The winter market is located inside University Mall (movie theatre wing,) and runs from November through March, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
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It’s that time again… Earth Day is that day set aside each year to reflect upon God’s beautiful creation and how we can be better stewards of it.
Earth Day was introduced to the U.S. in 1970 by Wisconsin Senator Gaylord Nelson. It followed a large oil spill in 1969 and national concerns about air pollution. Per earthday.org, timing of the day was reportedly chosen specifically to be be a weekday between spring break and final exams. Why? The founder and associates wanted to encourage student activism. Denis Hayes, an activist, was actually recruited to facilitate campus “teach-ins.” The Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA) was created within months of the first Earth Day. The yearly observation went global in 1990.
Although the national focus of Earth Day through the years has been influenced by by political agendas and environmental events, the core value has remained. It is important to respect nature and not abuse or unnecessarily damage God’s creation. Another word for this is stewardship.
Earth Day may mean different things to different people. It reminds me of my dad, one of the inspirations for this blog. Sadly, he is no longer with us, but he lived his life with a great love for nature. Dad was not only the principal at my grade school but a science teacher as well. (Yes, it could be awkward at times to have your parent as your teacher…) I remember riding down to Carbondale from Salem with my family in our little Pacer for science fairs at SIU. My dad loved to support his students and visit his alma mater.
On family trips to the Carbondale area, it was not uncommon for us to walk through Thompson Woods on campus or to visit Giant City State Park. He would tell us that the park was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. No trip to campus was complete without driving by the university farms where he worked in college.
This is also the time of year that my family would go mushroom hunting in local woods for morels. My parents taught my brother and I to enjoy and respect nature.
Words that many of us associate with Earth Day are to “Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.” Upcycling and repurposing have become the trendier ways of expressing this. My mom, another inspiration for this blog, was very creative. She made many things that decorated our home by repurposing. There was a large picture that hung in my brother’s room of a turtle. It was a seed mosaic that my mom made. Instead of just getting new furniture to redecorate, she would repaint and embellish things to change their look.
As an adult, I can see their influence in some of the things I do now. Lately, I’ve been experimenting with ways to use 2 liter bottles, cans, and more. I also have the same love of plants and gardening as my parents. There are many times I wish I could still get their advise. I’ve become fascinated by repurposed items that become planters or gardens…I hope that I’ve instilled some of these values in my children who are now adults.
Let’s be real honest for a moment too. Life is expensive. Reusing and repurposing items when possible not only reduces unnecessary waste–it can save you money. That seems like a win-win situation.
As you’ve likely heard before, farmer’s markets are a great local shopping adventure. Some are practically one stop for your grocery needs. Even in winter months, the Carbobdale area is blessed to have a couple of farmer’s market options. The Community Farmer’s Market is open December through March from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. on the movie theater wing of the University Mall at Carbobdale. L.E.A.F. Food Hub is an online farmer’s market with pick up locations in Carbondale, DuQuoin, Carterville, Marion, Herrin, Cobden, and Tunnel Hill. Some home delivery is available.
Glacier’s End has many wonderful shrubs and products like hickory and elderberry syrups. The Mexican Mocha Hot Sauce is wonderful. Cordials such as their Honeysuckle are great additions to drinks.
If you have stayed away from Farmer’s Markets because you are concerned about prices, I can tell you that there are various price points. Some gourmet local items may run a bit more than you would spend but can be used sparingly to add flare to your dishes. Many things really don’t seem any higher than national chain store prices. For example, I actually paid less for cube steak at the Farmer’s Market than I would have paid at the larger chain store. Actually, there was a better variety of meat available at the farmers market than at the chain store . Please keep in mind that if you can’t find something on bare shelves at a larger store, you might find an even better local product through one of the local markets or stores.
Gallo Pinto (Costa Rica’s national breakfast dish) made with brown rice by Cahokia Rice. They also have white rice. Both are available through L.E.A.F. Food Hub.
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Watermelon radish from River to River Farm and Basil Microgreens from Autumn Ridge Farm kick this salsa garnish up a bit. Both were ordered through L.E.A.F. Food Hub.
Big Muddy Hogs in Hurst also carries many local items, such as bread from Baked on Division and Steam Shovel Coffee. They are located at 300 Adams Street. Many of the local farms and vendors give product updates and advise where you may find their products on Facebook and Instagram.
Links:
Big Muddy Hogs https://www.facebook.com/BigMuddyHogs/
Carbondale Community Farmer’s Market https://www.facebook.com/communityfarmersmarket/ http://www.carbondalemarket.com/
L.E.A.F. Food Hub https://www.facebook.com/LEAFFoodHub/ https://www.leaffoodhub.com/
During my trip to the Marion Farmer’s Market this morning, I looked at all of the pretty succulents at The Potager Garden’s booth. I noticed that some had some pink on them.
Recently, there have been photos circulating on social media of gorgeous pink succulents. Friends and I have been trying to locate some. Searches have not really netted any results.
I decided to ask if there were succulents that just came pink, or if they could turn pink. Since I’ve bought several plants from The Potager Garden, I knew that the Christiansons were very knowledgeable of their plants and would have an answer. They did not let me down. Justin explained that sometimes succulents can get a bit of a sunburn that makes them pink. It doesn’t hurt the plant, but its color changes. The extra sun is necessary to “stress” the plant. I was assured that this type of “stress” is not hurting it though. Succulents with color beyond the basic green require more light to maintain vibrant. Otherwise, their color can revert back to green.
I decided to get a Pencil Cactus. Actually, I’ve wanted to get another since I lost my large one several years ago. I had one that grew to be a couple feet tall from a start my sweet cousin had given me on a trip to see family in Louisiana years ago. I was sad when I lost it.
In addition to the Pencil Cactus, I found some lemongrass and lavender–both for culinary purposes as well as the garden.
Unfortunately, I didn’t arrive in time to make it to every booth. Since we are still under many COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, what should have been a five minute ATM visit at the bank took about half an hour because the cars in line for the other lanes had blocked the ATM lane…
I was able to pick up some Burning Bushes Shrub, one of the specialty flavored drinking vinegars, from Glacier’s End. Although they had just sold their last container of coffee steak rub, I was happy to find Volcan, Costa Rican coffee beans, at Cold Blooded Coffee Co. Their lemonade was delicious too! It was much appreciated after walking around in a hot face mask/bandana. Even on a cooler day, those masks can really warm a person up quite a bit…
A multitude of well-behaved, socially distanced, people in cars paraded through the Carbondale Farmer’s Market this morning to shop local.
Vendors sold out of some things early. There were gorgeous flowers, plants, spring veggies, meat, eggs, and fur baby treats to buy. You could even pick up coffee, tea, baked goods, or some delicious-looking hot dogs. Even when forced to operate as a drive thru during a pandemic, the farmer’s market continues to be a treat for the senses. It operates on Saturdays mornings from 8:00 a.m. to noon at 2001 West Main Street in Carbondale, Illinois.
Last Sunday, I finally made it to the Carterville Farmers’ Market in it’s new time slot. Since it now runs from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Sundays at Cannon Park, there was plenty of time to walk around and grab lunch at the market after church.
Although it was a pretty hot afternoon, I enjoyed looking at all of the different things and chatting with some of the vendors. Dee Ann Hammack, who manages the market, had invited me to come out and see the changes since my last time there. She explained that a few of the regular vendors were absent due to the 4th of July holiday, but there was still a good variety. Some of the items I saw were local honey, fresh veggies, artisan-crafted items, kettle corn, plants, live music, and even a chuck wagon with picnic tables.
Dee Ann and her husband, Mike, also operate the Thunder 5 Ranch Chuck Wagon, a farm to fork culinary experience that also sets up at the Johnston City Farmer’s Market. The rib dinner that they prepared for me was wonderful: ribs, corn, and zucchini and onions. I also really liked the special edition 4th of July bib custom made by Nammers Crafts for the chuck wagon. Super cute. The T5R Chuck Wagon menu may vary a bit from week to week based upon what they have ready in their gardens.
The market does accept EBT/LINK and Debit/Credit for transactions. EBT/LINK purchases are limited to items allowed by law such as produce, pre-packaged food, and plants that produce food. If you enter Cannon Park from Greenbriar Street, you will drive on around to the little drive/road just past the skate park that turns toward the market and park in the grass behind the vendors (unless directed otherwise.)
Mmmm….kettle corn
Thunder 5 Ranch Chuck Wagon
BBQ Ribs!
Zucchini & onions on a custom-made bib by Nammers Crafts
Did somebody say funnel cake?
Nammers Crafts
The Potager’s Garden
Music by David Campbell of Lamp Lighter Farm
Fresh veggies
Spring is here, and throughout Southern Illinois, people are looking for excuses to be outside in the warmer weather. One way to do this is by making some easy updates to your outdoor living space.
I recently decided to tackle a few improvements to our front porch. My kids, and even my daughter’s boyfriend, helped do some editing and pitching of things that accumulate when it’s too cold and gloomy to do much on it. Granted, a power washer would do wonders, but that is yet to come. I hope…
Meanwhile, I decided that a few plants would bring some life and coziness to the space.
Fortunately, I saved my hanging baskets from last year to be reused. The Carbondale Farmer’s Market has already had a great selection of flowers and plants this spring. I’ve started filling the baskets with wave petunias from a local farm.
I also rescued some impatiens from a clearance rack at a local store. They really just needed to be dead headed and watered. Last year, I had painted my little bistro table chairs sea green and covered the table with a lemonade-ish colored thrift store cloth. Amazingly, I found a trendy striped trash “can” at a thrift store this spring that perfectly matches the chairs and tablecloth. So, I lined it with a plastic bag to protect the interior, added rocks for drainage, and planted the impatiens. It is now the living floral arrangement on the bistro table.
A goal is to make a cozy spot to paint on glass (or whatever I feel like doing to relax) when there is a nice breeze on the porch. Once upon a time, people spent more time relaxing and socializing on their front porches. We tend to hear more about decks now, but both are valuable outdoor living space. I hope to deal with our deck soon too, but at least one space now has a few fresh updates. I’m picturing a glass of refreshing sun tea poured over ice on the bistro table now…
