PHOTO BY BRANT SANDERLIN/TNS “Hi, Mom! Hey, how much do chicken wings cost at the store? Some guys are coming over tonight to play cards, and I want to make hot wings. I’m going to have to get them at the grocery store, ’cause the farmers market isn’t until Saturday.” It was my son, Robb, calling from Vermont. […]
Farmers market
Posted inFood & Drink
It ain’t over till it’s over
It happens every year. Every vendor at every farmers market will tell you the same thing: business drops off after Labor Day. Maybe it’s because parents are preoccupied with getting their kids back in school. Maybe it’s because even adults who don’t have school-aged children participate in organizations and activities that start their year’s calendar […]
Posted inMusic
Tasting, tasting, one, two, three
Many other glorious events fill our entertainment calendar this weekend, but none can compare to the shindig of the season, Taste of Downtown Springfield. Years in the making, the Taste combines three of humankind’s favorite activities, proven through centuries of on-hand research – eating, drinking and making music. So come on up to downtown and […]
Posted inNews
Legislation backs access to local food
A state legislator is proposing a monthly Eat Local Buy Illinois Products Day to support local economies and healthier lifestyles. Rep. Sam Yingling, D-Round Lake Beach, proposed legislation to designate the first Saturday of each month to increase awareness and sales of Illinois food and agribusiness products. In conjunction with the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s […]
Posted inNews
Farmer sells produce online
Summertime farmers markets have helped Chad Wallace of Oak Tree Organics prove the worth of small-scale, organic farming. But they’ve also taught him that packing up the produce and putting on the sometimes thrice-weekly show takes about as much effort as minding the land, plants and free-range hens that surround his Ashland home. “Everybody’s got […]
