Market # 4 already? No way. It seems like just yesterday we were bundled up and hoping for a few greens and asparagus. The recent rains have washed away and It looks like we’re going to have some decent weather — warm and partly sunny — so make sure you add the market to your schedule, because you’re not going to want to miss all of this:
- – asparagus
- – salad mix
- – bok choi
- – green onions
- – cabbage
- – lettuce
- – spinach
- – radishes
- – chard
- – kale
- – rhubarb
- – cucumbers
- – strawberries!!!
- – maybe a few hothouse tomatoes
- – fresh herbs
- – certified organic plant starts
- – goat cheese
- – locally-raised eggs and meat
- – 100% legal “indie” baked goods, including bagels, pies, foccacia, English muffins, baguettes, pastries, YUM
- – flowers and plants
- – art and crafts from local artisans
Basil’s Harvest (from near Peoria) will be in Row 5 with their prepared foods (sauerkraut, pasta, etc), the folks from The Red Oak in Bishop Hill, IL will be offering their inimitable pies in Row 5 as well, and Tiny Greens has extremely healthy/tasty breakfast alternatives, also in Row 5. There’ll be produce in every row at the Market this week, too, so keep looking! (If there’s one thing we can’t emphasize enough, it’s shopping all five rows of the Market — we’d hate for you to miss anything.)
Joining the Market from Chicago this week: Molly Bitters, whose amazing jewelry can be found here and here.
This week also marks the first Sprouts at the Market event. Sprouts is the Market’s “nutrition and farm stuff” programming, offered four times per year (other events will be held July 25, August 22, and October 24). This week’s event will center around seasonal eating in late spring in Illinois; Sprouts Leader Jen Hewitt will lead a short workshop at the beginning of each session, and then kids go through the Market on a scavenger hunt of sorts, with food samples along the way. Sessions are at 9 a.m., 9:30 a.m., 10 a.m., and 10:30 a.m.. Space is limited, so please arrive early to sign in at the City of Urbana tent (NW entrance to the Market). One last thing: any kid who participates in all four Sprouts events will receive a free t-shirt after the last session, but we’ll have shirts for sale, too…
Call Market Director Lisa Bralts with questions at 384-2319, or email ljbralts@city.urbana.il.us .