Today’s Chicago Region Farmers Markets
Accuweather.com forecast: Sunny to partly cloudy, high 73
Weather.com forecast: Sun and clouds a.m., more clouds p.m., high 73
In Chicago
Lincoln Square Tuesday Market, W. Leland & N. Lincoln Aves., Chicago, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m.
SOAR (Streeterville) Farmers Market, 226 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago, 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.
In Suburbs and Exurbs
Fox Lake Farmers Market, 17 E. School Ct., Fox Lake, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Sycamore Farmers Market, 403 Edward St., Sycamore, 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
RU Ex-spear-ienced: The Long Asparagus Season
Each time I’ve gone to a farmers market over the past week or so I’ve been prepared to say a fond farewell to asparagus, mostly grown in Michigan, that was the first major crop to hit Chicago in early May. And yet it goes on and on, as a crop that benefits from the drier and generally cooler weather we experienced in the spring.
The photo at the top of the newsletter — taken this morning at the Ellis Family Farm stand at SOAR Farmers Market (in Chicago’s Streeterville community) — shows asparagus buddying up with summer favorite zucchini, and the one immediately above shows the pride of spring next to those beautiful summer berries and cherries at Noffke Family Farms’s stand.
Some other great what’s in season news… We have reached full-on raspberry season (these also are from Noffke).
Urban Farm Art Brunch Sunday at Star Farm
[Editor’s note: Local Food Forum is anxious to share farm dinners and other local food community events with our readers. Please email bob@localfoodforum.com with your information to facilitate posting in the newsletter.]
I visited the Star Farm Chicago stand at Green City Market Saturday and learned that the nonprofit operation is presenting a farm-table brunch this Sunday (June 27) from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m that is also an opening for Mayra Hernandez, Star Farm’s Artist in Residence. Star Farm Chicago is located at 944 W. 50th Place in the Back of the Yards neighborhood.
The menu is indulgent (in the best sense of the word) and includes an option for bottomless mimosas and bloody marys. It’s a kid-friendly event and children eat free.
All proceeds go to support Star Farm’s operations, food access initiatives, free community programs and events, and more. Here is the description of the farm’s mission-oriented work from Star Farm’s website:
Star Farm Chicago is a non-profit urban farm and landscaping service established in 2016 in the Back of the Yards neighborhood. We work to increase access of local organic produce through farmers markets, pop-ups, delivery, and our local foods co-op. On the farm, we create an inclusive space by providing local jobs, vocational training and horticultural therapy to people with disabilities, employment barriers, and empowering women. Through our work, we hope to inspire the next generation of urban growers and food justice advocates while improving the long term health and mental health outcomes of the community.
Click below for more information and to buy tickets.
Love ‘Em or Hate ‘Em, We Have Boomer Puns
If you are an avid reader of Local Food Forum, you may have noticed my fondness for puns based in Baby Boomer pop culture. You have to go with what you’ve got. So Barb suggested that I see how many readers pick up on them.
Great idea, Barb, and let’s make it a contest for paid subscribers. If you know the answers to the following, post them in the comments. We’ll randomly pick from the right answers and I will buy a scone for the winner during the farmers market walkabout that is one of the benefits of paid subscriptions (email bob@localfoodforum.com to schedule your food adventure).
Here goes:
1) “RU Ex-spear-ienced” refers to what album by which 1960s rock god and his band?
2) “Give Peas a Chance” refers to what song by which celebrated rock couple?
Hi, Bob. The answer to the first clue happens to be one of my favorite groups The Jimi Hendrix Experience. "Are You Experienced?" Was the title of their debut album. Clue number two - the song was originally credited to John Lennon and Paul McCartney, but popularly associated with Lennon and Yoko Ono.