I was talking a lot in late summer about food preservation. Now, I want to talk about where my food comes from, because there’s an upcoming farmers market you should know about.
For about two decades here in Evanston, there has been a farmers market the Saturday before Thanksgiving, organized by Chris Djuric and the Immanuel Lutheran Church. About two weeks ago, we learned that the local health department denied a permit for the event, because much of it was planned to be indoors, and even the outdoor space available is too small for a market of that size.
This was devastating news for me, personally, as I always buy about 200 pounds of root vegetables at that market and store them for the winter. But it was even worse for the farmers. At the next Saturday market, I talked to a few farmers, and there was a certain sense of desperation in their eyes and in their voices at the idea of losing a market they had been counting on.
It has been a tough year for a lot of small farmers already. Those who grow primarily for the restaurant trade lost most of their business in the early part of the summer. For others, the weather (a late freeze, flood, drought, and various other plagues) reduced their sales at various times during the year.
I talked to one turkey farmer, and they had no idea what they were going to do with no Thanksgiving market. They had been raising turkeys all summer, as usual. The birds were slaughtered and already in the freezer. If they brought them to the city early, their customers wouldn’t have room in their freezers for a purchase of that size. They needed a market before Thanksgiving so people could buy the frozen turkeys and thaw them in their refrigerators before cooking them on Thursday. If people didn’t buy their turkeys, they lost their entire investment.
Well, I heard all these stories, and I knew I had to put my professional skills at the service of my friends the farmers who keep me fed all year. I could see a way to make a market happen–but there wasn’t very much time. Fortunately, the good people of the First Presbyterian Church of Evanston saw the need as clearly as I did and offered their enormous parking lot for an outdoor market. After an avalanche of citizen support for the idea, the City of Evanston finally agreed to give us a permit.
So, mark your calendars for Saturday, November 21 and come out to support your local farmers! The market will be at the First Presbyterian Church’s parking lot at the corner of Chicago Ave. and Greenwood St. in Evanston. (The church’s address is 1427 Chicago Ave., which is the corner of Chicago and Lake. Just go south from the church to get to the parking lot.) The market starts at 8:00 a.m. sharp (no early shopping, please!) and ends at 1:00 p.m.
Farmers confirmed for this market are: Adam’s Acres, Henry’s Farm, Lake Breeze Organics, Mint Creek Farm, Organic Pastures, River Valley Ranch, and J2K Capraio (cheese). Others will be announced once details are finalized.
Pandemic precautions will, of course, be observed for this market. Face coverings will be required and social gathering strongly discouraged. Capacity limits will also be enforced, so dress warmly if the weather is as usual for the end of November, as there may be a wait to get in.
I hope to see you there for one last chance to buy local food before farmers markets shut down for the season!
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