, are extremely roomy & durable, and are just $15. Come find 'em at the City tent.


The Market's draft strategic plan was presented to Urbana City Council's Committee of the Whole this past Monday night, and it looks good for passing the Council on 11/7. Thanks very much to everyone who provided input about the Market - it will help us do the best possible job with the Market in the short- and long-term future. You can watch the presentation here.


Thanks so much for all your support this season. Please come visit us these last two weeks!