August 2nd through 9th marks National Farmers’ Market week! Surely you’ve seen the new stamps, decorated with the sort of bounty one might find in late summer or early autumn in central Illinois. And with close to 350 markets just in Illinois, there is NO excuse not to get out and visit one.
If you’d like to see The Land Connection at the market, here’s a short rundown of our planned market appearances this fall. It’s a pretty overwhelming tour of duty, so we hope to see some friendly faces stopping by!
August 9: Urbana’s Market at the Square. We’re so excited to be doing the Art at the Market for this week, so stop by our tent near the west parking (not across from the Cracked truck this time!) and stamp some okra, roll some corn and see what other vegetables we found for you to paint with.
August 16: Springfield’s Old Capitol Farmers’ Market. We’ll be at the northwest corner of Adams and 4th. I’m especially excited to be visiting this market because I lived in Springfield for several years, and worked on a farm there for three years. It’ll be like going home.
September 6: Downtown Bloomington Farmers’ Market. The Land Connection was based there for over a year before moving to Champaign, and many of our Farm Beginnings graduates farm in that area.
September 13: Urbana’s Market at the Square AND Peoria’s Riverfront Market. That’s going to be a busy one.
September 27-28: Salt Fork River Art Fest at Sleepy Creek Vineyard. 10-6 on Saturday, 11-4 on Sunday. Two WHOLE DAYS to see TLC!
I’m a little sad that we haven’t gotten to go table at as many markets this summer for The Land Connection as we could have – it is so much fun to get out there and talk to people! It’s always awesome when someone walks up and tells us they get the Weekly Harvest (and you can too! Sign up here!). What is even more satisfying, though, is when you meet someone who has never heard of The Land Connection and gets super excited about what we offer. The hardest part is getting people to come and talk to us when not much is going on, but if you can get one person to come play Cards Against Agrarianship, or to participate in Stephanie’s Humans of the Farmers’ Market project, more will follow.
As the song goes, nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd. So be part of that farmers’ market shopping crowd, visit The Land Connection at a market near you, and eat fresh, local, delicious food.
