nr706 wrote:

sarcon wrote:has anyone seen Blue Marble at any of the farmers markets this year? they haven't been at Green City and I need some of that wonderful buttermilk!

I'm reasonably sure I've seen Blue Marble at the Evanston market.

Blue Marble shut down after the situation described here last year. I heard that earlier this summer they were trying to re-launch, but not sure if that ever got off the ground.

sarcon wrote:has anyone seen Blue Marble at any of the farmers markets this year? they haven't been at Green City and I need some of that wonderful buttermilk!

Kilgus, at the Green City Market, has buttermilk.

Darren72 wrote:

sarcon wrote:has anyone seen Blue Marble at any of the farmers markets this year? they haven't been at Green City and I need some of that wonderful buttermilk!

Kilgus, at the Green City Market, has buttermilk.

Are you sure about this? They told me they don't offer it.

BR wrote:

Darren72 wrote:

sarcon wrote:has anyone seen Blue Marble at any of the farmers markets this year? they haven't been at Green City and I need some of that wonderful buttermilk!

Kilgus, at the Green City Market, has buttermilk.

Are you sure about this? They told me they don't offer it.

FWIW, I would not ever buy Kilgus products at the GCM unless I planned to use them the same day. I do not trust these guys to be careful about how they transport and store their milk. After numerous complaints from me last year, the market manager did start making them bring an electric cooler. But still, I've recently witnesses dozens of milk containers placed and held by the Kilgus worker in a metal bucket with a small scattering of ice cubes around them. This method of storing and selling milk dramatically reduces its shelf life.

BR wrote:

Darren72 wrote:

sarcon wrote:has anyone seen Blue Marble at any of the farmers markets this year? they haven't been at Green City and I need some of that wonderful buttermilk!

Kilgus, at the Green City Market, has buttermilk.

Are you sure about this? They told me they don't offer it.

No, I'm not sure. I thought I saw it, but I could be wrong. The GCM website lists a variety of milk and creams, but not buttermilk. Sorry about that.

Re storage. I bought two percent milk from the them last weekend. They had the metal tub and I think only had quarts. Half gallons and larger were kept in some large coolers. I didn't see an electric cooler, but it could have been there (probably had the buttermilk in it!).

As aside, last weekend I witnessed two of the more disturbing things by GCM vendors. While I waited in line at Kilgus, one of the owners of Zullo's came over, cut in front of everyone, and pretty rudely announced that she ran out of milk and needed four gallons. The Kilgus guy was very distracted by a pretty girl he was flirting with. But he did turn his attention away from her for a moment to tell the Zullo lady that if she gave him 10 minutes, he'd get the milk from their truck. I'm used to other customers bypassing lines and going right up to the front; I shouldn't have been so surprised that another vendor would do it.

The other incident was at one of the farm stands that I visit nearly ever week. One of the employees noticed a bug crawling on their table, across some of the food. Another employee picked up a zucchini, crushed the bug and rubbed it into the table, and then put the zucchini back in the for-sale bin. Amazing. So, be sure you wash your veggies.

I lucked out in 2 ways on Saturday at the GCM:

1) The Mick Klug peaches were actually almost ripe, and they tasted fantastic by Sunday afternoon.
2) The northernmost stand at the market was selling 12lb boxes of what they thought were flawed or damaged tomatoes for a mere 10 bucks. These were among the most perfect specimens I'd seen all year, so I roasted and froze them for winter. A rare GCM bargain.

Kennyz wrote:I lucked out in 2 ways on Saturday at the GCM:

1) The Mick Klug peaches were actually almost ripe, and they tasted fantastic by Sunday afternoon.
2) The northernmost stand at the market was selling 12lb boxes of what they thought were flawed or damaged tomatoes for a mere 10 bucks. These were among the most perfect specimens I'd seen all year, so I roasted and froze them for winter. A rare GCM bargain.

I purchased peaches at the GCM Saturday from both Klug and Hillside. Same experience as you with both, and I put them in the refrigerator last night.

Hi- I have a friend that lives in Primm Towers, 1001 Emerson in Evanston. This is a government subsidized senior high rise, where your rent is based on your income. My friend told me that they just started a small farmer's market in the back of the building. I believe there are 5 farmers there. The office manager for the building arranged for this. Don told me they were doing lots of business. He bought some peaches, peppers and tomatoes.

I am surprised that they got that many farmers to come just for their building. There are only about 100 units in the building. I am sure that they are all visiting another farmer's market that day to make it worth their while. The farmer's market takes place from 10:00am-12:00pm on Mondays. I am told that this is every week.You can go to the rear of the building to access the farmer's market. I assume it is in the parking lot in the back. There is usually plenty of on street parking on Emerson. You can not park in their parking lot. As far as I know this market is open to anyone.

The building is located across the street from the research park where Saturday's market is held.

Hope this helps, Nancy

Hi- Blue Marble is not at the Evanston market. I think you are mistaking them for Trader's Point Creamery, which is at the Saturday Evanston market. Is Trader's Point Creamery's milk good? My budget right now will not allow me to purchase their milk. I think they charge $6 for a half gallon of milk in a glass bottle, plus the deposit. This makes Oberweis milk look dirt cheap.

Thanks, Nancy

Hi- I have not seen Oriana at the Saturday Evanston market yet Has anybody seen her at any of the other markets yet? I love her asian pears. Her pears are far better than anybody else. I have tried Nichols asian pears, and they are just OK. Thanks, Nancy

Advantage of being an early morning shopper at the GCM: Kinnikinnick has gorgeous heirloom tomato "seconds" for a buck-fifty a pound. Really beautiful tomatoes, the vast majority of which really need to be eaten right away because they're split and leaking. But a decent number of picture-perfect, not a bruise or split in sight specimens snuck into the seconds crate, and I'm pretty sure I got them all.

NFriday wrote:Hi- I have not seen Oriana at the Saturday Evanston market yet Has anybody seen her at any of the other markets yet? I love her asian pears. Her pears are far better than anybody else. I have tried Nichols asian pears, and they are just OK. Thanks, Nancy

Oriana has been at the Rogers Park Farmers Market the past two Sundays. We tried a variety of her pears for the first time this week and they are fantastic.

ecs wrote:

NFriday wrote:Hi- I have not seen Oriana at the Saturday Evanston market yet Has anybody seen her at any of the other markets yet? I love her asian pears. Her pears are far better than anybody else. I have tried Nichols asian pears, and they are just OK. Thanks, Nancy

Oriana has been at the Rogers Park Farmers Market the past two Sundays. We tried a variety of her pears for the first time this week and they are fantastic.

she was at Green City today.

Hi- I got to the Evanston farmer's market late today. As usual, I made the rounds before I bought anything. As I was almost done making the rounds, I was eying John First's stand, and noticed that people were buying whole bags of produce. I asked if there was a deal, and somebody told me that everything was $5 a bag. This included his fruit, which he usually does not include in his bag sale. I got 12 peaches so I could make some peach cobbler, and I got 4 large heirloom tomatoes, and I got a few plums, all for $5. He also had eggplant, plum tomatoes corn and melons. I did not get a melon there, because that would almost take up a whole bag. I instead got a watermelon at Nichols for a dollar. I also got a pint of green soybeans from Henry for $2, because it was the last one there.

I did not get any, but one of the organic growers also had all their #2 tomatoes for 50 cents a pound, and all their #1 tomatoes were $2 a pound. The only things I got that were not a bargain were the blueberries that were 2 pints for $7, corn for 50 cents apiece, hot peppers for 25 cents a piece, and two bunches of organic basil for $4. I am going to try to make some salsa this week, as well as some pesto.

BTW- All three people that were selling peaches that recognized me, told me that they were selling Coral Star peaches, which is one of the varieties that my sister has bred. I noticed somebody else selling red haven, but I am sure that they have been sitting in somebody's cooler for a few weeks. Hope this helps, Nancy

Today was my first exposure to Oriana. Wow. What incredible pears -- I honestly don't think I've ever experienced a pear like the one I just ate -- and it was still crispy and the most flavorful pear -- ever. She was at Green City Market today (by the way, what a glorious day to do the Zoo and the GCM) and having heard so much about her, I made a beeline for her samples. Holy Hannah! I only bought a few and I'm kicking myself for it. I should have gotten enough for tart. Hopefully I'll see her next week too...

Hi- The watermelon I bought for $1 from Nichols at the Evanston market last Saturday, was really good. It was probably close to 10 pounds, and was definitely a good deal. I wish the peaches I bought were as good. They were picked too green.

Oriana's Asian pears are to die for. Her pears are much better than Nichols. I wish he was back at Evanston this fall. She is super nice, and insists on giving you a sample before you buy anything. I bought one of her pawpaws last year too, but I did not care for it as much. Some people might really like it though. The taste of the pawpaw is hard to describe. Hope this helps, Nancy

The Lincoln Square Thursday afternoon/evening farmers' market was scheduled to end on September 2. However, it has been extended for September 16 through October 28 from 3 PM to 7 PM, an hour earlier than before. There is no market on September 9 due to the German Festival.

Hi- Is Oriana still coming to the Glenwood farmer's market on Sundays? I could not make it to the Evanston market today, and I really miss Oriana's asian pears anyway. Are there any other growers that come to the Glenwood market that people could recommend? I bought some apples from Earth First at one of the indoor markets back in April, and they were good. I might buy some of their cider tomorrow if they have it. Is there anybody else there that sells apples and cider? I could go to Skokie tomorrow instead, but I do not care for most of the veggie growers there, except for River Valley Mushroom. There are a few fruit growers at Skokie, including Miller's and Dongvillo's that I would have no problems buying from, and there is one other fruit grower whose name escapes me that is okay. Thanks, Nancy

Hi- I made it to the Glenwood farmer's market this afternoon, and Oriana was there. I asked her if she is going to be selling at Evanston again this fall. She told me that I was the third person to ask her. She said that the problem is that she does not have anybody to help her at the Evanston market. I just goggled her name, and I ran across an email address for her that I found on the Green City Market website. I tried to send her an email, offering to help her out at Evanston. I told her that I grew up on a fruit farm, and I have had lots of experience selling fruit. Unfortunately, her email address is no longer valid. She was alone at the Glenwood market, but I do not believe that it is nearly as busy as the Evanston market is.
When she sold at the Evanston market last year, she was by herself, and she had more business than she could handle.

The Glenwood market is okay. I still like the Evanston market a lot better. The Glenwood market only had one other person selling fruit there besides Oriana. They did have at least 4 people selling organic vegetables there. Some of it was really reasonable, and some of it was not. They only had one person selling tomatoes there, and that was the same person that was selling apples and cider from Michigan. His tomatoes looked like they were a commercial variety. The kind that does not have a lot of flavor, but has a long shelf life.

Has anybody bought any of the truffles they sell at the Glenwood market? They were giving out free samples, and they were not bad. How much are they? They were not as good as the truffles you can get at the Chocolate Garden, which is located outside of Coloma Michigan, and is down the road from my sister's farm. Tina's truffles are to die for, but they are $36 a pound. The Chocolate Garden has been mentioned here several times. They also do mail order. Hope this helps, Nancy

NFriday wrote: The Glenwood market only had one other person selling fruit there besides Oriana. They did have at least 4 people selling organic vegetables there. Some of it was really reasonable, and some of it was not. They only had one person selling tomatoes there, and that was the same person that was selling apples and cider from Michigan. His tomatoes looked like they were a commercial variety. The kind that does not have a lot of flavor, but has a long shelf life.

I have been a regular at the Glenwood market as it is just blocks from my home. I think the lack of tomatoes is just due to the end of the season. I did not make it yesterday but I know there was a striking difference in the amount/variety of produce from Sept. 12th and Sept. 19th. I attributed it (possibly incorrectly) to nearing the end of the season for these particular farmers. I know at least several of the farmers are fairly new to farming and might not have as much variety as some very well established farms. One of the best things about the Glenwood market is Stamper’s Cheese. They really have some incredible and unique cheeses. I am very partial to the apricot brie and the chipotle gouda. As for the chocolates, I have not bought them but they are Katherine Anne Confections, which is also sold at Andersonville.

As for Oriana mentioning the need for help. It might be because Glenwood has volunteers both help with set-up and take down for the vendors. I have volunteered a number of times this summer and have heard from the vendors and farmers that the help is unique to this market.

One downfall to Glenwood market is that it is much smaller than many of the other markets - especially if you compare it to Evanston.

Hi- I have never heard of any other farmer's market recruiting volunteers to help with set up and take down. Last year, when Oriana was at the Evanston market, I think she was next to Seedling's, and asked the father and his son to help her with take down. The couple that work for Pete, and sell at the Evanston market for him, are super nice. The only complaint I have about them is that they never post signs telling how much everything is. Last weekend I bought some Stanley prune plums from them, because they were the only ones that actually had ripe ones. I got there late, so there might have been some ripe ones earlier. Often Koeningshof's and Nichol's have ripe ones, but they were both out by the time I got there. After I made the rounds and determined that Seedling's had the only ripe plums, I bought a quart of plums from them. I accidentally left the plums there, and I went back to my car to drop off my purchases, and I went back to buy a watermelon from Green Acres. On my way there, the guy from Seedling's saw me going past his stand, and ran to me to give me the plums I left there. BTW-The plums were good. I only buy plums when they are at least half way ripe. The ones that are hard as a rock when they are picked, never have any taste.

My sister that has the farm, actually planted a few plum trees on her farm a few years ago, because she was frustrated about the fact that she had a hard time finding plums that were ripe to sell at her fruitstand.

Out of curiosity, where do people park when they go to the Glenwood market? I finally had to park in the parking lot where the dollar store is. Do most of the people that visit the market, live within walking distance of the market? Thanks, Nancy

farmers markets are more of a novelty for me vs where I buy things, a chance to get out for a morning to walk around is about it. I rarely buy anything at them as what they offer is often at least a day older, and cost a bit more coin than I can find visiting the source direct.. aka actually visiting the local farms minutes from my house.

However one service the Naperville farmers market offers proved invavluable. The knife sharpening guy. Old school peddle powered stone wheel for hand sharpening knives, etc. My beautiful(to me) Wusthoff chefs knife somehow developed a ding in the middle if the blade, I was distraught and thought I was going to have to buy a new knife, which is like buying a new hand to those who love and actually use their knives. My mom took my damaged knife to the market and the gentleman took care of the knife, putting a magnificent new blade on my friend.

Kudos to you knife guy.

jimswside wrote:However one service the Naperville farmers market offers proved invavluable. The knife sharpening guy. Old school peddle powered stone wheel for hand sharpening knives, etc. My beautiful(to me) Wusthoff chefs knife somehow developed a ding in the middle if the blade, I was distraught and thought I was going to have to buy a new knife, which is like buying a new hand to those who love and actually use their knives. My mom took my damaged knife to the market and the gentleman took care of the knife, putting a magnificent new blade on my friend.

Kudos to you knife guy.

Way cool. Kinda like the guy at the South Bend (IN) market that sells real leather gloves. You don't think about it until you need it (them).

ekreider wrote:The Lincoln Square Thursday afternoon/evening farmers' market was scheduled to end on September 2. However, it has been extended for September 16 through October 28 from 3 PM to 7 PM, an hour earlier than before. There is no market on September 9 due to the German Festival.

Sorry I didn't see this until now. Oh well, I have a couple of weeks.

I hope more markets consider doing year round, even if only a few times a month.

Logan Square runs through 10/31, then moving inside for the winter again at the Congress Theater (2nd year w/ winter market).

Hopefully there will be a bit more promotion this year, I don't think many people knew about it last year. I know there are a few more vendors signed up, as well. Last year the market went through March, closed over the holiday weekends - Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years.

miss ellen

Glenwood Sunday Market in Roger's Park will be having a once a month winter market. Here is the info from their website:

The Winter Market will take place once a month on the second Sunday of each month @6944 N. Glenwood Avenue (the annex space of the Glenwood Bar). 9:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Mark your calendars!: Nov. 14, Dec. 12, Jan. 9, Feb.13, Mar. 13, Apr. 10, May 8.

This Sunday (10/17) is the last day of the weekly market.

jimswside wrote:However one service the Naperville farmers market offers proved invavluable. The knife sharpening guy. Old school peddle powered stone wheel for hand sharpening knives, etc. My beautiful(to me) Wusthoff chefs knife somehow developed a ding in the middle if the blade, I was distraught and thought I was going to have to buy a new knife, which is like buying a new hand to those who love and actually use their knives. My mom took my damaged knife to the market and the gentleman took care of the knife, putting a magnificent new blade on my friend.

Kudos to you knife guy.

That's awesome. I remember being in Brooklyn a couple of years ago and seeing a mobile knife sharpening truck parked on a residential street and people lining up to have their knives sharpened. I sure do wish a knife truck had a regularly-scheduled stop in my neighborhood...

Update: quick Google search found an article with a couple of photos of Brooklyn's sharpening trucks.

-Dan

Green City Market has had a knife sharpener there every market I've been to this year (which admittedly has been only a handful, but their newsletters have been advertising it). I believe he sharpens for free.