Geneva Green Market: Geneva, Illinois - A Green Farmers Market

Summer season is here and the Geneva Green Market is in full swing.  The month of July in the Fox Valley growing region offers a wide variety of produce that will tantalize your taste buds and diversify your garden.  Come to the market to find fresh, local food to enhance your every-day meals! Here’s a brief sample of the fruits and vegetable available in July from Dekalb County, Dupage County, Kane County and Kendall County Illinois farms:

Veggies:

• Beans
• Bell peppers
• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Eggplant
• Onions
• Radishes
• Squash

Fruits:

• Blueberries
• Cherries
• Peaches
• Raspberries

The Chicago Tribune featured a cover story with Chef Jeremy Lycan, of Niche Restaurant and vendor Heritage Prairie entitled “Support Your Local Farmer - Movement to eat food grown within 100 miles of home is gaining traction” in the July 6, 2008 issue:

Growing concern about such “food miles” has inspired many consumers to become locavores.

Betsy Zinser, 44, of Batavia began her pursuit of locally grown food two years ago after finding that a bag of broccoli in her freezer was produced in China.

Deri Gray, 47, a dedicated locavore in Geneva, said the ability to trace her food to its origin has given her peace of mind, particularly while health officials have been focused on tomatoes as they probe a nationwide salmonella outbreak.

“I knew right away the tomatoes I got here wouldn’t be tainted,” Gray said outside the Heritage Prairie Market in Elburn. “It hasn’t been touched commercially, so there’s nobody in between contaminating it with any disease.”

Many locavores cite a different reason for their dietary decision: Locally grown food is fresher, more nutritious and tastes better. That may explain why many chefs in the Chicago area’s trendiest restaurants feature locally grown ingredients.

“We’re finally getting back to craving the flavor and textures of produce that’s extremely fresh,” said Jeremy Lycan, chef at Niche Restaurant in Geneva.

Lycan gets his rib-eye from Dietzler Farms, a 750-acre farm in Walworth County, Wis., about 65 miles from his restaurant. And he gets garlic and beets from Heritage Prairie Market.

The New York Times featured an article on the trend of local food and community supported agriculture, or CSA, entitled “Shoppers buy slices of farms” by Susan Saulny in the July 10, 2008 edition. Highlighted in the piece was Geneva Green Market vendor Erehwon Farms:

“The CSA provides a base that’s certain, and we get the money when we need to spend the money,” said Beth Propst, who farms the fields at Erehwon, using the abbreviation for community-supported agriculture. “Having the money upfront and guaranteed, that gets us through at least the beginning of the season.”

Tim Fuller, Propst’s longtime companion and business partner in running the farm, said: “People are coming to us. We do very little marketing except for explaining what we do. It’s amazing.”

With a wry smile, Fuller said he considers himself both personal farmer and personal trainer, because shareholders under his direction are going to break a sweat.

“There’s always pressure on,” he said. “This is a complicated business, growing so many crops. We do everything by hand for more than 100 different crops.”

“I think people are becoming more local-minded…” said Nichole Nazelrod, program coordinator at the Fulton Center for Sustainable Living at Wilson College in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, a national clearinghouse for community-supported farms. “People are seeing ways to come together and work together to make this successful.”

Cattleana Ranch in Omro, Wisconsin, Thomas and Susan Wrchota offer grass fed meat and organic produce through a community-supported arrangement.

“We don’t do millions in revenue, but we make a living, which is rare,” he said. “Our goal is to provide a full portfolio of products for folks who want sustainable products. Up until about five years ago, we had to do a tremendous amount of guerrilla marketing. The consumer who is interested now, they’re doing their homework. They know the health and taste benefits.”

Some shareholders said they found the arrangement a bargain compared to grocery shopping… Most agreed that the urge to buy and spend locally to avoid the costs and environmental degradation that come with shipping and storage was behind the decision to join. Shareholders can pick up their goods at the farm or at a store across the street.

“From a ‘going green’ standpoint, it’s an appropriate thing to do,” said Gerard Brill, a musician who bought a share of Erehwon. “Like everything organic, it’s not a bargain, but what price do you put on being healthy? Considering all things, it’s actually a very good deal.”

Before you throw away those fruit peels, take a moment to think about a greener way of using your garbage.  Compost is a great way to enrich your soil and acts as a natural fertilizer.  There are ways to utilize not only kitchen waste, but your yard waste as well.

Green materials–Apple cores and peels, carrot shavings, celery ends, potato peels, grass clippings, but just remember, no meat! Brown materials - Older and dried yard waste, leaves dried vines/plants from the garden and straw.

A compost heap is an alternate layering of brown materials with green and a little soil.  Use about 3 inches of straw as the bottom layer, Read More…

The Kane County Chronicle covered the record turnout of community support and enthusiasm for the opening day of the Geneva Green Market in the Fox River Valley with a cover story in the June 27 edition entitled “Geneva Green Market a Big Hit“:

… By the end of his 30-minute demonstration, Lycan paired the scallops he brought with arugula, carrots, eggplant and scallions, all of which were available at Thursday’s opening of the Geneva Green Market on River Lane.

Rob Murphy of Curds & Whey Cheese Shoppe, which is inside Inglenook Pantry in Geneva, said he sells more than 30 types of cheese and has lots of recipes that he’s willing to share.

… For those who don’t like to cook, Lycan said starting in July, Niche Restaurant will offer meals made with produce from two local farms and the Geneva Green Market.

For the next three months, six-course tasting menus will be available from Tuesday through Friday. At least one item from the farms or market will be used in each course, Lycan said.

Read the full article online at the Kane County Chronicle online here.

The Geneva Green Market was honored to receive the Kane County Chronicle’s “Best of the Fox 2008” Readers’ Choice Award, for the Best Farmers Market 2008. Thanks to the readers who voted for us and we look forward to seeing you at the market starting June 26th at 75 North River Lane, Geneva Illinois and making this the best market season yet!

Nate Sumner and Dan Fernandes, of Rebel Food Company, were featured on the front page of the Kane County Chronicle, June 12, 2008 edition in an article entitled Rebels with a carrot: Founders hope organic farm holds its own at Kane markets:

Steve Arnold, manager for the Kane County Farm Bureau, said that there has been increasing interest in organic ventures… “As a prep cook, my chef would give me 20 bucks and say, ‘Get the best,’” Sumner said. “My favorite part of it was talking to all the farmers but I never grew anything on my own.” He started a garden two years ago when his wife gave him five packs of seeds for Easter. He later interned at Green Earth Institute in Naperville. The institute focuses on training organic farmers.

They are planting heirloom crops with numerous varieties. “The more diversity makes sure you have better yields,” Sumner said. The two hope to become mainstays at Kane County farmers markets, starting with Geneva’s Green Market…

Visit Rebel Food Co online at www.localharvest.org/farms/M19397

CELEBRATE! Gardens is a family owned and operated 12-acre farm located in Lindenwood in North Central Illinois.  Originally a larger, family grain and livestock farm, the Horn Family downsized 16 years ago and switched to cut-flower crops, decorative ornamentals and hay.  They grow an assortment of plant material in addition to their field grown perennials, woody ornamentals and vines.  A few of the crop varieties they have are:  basil, lilies, sweet pea, edible flowers, and grasses.  The small growing space provides a means of maintaining the land’s integrity in a highly sustainable and environmentally friendly manner.

They use natural materials to enhance the quality and health of their crops.  They also offer paper vases (with a waterproof liner) for customers who wish to purchase their flowers in a presentation format for immediate, no-fuss gift giving and ease of transport.  CELEBRATE! Gardens concentrates on the floral needs of the local customers and event planners in North Central Illinois and the Northwest suburbs of Chicago.  They not only have a long tradition of quality, but provide a way to better living.

Majestic Nursery is an establishment that strives to achieve the highest quality of fresh, seasonal foods and plants. The 5-acre nursery, farm and homestead is family owned and operated. They have encouraged a balance of bio-diversity, while maintaining a piece of land for use in the growth of plants and food. It is important to Majestic Nursery to care for themselves, the earth and the community in keeping a healthy safe and beautiful environment for all. They reserved the back third of their property, along the Fox River, Read More…

The Chicago Tribune, May 14, 2008 newspaper featured the Geneva Green Market in the Good Eating section about green farmers markets entitled “The Greening of Chicago” by Elizabeth Owens-Schiele:

[Geneva Green Market is ] devoted to education of the health-giving nature of locally grown food, sustainability and conservation of resources… The market has local farmers from within a 200-mile radius of Geneva.

West Suburban Living magazine, May/June 2008 issue featured the Geneva Green Market in a piece entitled “Going Green” by Sara Pearsaul Vice.

Exciting news - food is something we all share everyday, getting the word out to people who seek to be greener in their everyday lives is always great and bodes well for the success of the 2008 Geneva Green Market season!