Sunday, May 11, 2008

Local Farmers Markets To Start In June

We were poking around the City of Chicago's website today and found out that Uptown will have a farmers' market again this year. We'd really like to see this succeed, i.e., attract more fresh produce and vendors than last year's. Fingers crossed for a greater selection, since this is something that can benefit everyone if it ever gets ... good.

Uptown Farmers Market
1145 W. Wilson (4600 N - 1145 W)
Truman College
Thursdays, June 19-October 23, 2008 - 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

Other markets in the area include:

Lincoln Square Farmers Market
Lincoln/Leland/Western (4700 N - 2400 W)
City Parking Lot adjacent to Brown Line Station
Tuesdays, June 10-October 28, 2008 - 7 a.m.-2 p.m.

North Center Farmers Market
North Center Town Square
Belle Plaine/Damen/Lincoln (4100 N - 2000 W)
Saturdays, June 14-October 18, 2008 - 7 a.m.-2 p.m.

Edgewater Green Market
6034 N. Broadway
Saturdays, June 28-October 18, 2008 - 7 a.m.-Noon

Southport Green Market
Blaine School - 1420 W. Grace
Saturdays, June 14-October 11, 2008 - 8:00am-Noon

14 comments:

  1. Those hours make it very difficult for anyone with a regular job to ever go.

    Also, the one time I was able to make it to one of last year's markets, it totally sucked. There wasn't even any actual produce! Just lots of sugary baked goods. What's up with that?

    Are there any ways for the community to get involved and improve our market? If they had actual fruit and vegetables, and were open on Saturday, I'd be there every week.

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  2. I'd love to go to the one in Lincoln Square, also during a weekday, and compare the kind of items they have.

    As I recall, last year was mostly pastries at Uptown's. This could be so good ... healthy, cheap food; putting people on the streets who normally wouldn't be (positive loitering at its best); available to all socioeconomic groups ... it would be nice for it to actually have FARMERS and PRODUCE!

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  3. Thank goodness for Uptown Update:

    http://www.uptownupdate.com/2007/06/uptown-farmers-market-day-one.html

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  4. I went by it last year on my way to the train and all it ever had was baked pasties/cookies that weren't well priced and weren't that good. A few weeks they weren't even there.

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  5. Is there anything residents can do to improve the quality of our market? How would we go about attracting better vendors?

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  6. If that photo is any indication . . . I hear there is a huge demand among Uptown residents for Italian chestuts @$6.99 lb.

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  7. Good morning, Billy Joe!

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  8. Is there anything residents can do to improve the quality of our market? How would we go about attracting better vendors?

    According to the City's farmer's market page, there are city-run and independent markets. Uptown's is, no surprise, a city market.

    The contact person for city farmer's markets is on the web site (linked here). Contacting her might be a good way to start if you want to get involved in improving Uptown's farmer's market.

    (And if this actually happens, it's yet another example of Uptown's activist citizenry taking over where the alderman's shortcomings and/or lack of interest affect our quality of life. I love seeing how the anti-crime measures - positive loitering at U-Haul, the meet and greet at Sunnyside Mall, the citizen patrols of Clarendon Park - are all coming from the residents, while our alderman's chief of staff says "Crime's better than it was. The only place there's no crime is in heaven. We ignore it because too much information is bad.")

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  9. As the demand for fresh produce has skyrocketed, the farmers go the markets with the most buyers. Think Lincoln Park and Daley Center.

    The farmers are booked by end of the previous year. The Lincoln Square market is okay. The one on Damen is pretty good too. Heard the Edgewater market is improving as more people shop there.

    Uptown is about 5-7 years behind all the neighboring wards for economic development. Until we get an alderman who really cares about this, we'll have to keep shopping outside the ward.

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  10. Shiller is getting participating this year. She will be handing out needles and Kool cigs. Her and her office staff will have a large stew pot for bad apples

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  11. Saskia--I have a question for you. Can you e-mail me at blog(a)compassrose.com when you get the chance? Thanks! GF

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  12. did anyone go last year? my boyfriend and i stopped by one day....and couldn't find it. then we realized the ONE TABLE was indeed the "farmer's market."

    It had two kids sitting there, selling pies that didn't even look homemade. Sad.

    Don't expect much is all i'm saying!

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  13. There actually are fruit vendors - some even licensed - that sell from pickups at Kenmore and Wilson in the summer. And their fruit and corn and melons are pretty good. It is too bad that these guys can't get routed toward a more formally organized area near the El.

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