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Resource Fri Jan 04 2008
More than "ice"berg lettuce this winter
If you're a fan of farmers markets here in Chicago, you probably mourn the day when your market closes in the fall. Well, the next three months don't have to be a barren wasteland of mass produced bland thanks to Local Harvest and Churches' Center for Land and Peoples. You may not be able to get tomatoes and peas, but you will be able to find "cheese, meat and poultry, soap, syrup, eggs, honey, wool and woolen goods, raw fibers, vinegars, dried herbs, dried fruits, milled flours, fruit butters, sauces and salsas, preserves, cider, seasoned firewood.....in short, anything that a farm grows or produces from what they grow." Check the calendar for when and where to find the indoor markets and to see which locations will have cafes, electronics recycling, or serve brunch. And if you happen to be a member of a congregation that would like to host a market, or if you are a farm owner looking for a place to sell your wares, give Robin Shimer a call.
One of my favorite aspects of this is that there is no fee for the farmers to attend. Once they hit a sales baseline, they'll donate a portion of their proceeds to the Harvest of Hope Fund that provides small payments to farmers who find themselves in crisis. How can I not love good food that supports farmers during lean months to raise funds used to support farmers who can then make more good food?
