Glenwood Sunday Market

We just have two weeks left of our second outdoor season!  On one hand, it seems impossible that the spring and summer have turned to autumn and that its time to go inside for awhile.  On the other hand, it will be nice to have a Sunday morning or two when I get to sleep past 5:00 a.m.! 

Another thing that's amazing me is that this is just the second season of the Market.  I don't know about you, but I feel like I've been getting together on Sunday mornings with the farmers and food artisans and all of you shoppers for much longer than these 40 weeks we have spent out on Glenwood Avenue.  I hope that is your experience too. 

Of course, we had some tough weeks this year.  Lots of rainy Sundays made for some days when we were so pleased to see you to venture out. Overall, the vendors have been so pleased with the wonderful Rogers Park community again this season. 

Let me just say thanks, too, for engaging in the many market-related activities we put together this year from Hog Wild and the Ice Cream Social to SQUASH! and Talk Like a Pirate to Wellness an Pet Days.  We all hope that these events put a little extra excitement into your Sundays and we will continue with more fun things to see and do next year.

Our Winter plans continue forward with a few hiccups.  We are thrilled to be able to have our Holiday Markets at The Glenwood Bar on November 13, 20 and December 11.  Still looking for a January - May site.  And we're going to add a special new Holiday event in December, too...more on that next week, but it will definitely be a humdinger!

Sheree Moratto

Market Director

It is definitely embarrassing that we haven't put up any blog posts in nearly a year, but believe me, we have our reasons!  Not long after last year's Winter Market Season began, I got a real full time job with another organization, so I took it, of course.  Problem was, none of us realized that without having a person or two paying full or at least part time attention to the Market meant Season 2 got off to a bit of a rocky start.

Happily, I was able to return to the Market full time on July 1, 2011 and between my efforts and those of part time Market Manager, Ann Hinterman, we are feeling less rocky and more stable.  We are still working hard to develop the right mix of vendors and we really want to maintain that grassroots community involvement that makes the Glenwood Sunday Market the favorite of all the vendors.

I was thinking today that this past year has really flown by.  I was really struck by the swift passage of time with the first appearance of  Earth First last week with the first of their apple crop.  It was a real thrill to have them because last year they lost their crop to an invasive weevil.  I really couldn't believe it had been an entire year since I heard about that devastating experience.  We are sure happy to have them with us this year!

And now on to a shameless plug for a product we are strongly supporting...

One thing that really bugs me (pardon the pun) is when my CSA veggies from Montalbano Farms don't get eaten up fast enough.  Especially the green beans.  I love fresh beans and yet cooking them well after a 9 hour day at the Market, I often decide to cook them a few days later.  Which turns into the next Thursday.  And they've been sitting in a plastic bag from the grocery store, still edible but bruised and a little bitter.  So, last week, I took the plunge and decided to try out the Produce Stand bags from Chico Bag that we decided to sell as a fundraiser. Wow!!! Checked the green beans this morning and they still look and taste great!  I am amazed.  I strongly recommend these bags.  You can get the cute little set for $16.00 and sets of three of the same bag for $12.00.  And every purchase supports the Market!

Happy Local, Sustainable Shopping,

Sheree Moratto

Market Director

It seems like such a short time since that glorious last Indian Summer day in October- The last day of the Summer Markets.  While the time has flown by, the pantry is most certainly bare, so it was with great joy and deep pockets that Lauren arrived this morning at the Glenwood Sunday WINTER Market.  Thanks to our friends at The Glenwood, we were warm, dry, and everyone seemed in good spirits and in the mood to spend!  We were excited at the thought of canned and jarred preserves, honey, tea, baked goods and frozen goodies from Crafthouse and Mint Creek, but (in spite of the recent stretch of 65+ degree days) were delightfully surprised to find that our produce farmers are still - well - producing!  Cabbage, broccoli, squash (this time of the winter variety), onions, garlic and glorious fresh spinach).  The pantry, now bursting at the seams, is gloriously full of possibilities.  What's for dinner in YOUR house this eve?

Hugs & dried basil (after all, it's a winter market, people),

Lauren and Ann

Co-Chairs, Learn & Grow: Education at the Glenwood Sunday Market

p.s. Learn & Grow is working to plan specialty workshops throughout the winter months.  Stop by our table at the next winter market for more info on these events and sign up!  Composting, knife skills, sustainability and more!

photo courtesy of Eddie Eng www.eddophotography.com

Yesterday was truly bittersweet.  On that final day of our first season of outdoor markets, the air was clean and crisp, the sun was shining, shoppers were plentiful (as was the produce) and the entertainment stellar.

It is hard to put into words how gratefull we are to all the folks who have made the Glenwood Sunday Market not only possible, but a huge success!  From Sheree, our fearless market manager, to Alderman Joe Moore and all of our fantastic sponsors, all of the faces behind the scenes at the market have worked their tails off to provide what we believe is a truly unique market experience.

At the Learn & Grow Tent, we have had a remarkable summer and just want to give a nod of appreciation to some folks that have been pivotal in our edu-initiatives:

The presenters: We've been lucky to have chefs and bakers, and farmers and foragers and composters who were willing to share their skills with our market-goers. 

The volunteers: From hanging up signs, to passing out flyers; from chopping tomatoes to shredding newspaper to serving coffee to feeding biscuits to market dogs, we could not have done anything this summer without our fantastic team of volunteers

The vendors: Our vendors are awesome.  They know more than we do, and let us ask them questions so that we can answer yours.  Ours vendors graciously donated their time and their products by volunteering to give demos and providing us with delicious items for tastings and taste-offs throughout the season.

and, finally:

YOU! We are so grateful for the vibrant community of market patrons, who are willing to taste something new, get their hands dirty, ask questions, buy an agua fresca or go on a walk with us.  We've made some great new friends this summer, and learned a lot--and that's what we are all about. THANK YOU!

Hugs and Basil,

Ann and Lauren

Co-Chairs, Learn & Grow @ GSM

p.s. look for some great Learn & Grow workshops and lectures throughout the cold winter months, and don't forget to come visit us at the winter market on the second sunday of each month!

It's hard to believe that we are in the home stretch of the market season.  Over the past three months we've made some great friends (with people as well as dogs), and many familiar faces braved the brisk weather and came out to join us.  Spirits were high and shopping bags full!

This week at Learn & Grow featured a delicous "taste of the market" where we collected lesser known, obscure and/or delectible treats from our vendors for you to sample and ask us questions.  Featured items included the very popular "fiesta bread" from Bennison's, buttscotch cookies from Sweet Atilla's, dressings and dipping sauces from Denny, our versatile honey man, fire-roasted salsa from Tomato Mountain and a gorgeous cornucopia of harvest produce from King's Hill and Midnight Sun Organics.

Every week we are so amazed by the gastronomical knowledge of our market patrons.... they often teach us as much as we teach them.  It certainly keeps us on our toes!

Renee from Sweet Organics joins us next week to discuss seed preservation.  Hope to see you there!

Hugs & Basil

Ann and Lauren

p.s. if you have feedback about any of our programs, or would like to see someone come back next summer, please drop us a line!  learnandgrow.gsm@gmail.com

Yesterday was a busy one at Learn & Grow, with the second installment of Compost in the Concrete Jungle.  This time, we partnered up with Hume An from the Chicago Conservation Corps (who happens to also be a Roger's Park resident and vermicompost enthusiast) to provide all the materials to build indoor worm composting systems for free!  I think it's safe to say that this lofty endeavor was a big success, and we rest tight knowing that nearly 20 homes in the neighborhood are composting that weren't before.

Want to make a worm bin yourself?  The "recipe" is simple:

Recipe for a perfect indoor compost bin:

Ingredients:

• One plastic tub with lid (rinsed with soap and water)

o Note: size is approx. 4 sq. ft in size for a 2-4 person household

o NO MORE than 10-16 inches deep

• Drill with ¼” bit

• ½ to 1 lb. red wigglers (Eisenia fetida, available at wormwoman.com)

• Handful of soil

• Newspaper or brown, untreated paper

o No glossy ad pages, magazines, copy paper

• Spray bottle of water

• Food waste*

Instructions:

• Drill holes in the lid of your bin. The more the merrier.  If you have a deeper bin, you may want to drill some holes around the sides of the bin too.

• Shred newspaper into 1/4 to 1/2“ strips and lay on the bottom of the bin to form a bedding layer.

• Spray the paper with water until damp. The paper should only be as wet as a wrung out sponge and there should not be any liquid on the bottom of the bin.

• Add worms and handful of soil

• Add a small amount of food waste*

• Cover worms and food with another layer of newspaper

• Store in a cool, dark place and make sure that the bin will not be exposed to freezing temperatures (Ideal temp is 55-77 deg. F

• Feed worms no more than 1 lb. food waste, per day, per 1 lb. worms, making sure that there is always a layer of damp newspaper covering food and worms (keeps flies away).

*Follow food waste guidelines*

It is really that easy.  By the way, here are some guidelines about what you should and should not feed your worms:

Worm Food Guidelines:

Yay:

• (Most) fruit and vegetable trimmings

• Egg shells (rinsed and crushed)

• Coffee grounds and tea leaves

Nay:

• Onions, citrus fruits, and waxy vegetables (such as bell peppers and hot peppers)

• Meat and dairy products, oils

• Pits and seeds

• Yard waste or heavy duty cardboard (stick to newspaper, brown paper, and egg cartons as bedding)

• Pet waste

Have yourself a merry little compost, and check back with us - we want to know how you are doing!  The only way to make compost a part of your life is to make compost a part of your life.... what we mean by that is: assess your space, your desired level of maintenance, and how you feel you can best incorporate composting into your lifestyle.  If you have any questions or concerns, we LOVE talking about worms, so shoot us an email, or join the discussion group on our Facebook page" "Meet the Wrigglers",

By the way, both of us are gone next week, so you'll have to be responsible for your own learning and growing at the market.  We challenge you to approach your farmers and vendors and have a chat!  Ask questions about how to prepare that butternut squash, or canning all those tomatoes,  Our vendors are a fantastic source of information because - they eat their food too!!

Hugs and Basil,

Ann and Lauren

co-chairs, Learn & Grow @ GSM

We had such an amazing turn out for all three of our foraging walks at the market this week with Roger's Park resident and wild foods enthusiast Milton Dixon.  By taking a short stroll with Milton, we discovered several urban edibles that grow wildly in our neighborhood, including apples, berries, poor man's pepper, and close relatives of lettuce and tomatoes.  Has anyone noticed that they are looking down "weeds" in the neighborhood more often, and thinking, "Hey, I can eat that!"?

Thanks Milton, for reminding us that "this is our nature".  

Friendly disclaimer: don't forget that just because a plant resembles something we saw together on our walk doesn't mean that you should chow down on what might be poor man's pepper.  Use discretion, consider the source, use your best judgement, and educate yourself on identifying the native species safe for consumption before piling ally plants on your dinner plate.

Hugs and Basil,

Ann and Lauren

Learn & Grow @ GSM

p.s. Be sure to join us tomorrow for Worms Off The Hook!  If you've been wanting to start worm composting, but unsure how to get started, NOW IS THE TIME. A & L

This Sunday, June 13th at the Learn & Grow Tent, Gale School students and families will be on site to talk about their project, sell their plants, and teach market goers how to plant seeds. Gale Academy Greenhouse is located in a CPS elementary school (on Jonquil & Marshfield), and provides opportunities for students and their families to experience growing their own food. 

The greenhouse is used throughout the year to teach kids about growing plants, composting, and healthy eating; in the summer, students and their parents are invited to cultivate a plot of and in front of the school. 

This year, there are six families working together to grow some of their own food.  The greenhouse sells some of its vegetable plants, herbs, and ornamental flowers at plant sales throughout the spring and summer.  We will have Gale School students and families at the tent to talk about their project, sell their plants, and teach market goers how to plant seeds.

The Market For All program enables Supplemental Nutrition Assistant Program (SNAP) participants to use their Illinois LINK card to purchase produce, meat, dairy, and bread products at the Glenwood Sunday Market! We will match up to $10 in LINK purchases per card holder, per market day.

Rogers Park's first Winter Farmers' Market, sponsored by the United Church of Rogers Park Social Action Committee in partnership with Faith in Place and Churches Land & People,  was a smashing success today.

Baked goods, fresh produce, salsas, cheeses, grass fed meats and local crafts were happily purchased by Rogers Parkers and others from the city eager to buy local!

Here are a few more photos of some of the items available. It was very exciting to see so many people come out and  be so positive and receptive to a Winter Market. This bodes very well for the Glenwood Sunday Market come June 6th!