Some Juicy Gossip: Strawberry Season in On in Full
Its Peak Time Can Be Short, So Do Some Gorgeous Gorging Now
There is so much beautiful produce already flowing in from Chicago region farms. But the story of the day is that after some fits and starts, the local strawberry season is on in full.
The public service announcement is that the length of strawberry season is unpredictable, as these fragile fruits can be undone by unseasonably hot temperatures, heavy rain and other environmental factors. So strawberry lovers, get out to the markets while the getting's good.
It's all in this Local Food Forum article, with a hot tip on what you need to bring to get your fragile fruit home intact, and how I used my strawberry purchase to pay tribute to my alma mater, Michigan State University (Go Green!)
Here It Comes... It's Just June's Farmers Market Breakout
Rolling Into the Chicago Region's Peak Growing Season
While the Chicago region's farmers market scene is already busy, the swarm of market openings over the first two weeks in June always heralds the rapid approach of the peak outdoor growing season.
We've been writing about it for weeks and... here we are. The Local Food Forum farmers market tracker gains 27 new markets this week, more than a 50 percent increase in the number of open markets in one fell swoop. And the first Monday and Friday markets are checking in, meaning there are farmers market open somewhere in the Chicago region every day of the week.
This bounty means there is a much greater chance that there will be at least one market — featuring delicious, nutritious, sustainably and locally produced food — somewhere convenient to you. Check out this post containing Local Food Forum's update farmers market tracker to make your plans, and get a sneak peak at more market openings this week.
Buy the best food, support our local farmers.
Farmers Market Reporter Ed Kugler Checks in from Lombard
Western Suburb Hosts a Tuesday Afternoon Market
Trivia time... did you know that Little Orphan Annie was created in the Chicago suburb of Lombard, Illinois?
Ed Kugler, who contributes to Local Food Forum as the Farmers Market Reporter, visited the Lombard Farmers Market last Tuesday. Get the pictures, and his pictures, in this article.
And if you're in the western suburbs, considering dropping by the next Lombard Farmers Market. It's tomorrow, which is, um, only a day away...