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This week at the market!

3/27/2015

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What wild weather we’ve been having! All of this late snow and rain have made for an interesting growing season for many of our year round producers. But all of that is about to change! Spring is here and the fields are greening. With the warmer weather, longer days and all of this rain, spring crops are coming up fast. This week at the market can expect to find many unique varieties of fresh greens. There will be lettuce, spinach, mesclun, mache, arugula, and salad mixes all in beautiful shades of green. So much variety, how do you choose! 

This weekend, we will have live music from the talented Christine Bauer and kids activities provided by the Dayemi Parent Child Collective. Representatives from SIU’s Touch of Nature Outdoor Laboratory and Retreat Center will be at the market talking about their summer programming. This week’s vendors will include:

  • All Seasons Farm (spinach, red romaine, salad mix, arugula and brown eggs)
  • La Colina Linda Farm and B&B (vegan gluten free breads and pastries, spinach, mesclun, mache, and some arugula)
  • Dayempur Herbals (Herbal tinctures and salves)
  • Thunder Ranch 5 (assorted pork products and seasonal produce)
  • Miller Farm (sweet potatoes)
  • Stuart’s Sweets (better than grandma's baked goods)
  • Homer Grown (GMO-Free yellow, white, blue and purple popcorn)

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This week at the market!

3/19/2015

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It’s going to be a great market this weekend! Lots of fresh produce, local meats and even Wild Alaska Salmon! We have a few new vendors this week: Flyaway Family Farms will be at the market with their gourmet mushrooms and Stuart’s Sweets will be back with better-than-Grandma’s baked goods! Looking for some local Easter inspiration? How about an doggie Easter dinner from Mario’s Mama or a fun crocheted basket from Tigerlily Studios? We will have After Barbed Wire singing tunes and kids activities with the Dayemi Parent Child Collective at the market this week. What a great way to celebrate the first day of Spring!

We are hosting Carbondale’s first ever Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Fair featuring All Season’s Farm, Angie’s Farm, Hollow Pumpkin CSA, SOIL Shares CSA and the SIU Sustainable Farm this Saturday. The CSA model is a great way for customers to get to know their farmers, eat seasonally and try new foods. CSAs are great for busy families looking to buy local and health conscious individuals and couples who are looking to eat more produce. CSAs are good for farmers too! They provide farmers with a stable source of income early in the growing season when farm expenses are highest. Stop by the market this Saturday to learn more about Community Supported Agriculture, talk with farmers and sign up for a CSA share of your own!

This week at the market:

CSA Farms:
  • Hollow Pumpkin CSA
  • Angie’s Farm
  • SIU Sustainable Farm to Fork CSA
  • SOIL Shares CSA
  • All Seasons Farm (spinach, salad mix, mushrooms and eggs)
All vendors:
  • Wild Alaska Salmon and Seafood (wild caught Alaska salmon) 
  • Union Springs Farm (spinach, microgreens, turnip green, small bok choy, Chinese cabbage and salad mix)
  • Yamamoto Honey and Shrooms (local wildflower and sunflower honey)
  • Flyaway Family Farm (oyster and shiitake mushrooms)
  • Dayempur Herbals (Herbal tinctures and salves)
  • Thunder Ranch 5 (assorted pork products and seasonal produce)
  • Mario’s Mama Pet Bakery & Frozen Treats (natural dog treats for your fur friends!)
  • Lick Creek Beef (assorted beef cuts)
  • Miller Farm (sweet potatoes and seasonal produce)
  • Jen’s Joe (coffee by the cup or pound)
  • La Colina Linda Farm and B&B (vegan gluten free breads and pastries)
  • K-Noodles (fresh made noodles in a variety of flavors)
  • Tigerlily Studios (creative knitwear and fun crochet Easter baskets) 

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CSA Fair 

3/17/2015

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We are excited to announce that we will be hosting Carbondale’s first ever CSA Fair on, Saturday March 21st from 9am-12pm. A CSA Fair is an opportunity for potential customers to get information about CSA programs, to meet area CSA farmers and to sign up for a CSA share for the 2015 season. There will be four or more regional farmers at the CSA Fair with information about their CSA programs, what to expect and how to sign up.

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and can also be referred to as subscription agriculture. Individuals, families or groups can sign up for a share in a CSA and will receive weekly distributions of vegetables. Some CSAs have pick up on farm, others have a pick up location where members receive their share, and some offer home delivery services. CSAs often offer a combination of common vegetables and seasonal fruits such as tomatoes, peppers, squash and salad greens, and lesser-known varieties such as bok choy and kohlrabi. Some CSAs allow for members to pick and choose what they would like to see in their share, while others encourage members to try new things by offering unique and heirloom varieties. 

CSAs are beneficial to both members and farmers. Members get the opportunity to try new foods, eat seasonally, and to build a relationship with their farmer. Farmers get the economic security of having a solid customer base throughout the season. This allows farmers to better plan on the farm, avoiding over production and wasted food, and gives farmers the much needed cast flow at the beginning of the season when most farm expenses occur.

“CSAs  help to connect people to farmers in a mutually beneficial relationship where farmers are able to have funds for supplies and getting to know their customers and customers  receive a weekly supply of food and other perks such as tours, recipes, workshops etc.,” says April Vigardt of the SIU Sustainable Farm CSA.” SIU Sustainable Farm will be at this Saturday’s CSA along with: Hollow Pumpkin Farm; All Seasons Farm; and Angie’s Farm. 

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This week at the market... we're turning green! 

3/13/2015

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I think Mother Nature must have heard my complaining, because it finally feels like spring this week! The birds and peepers are out singing that springtime chorus, the grass is greening and the trees are budding. The grass isn’t the only thing turning green around here; so are the veggies! We will have Union Springs Farm, La Colina Linda and All Seasons Farm at the market this weekend with microgreens, turnip greens, argulda, spinach, small bok choy, Chinese cabbage and salad mix. Yum! Also, check out the St. Patrick’s Day dog treats from Mario’s Mama and Irish Soda bread from La Colina Linda

There are lots of other goodies for sale at the market this weekend from the following vendors:

  • Dayempur Herbals (Herbal tinctures and salves)
  • Thunder Ranch 5 (assorted pork products and seasonal produce)
  • Mario’s Mama Pet Bakery & Frozen Treats (natural dog treats for your fur friends!)
  • Lick Creek Beef (assorted beef cuts)
  • Miller Farm (sweet potatoes and seasonal produce)
  • Jen’s Joe (coffee by the cup or pound)
  • La Colina Linda Farm and B&B (vegan gluten free breads and pastries and arugula)
  • Tigerlily Studios (creative knitwear and fun crochet Easter baskets) 
  • Union Springs Farm (spinach, microgreens, turnip green, small bok choy, Chinese cabbage and salad mix)
  • All Seasons Farm (spinach, salad mix)


And the winner is! 

Thanks for all who filled out the 2015 Customer Survey. You are amazing! We had a great response to our survey and learned so much about how to make the market a better experience for you. This is going to be the best market season yet!

And onto the winners of the give away. Congratulation Norah Olive, Angela Batson, Karen Jensen, Guyla Tripp, and Michelle Johanson! You have won a $20 gift certificate to Cristaudo’s and an Eat Southern Illinois t-shirt. Check in at the market information table to claim your prize! 

You can still sport an Eat Southern Illinois t-shirt whether you won the give away or not. The t-shirts are for sale at the market information table for $20. The shirts are a soft organic cotton, recycled polyester blend and are a great way to show your support for Southern Illinois food and farming. 





Did you know you can sign up to receive weekly updates about the market straight to your inbox? Follow the link below to sign up! 
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What to do with Sweet Potatoes 

3/9/2015

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It’s getting to that time in the season where I am growing tired of winter squash, sweet potatoes and hearty greens. Bring on the radishes, lettuce and peas, I say! But not so fast- there are still several weeks before spring produce really start rolling into the market.

Instead of complaining about the lack of green at the market, it’s time to embrace the orange flesh of a sweet potato. Many of you may think that sweet potatoes are only good for sweet potato casseroles and pies. Sweet, sweet potatoes dishes are great around the holidays, but I tend to rely on savory preparations throughout the season. Have you tried baked sweet potato fries? Simply slice your sweet potatoes, coat them in oil, spring some salt and pepper and bake at 400 until soft on the inside and crispy on the outside.

Sick of fries? Try a sweet potato hash for breakfast. Great with both diced and grated sweet potatoes. Fry an egg and plop it on top.  It’s affordable, too! Miller’s Tater Farm has sweet potatoes at a great price at the market every week. Prices range from $1-$1.25 per pound, or $.50 for a large sweet potato, that can last a family of two like mine several meals. It’s the one market staple I’ve relied on all winter season.

Check out the following link for some simple sweet potato recipes and head on out to the market this Saturday and stock up on some sweet ‘taters!

Click Here for Sweet Potato Recipes


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This week at the market!

3/6/2015

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Is it spring yet? The spring equinox is a mere 14 days away, and I sure am ready! Looking forward to fresh peas, tender greens, radishes, asparagus and other savory spring treats. Oh, and strawberries! Who could forget the strawberries! Strawberry season is typically the last two weeks of May and into June. Can’t wait!  What spring produce are you looking most forward to?

If all of this spring talk has you excited for local food, why not stop by the market this Saturday and stock up on local goods from the following vendors:

  • Dayempur Herbals (Herbal tinctures and salves)
  • Thunder Ranch 5 (assorted pork products and seasonal produce)
  • Mario’s Mama Pet Bakery & Frozen Treats (treats for your fur friends!)
  • Lick Creek Beef (assorted beef cuts)
  • Miller Farm (sweet potatoes and seasonal produce)
  • Jen’s Joe (coffee by the cup or pound)
  • La Colina Linda Farm and B&B (vegan gluten free breads and pastries) 
  • Tigerlily Studios (creative knitwear and crochet Easter baskets)
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Want to show your love for Southern Illinois food and farming? Why not buy a Food Works ‘Eat Southern Illinois’ tee shirt. The shirts are a soft organic cotton, recycled polyester blend and are being sold for $20. Only available at the Carbondale Community Farmers Market on Saturday mornings. 

Another way to get an Eat Southern Illinois t-shirt is by filling out our 2015 customer survey. We will be giving out a t-shirt and a $20 gift certificate to Cristaudo’s to FIVE lucky participants. Click here to complete your survey. Winner will be announced next Friday and prizes can be collected at the March 14th market. Check out this blog post for more information.

Did you hear? The market is now accepting credit, debit and EBT cards. Stop by the Carbondale Community Farmers Market information table and use your card to purchase market tokens that can be used like cash with any of our vendors*. Market tokens are available in $1 and $5 increments. A small $1 bank fee will be added on to all credit and debit purchases to cover the cost of operating the wireless machine. 

*Some restrictions apply with EBT purchases. Please consult the market manager with questions if you are new to using your Link Card at the market.




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Give Away at the Market!

3/2/2015

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The Carbondale Community Farmers Market will be giving away $20 gift certificates and t-shirts to FIVE lucky participants in our 2015 customer survey. We are looking to grow and improve the market and need input from you, our loyal customers. We have created a short survey to better understand who shops at the market, what they buy, and how they would like to see the market improved. The survey should take between 5-10 minutes. By completing the survey, your name will be entered into a drawing* for a chance to win one of five $20 gift certificates to Cristaudo's and a beautiful Eat Southern Illinois t-shirt. Winners will be announced on Friday, March 13th and prizes will be distributed on March 14th at the market. 

Never shopped at the market, but support our mission to provide local food to the Carbondale area? You can fill out the survey too! We are interested in not just those who shop at the market, but those who are interested in shopping at the market, but haven't made it yet. Tell us what keeps you from the market each Saturday and what we could do to make it easier for you to buy local all year round. 

So you like the market, and love free stuff, but what is Cristaudo's? Cristaudo's is a full service cater, cafe and coffee house located one block North of the Amtrak station in downtown Carbondale. They are also long time supporters of Food Works and have provided wonderful meals for our annual Food Works Dinner for FIVE years. We love Cristaudo's and think you will too! Check out there website for more information.



*Limit one entry per person

Click Here to Take Survey
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