Holy pumpkins, Batman; it’s September. This month, Champaign-Urbana markets offer a taste of summer and fall. Find the last local peaches and sweet corn and the beginnings of fall squash and winter squash.
If you are still in summer, opt for melons, tomatoes and raspberries. If you’re a fall fan, there will be plenty of pumpkins and pumpkins for you. This month, be sure to check out Sola Gratia’s lunch box peppers or delicious Venezuelan bread from Tati’s Bakery, a new Tuesday Market vendor.
CU’s outdoor farmers’ markets only last until October, so that’s the month before last. Visit the Urbana Market in the Square on Saturday mornings, rain or shine, from 7 a.m. to noon in the Lincoln Square Mall parking lot near Common Ground. Shop for Champaign Farmers Market produce, pastries, Zambian cuisine and more every Tuesday afternoon from 3-6pm in the M parking lot in downtown Champaign.
I scoured the markets earlier this week, and here’s what I saw.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
Sola Gratia’s lunch box peppers are just hitting the market. I bought a pint of peppers ($3.50) from Urbana Farm, and it arrived in a nice basket. I liked the crunch and my kids loved the bright colors. These little peppers are great sliced on pizza or stuffed with goat cheese from Prairie Fruits Farm.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
A new vendor in the Tuesday market is Tati’s Barkery which sells Venezuelan breads on a simple, unsigned table. My friend Lilly told me to try the fantastic challah and pan campesino bread, but the baker changes their offerings weekly – and there were none earlier this week. Last Tuesday Orlando had three types of bread for sale and I bought a six pack of piñitas Venezolanas rolls.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
The package of piñitas Venezolanas ($5.50), a Venezuelan sweet bread, was amazing. Tati’s Bakery has baked a perfect bun with a sweet yeasty flavor and a soft, spongy texture. The anise seed gave a deliciously herbaceous flavor to the roll that was seriously addictive. I can’t wait to try the bread that Tati’s Bakery is offering next week.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
With many varieties of apples, Weinzierl Fruit, a small farm, is a table to visit absolutely during the month of September. Find apples like Pixie Crunch, a sweet and crunchy apple, or Roxbury Russet, America’s oldest apple variety with a nice tart flavor. Apples from Weinzierl Fruit will be on both markets this month.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
At the Urbana market, these tiny little tomatoes from the Koller family’s gardens spoke to me and said, “Look how cute I am!” The Atlanta, Illinois farmer told me these marbled tomatoes were pretty sweet. He was right: they were delicious mini tomatoes with a nice juicy pop.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
When buying the table from the Koller family’s gardens on Saturday, the farmer handed me a bucket and said, “Load it.” Almost everything on the stand was $1.50 a pound. I chose marbled tomatoes, a giant tomato, a bunch of green onions, a cucumber and a handful of green beans. All the food in my bucket is only $4. Note: The Koller Family Gardens booth is cash and LINK only.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
Satisfy all your bread cravings at the markets. Bloomington’s Great Harvest Bread Company offers beautiful bread at the Urbana Market every two weeks. The bread company makes sourdough, sandwich breads, and (my family’s favorite) an amazing eggless, super chocolatey pain au chocolat.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
Every week, at both markets, find Central Illinois Bakehouse selling all kinds of baked goods. Pretzels, breads, rolls, buns, cashews, bagels and more line the table. My go-to Central Illinois Bakehouse item is the croughnut. I’m a big fan of Maple Bacon Cashew, but all of the cashew flavors I’ve tried have been awesome. This month, the two special flavors are Salted Caramel Pretzel and Apple Cider Chips made with Apple Cider from Curtis Orchard.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
The peppers are practically overflowing on several tables in the markets. If you like spicy peppers, now is the time to buy some.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
My kids have become fans of the farmer’s market red peppers. To me, our local peppers taste a bit sweeter than the peppers from the grocery store.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
In both markets, you can see the Urbana kombucha Cloud Mountain Kombucha company. The company recently won gold in the inaugural Kombucha Kup for two of its beers. Cloud Mountain has kombucha flavors like Black Currant, Pineapple Jalapeño, Grape Lemongrass and more for sale at both CU Markets. I like to keep a few bottles in my fridge on nights when I crave something effervescent but I’m sick of La Croix.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
Product quality is excellent in both markets.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
A few vendors sell tomatillos by the pound.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
Okra won’t be in season much longer, so it’s a good idea to buy okra earlier in the month while it’s still available.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
In both markets, many farms sell tomatoes (a little longer).
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
These big watermelons are from ROTH Countryside Produce, and this Saturday is the last time to find the farm at the Urbana Market in the Square this season. With a corn rig and plenty of locally grown produce, ROTH Countryside is an ideal stopover when visiting the Saturday market. I like to bring a basket, bag or cart for all my purchases, especially if I’m buying watermelon.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
The peach season is ending soon, so pick up the peaches now. These peaches from Mileur Orchard are $7 a pint. The orchard also sells gala apples for $5 a bag, applesauce, peach cider fritters, peach cobbler, apple butter and more at a table in Urbana’s Saturday Market.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
If you like berries, raspberries will be available for the whole month of September. Meyer Produce offers cartons of freshly picked raspberries at the Urbana and Champaign Farmers Markets.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
Flyway Family Farm sells baskets of mushrooms at the Urbana Market on Saturday mornings. The farm sells oyster mushrooms, chestnuts and shiitakes.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
Finally, it’s squash and squash season at the market. What is the difference between a squash and a squash? A squash is edible, and a squash is not.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
I love the micro radish sprouts from Diamond’s Homestead, but the little farm also offers squash, pumpkins, tomatoes, herb sprouts, morel kits, and more at the Champaign Market.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
It really is like autumn when I see pumpkins in the market. More pumpkins, squash, and squash will hit the market as the month progresses. If you’re trying to hold on to summer, just look away until the 22nd.
Photo by Alyssa Buckley.
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.
