CU’s Tuesday and Saturday outdoor markets continue each week. Markets are brimming with Illinois-grown produce, local baked goods, and more. In June, find leafy greens, broccoli, garlic, turnips, green onions, green beans and leeks in addition to strawberries and cherries. Shopping at farmers markets is a fun way to find ingredients for dinner, and I always find something new and delicious to try.
In downtown Champaign, find The Land Connection’s Champaign Farmers’ Market in downtown Champaign every Tuesday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., and the Urbana Market in the Square opens every Saturday at 7 a.m. until at noon, rain or shine.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
I love wandering the aisles of the market and perusing the vendor tents to see the vibrant produce and plants.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
Small boxes of plantable herbs, fruits or vegetables are on sale at the market, and you still have time to plant in your garden. Ask farmers what they recommend and buy some of your favorite varieties to plant in your garden.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
Asparagus is in season this month and I love eating Illinois grown asparagus. To me it tastes better because of its short journey from the ground, to the hands of local farmers, to the mine to the market.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
Berries and Flour has a tent at Champaign Tuesday Market with baked goods, syrups, shrubs and more. I like to see what interesting flavor is available each week. When I last visited, Berries and Flour had acorn shaped acorn cookies made with locally picked acorns, and it was delicious.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
Central Illinois Bakehouse has a bread table in Champaign and Urbana Markets, and the bakery always has a wide selection of baked goods. From sweet breads to savory and wholemeal breads to individual servings, the options for breads, pastries, cronuts, cookies and more from CI Bakehouse are plentiful.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
Also in both markets, check out Cloud Mountain Kombucha. Urbana kombucha brewery has a brick-and-mortar store in the Lincoln Square Mall and a rotating roster of fermented tea drinks in delicious flavors like lemon-ginger, cold brew and black walnut-based persimmon. Khaki from RegCakes Bakery. The entire ‘buch menu can be found here.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
A staple of Lincoln Square Mall, Stango Cuisine serves dishes from the restaurant menu in both markets. I can’t pass up a beef pie when I pass by, and I usually have to eat it on the way to my car because it’s so good. Stango’s handmade beef pie is spicy, meaty and wrapped in buttery puff pastry that’s perfect for a Tuesday afternoon snack or Saturday morning breakfast.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
Find many quality products and herbs at the Sola Gratia Farm table. Sola Gratia Farm is a community farm that offers fresh produce in both markets. In June, buy spinach, lettuce, asparagus, dill, peas, green mustard, cilantro, garlic, etc.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
At Urbana Market in the plaza, most vendors have returned to their pre-pandemic locations. Meyer Produce is at the end of the front row selling locally grown produce. The plants on this farm all have signs with cute writing.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
I like to see the selection of plants for home gardens. I don’t have a lot of space in my garden, but Meyer’s last year plants are producing sprouted peppers and jalapeño peppers right from a pot on my patio. Meyer Produce is also present in both markets. Talk to Molly, the knowledgeable farmer behind Meyer Produce, about your shade, soil and vegetable preferences to find out what’s best to buy for your garden.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
At Urbana Market, Green G Farms in Villa Grove, Illinois, sells herbs like Thai basil for $2 a bunch and asparagus for $3 a bundle. Find unique produce like ong choy which the farmer told me could be used for salads or any recipe that calls for greens.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
I bought some delicious strawberries from Green G Farms. My kids loved how cute and small the berries were, and I loved the tangy sweetness. Between us, we finished all the cardboard the same day. This month, I hope to find cherries and more berries.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
At Urbana Market on Saturdays and Champaign Market on Tuesdays, Fruitful Vines has a table with bright red and orange tomatoes grown in Sullivan, Illinois. In my opinion, tomato season is the best season, and I love adding tomato to whatever I can during these bountiful months.
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Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
If you want hot sauce, there’s a brand new company called Regal Gecko. The hot sauce company has a hot sauce called Clásico that has a mango-habanero flavor. You can buy one geck for $13 or two gecks for $22. Regal Gecko also gives free high fives and has one person wearing a gecko mask. I bought a bottle of hot sauce and it was fantastic with a spicy habanero flavor and a subtle mango taste. The fruity flavor cooled the high heat and the sauce would be an awesome dip for a party.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
The Weird Meat Boyz also sell gravy at the Saturday Market. The duo offers a variety of hot sauces and an amazing smoky barbecue sauce. They released their new sauce last month: Blueberry-Cherry Ghost Pepper Sauce. If you’ve eaten food from Collective Pour recently, these are the chefs behind the Weird Meat Boyz kitchen which is open Thursday through Saturday nights in the Collective Pour kitchen.
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Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
The Great Harvest Bread Company is back at Urbana Market in the plaza. It’s not the champagne-based bakery that closed in 2019; it’s Bloomington’s bakery. The baker will have bread every other week at the Saturday market. Great Harvest Bread Company comes to the market every two weeks, and this Saturday they will be there. You can buy the plethora of baked goods under a large tent. I tried the pain au chocolat and the lavender pistachio. In the pain au chocolat, there were chocolate chips all over it, and it was very sweet with a good cocoa flavor. It was also a good sized loaf, with portions for a week. My son loved eating it as much for breakfast as for dessert.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
A nice sight to see on a Saturday morning is the row of food trucks. I love these three trucks, and I love that they come together every Saturday for the square market.
What was my market background? A few new arrivals and some of my must-haves.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
Of course, I had to have my Nitro Cup cold brew and a kouign amann from Six Red Chairs Bakery. I tried a bottle of the new Regal Gecko, two loaves of Great Harvest Bread, strawberries, zucchini, and the amazing maple and bacon cronuts from Central Ilinois Bakehouse. Everything was so good, and I know my next visit to the market will have great bites too.
Let us know what you like to buy from the markets – or if there’s something I should try for next month’s Market Watch. Email me or leave a comment on our social media.
Urbana Market at Square Infos
The Urbana Market has been in continuous operation since 1979. The market runs from May 7 to October 29, every Saturday morning from 7 a.m. to noon, rain or shine. It is located at the corner of Illinois and Vine in Urbana.
Payment methods : Cash, credit, debit or SNAP.
SNAP/LINK: Vendors selling LINK-eligible foods accept LINK tokens. Please visit Urbana’s Market at the Square website for details, or the on-site information tent.
Car park: Free parking is available in the parking lots surrounding Lincoln Square Mall and the lot south of Illinois Street. Bike parking is also available at the entrances to the mall and in the bike corral area after entering the market off Illinois.
Pets: Pets are not allowed. Thank you for respecting the rules of the market and leaving your doggie at home.
Social media: You can follow the Market on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Sign up here to receive weekly market emails.
The Land Connection Champagne Growers Market
The Land Connection Champagne Farmers Market is in its seventh year. The Champaign Market is open on Tuesdays from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. from May 17. The Champaign Farmers Market will be held in the M parking lot in downtown Champaign in Neil and Washington.
Forms of payment: Pre-order, cash, credit cards, debit cards or SNAP/EBT cards.
SNAP/LINK: All eligible providers accept SNAP benefits through the LINK token program. Please visit The Land Connection website for more details.
Car park: Metered parking is available in the M parking lot or on the Hill Street parking deck.
Pets: Dogs on a leash are welcome.
Social media: Follow The Earth Connection on Facebook, Twitterand Instagram, or see the website for more information.
