Geneva Green Market: Geneva, Illinois – A Local Food Green Farmers Market

Community Supported Agriculture consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community’s farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production.

Typically, members or “share-holders” of the farm or garden pledge in advance to cover the anticipated costs of the farm operation and farmer’s salary. In return, they receive shares in the farm’s bounty throughout the growing season, as well as satisfaction gained from reconnecting to the land and participating directly in food production. Members also share in the risks of farming, including poor harvests due to unfavorable weather or pests. By direct sales to community members, who have provided the farmer with working capital in advance, growers receive better prices for their crops, gain some financial security, and are relieved of much of the burden of marketing. Read more

Giving thanks to the season’s harvests was a centuries-old tradition held by most cultures around the world. After the autumn harvest, communities held long feasts celebrating the season’s harvest and gatherings for the winter months. It wasn’t till the mid-1600’s that Thanksgiving, as we know it today, began to take shape. Fasting forward several hundred years, it was as recently as 1941 that President Roosevelt signed a bill that established the fourth Thursday of every November as Thanksgiving Day. This has been followed by every state in the union since 1956. Today Thanksgiving still remains centered around food and feasting surrounded by family and friends.

In the spirit of giving and being thankful we at the Geneva Green Market, NFP and would like to take this opportunity to thank all the chiefs, GGM, NFP members, merchants and volunteers whose continual hard work and dedication make this market feasible season after season. We would especially like to thank our faithful farmers, vendors and customers.   Join us in Thanking our farmers and in showing how much we appreciate them in providing fresh food from there fields to our tables.

If you haven’t ordered your Thanksgiving Day turkey there is still time to do so. Visit us at genevagreenmarket.org/farmers. If you did not pre-order a turkey, there will be some turkeys available for purchase at the market on a first come,  first serve basis. Come early to get yours.

Feeling overwhelmed by your big bird? Join us from 9-12 as “Talk Turkey to Me” author Renee Ferguson joins us to answer your turkey questions. She will have copies of her book available for purchase. Full of how- to’s, how not to’s, tips, instructions and recipes that can be used year round. A great resource to have on hand for those times Renee can’t personally be in your kitchen. She will sign copies, which can be a nice, personalized hostess gift.

If all this talk of turkey got your tummies rumbling be sure to stay afterwards as Jennifer Downing of Nourish shows you how to dry brine and bake a Black Spanish turkey. She’ll also show you a few excellent sides that will pair up perfectly with your bird. The best part is that’ll you’ll find most of the ingredients right at the market. After a tasty sample, enjoy a wine sample from Galena Cellars Vineyard & Winery-Geneva.  All this should provide great inspiration for our 3rd annual Thanksgiving Localvore Challenge. Deadline for submissions is December 1st.

From our family to yours

Happy Thanksgiving!

This year the Geneva Green Market, NFP is having a localvore essay contest to accompany the Localvore Thanksgiving Challenge. To participate one must strive to come as close to eating 100% locally grown food for your Thanksgiving meal as possible. To participate, write a 250-word essay, discussing the experience of purchasing local ingredients as well as eating the meal itself.

The winner will receive a $100 gift certificate for the Community Winter Market, and their essay will be published in the GGM, NFP’s newsletter. Email your essays to genevagreenmarket [at] gmail [dot] com by 12/1/09.

On Saturday, September 19, 2009, the Geneva Green Market will hosting a free outdoor screening of the “Fresh” for the Fox River Valley: Elgin, South Elgin, St Charles, Geneva, Batavia and Aurora, IL at the RiverPark , 75 North River Lane, Geneva IL.  The Geneva Green Market, Not for Profit membership and sponsors invites the public to come at 5:00 p.m. to get settled in with blankets and to consider a localvore picnic. The screening will start at 7:30 p.m. Desserts will be available for purchase by the Inglenook Pantry. Proceeds from the dessert sales will go to the Geneva Green Market, NFP. To learn more please go to www.genevagreenmarket.org/calendar/.

This movie put a smile on your face with the understanding of how the conventional agribusiness machine works, because you will know you don’t have to be any part of it. The hope and inspiration will have a lasting impression. For our health, our children and our future. I highly recommend the whole family come, watch and be inspired. Karen Stark, Geneva Green Market, NFP

The screening is for the purpose of educating the general public on the importance of eating healthier, locally grown food. Those in attendance will learn why this is such an important movement and how they can participate.

Thank you to the following for helping in bringing this movie to the Fox River Valley. Batavia Environmental Commission, blue haven Capital LLC – Geneva, Natural Resource Committee, Geneva, Pure Prairie Farm, Batavians for Clean Energy and & Conservation, Diane L. Peterson Klean Kanteen & To Go Ware, Slow Food City’s Edge, Conservation & Garden Dept. of Batavia Women’s Club, Orenda International, Unitarian-Universalist Society of Geneva, and Spiritual Green Connection.

Date: September 19, 2009

Time: Sitting starts 5:00 pm -- movie will be shown at 7:30 pm

Location: RiverPark, 75 North River Lane, Geneva IL, 60134

In the event of rain on the 19th, the “Fresh” showing will be moved to September 26th at the United Methodist Church in Geneva, IL.

Rain Date: September 26th, 2009

Time: Doors open at 6:30 pm -- movies will be shown at 7:30 pm

Location: United Methodist Church, 211 Hamilton Street, Geneva, IL 60134

The PRAIRIE BRASS BAND http://www.prairiebrass.org/ will perform in the amphitheater at the RiverPark of Geneva (Peyton St. and N. River Lane) on Sunday, July 12 at 7 pm. The concert is free to the public.

Mark Fenne of Geneva will be a featured cornet soloist. Come and hear his outstanding musicianship and that of the other 30 members of this suburban brass band. Let your imagination carry you back to 1895 when the Geneva Cornet Band performed nearby in Island Park or to 1870 when the Elgin Brass Band competed against the Batavia Silver Cornet Band at the fairgrounds near State and Kaneville Road in Geneva. Bring your lawn chair or picnic blanket and relax amid the prairie plants along the shore of the Fox River.

In case of rain, the concert will be held nearby at the United Methodist Church of Geneva at Hamilton and 2^nd St.

The Geneva Cultural Arts Commission has generously sponsored this summer event.

To view their calendar of events visit http://www.geneva.il.us/LivingInGeneva/appboards/cultural_arts.htm

About three years ago, Mark and Connie Weaver decided to extend their commitment to feeding their family with locally grown, organic foods to Inglenook Pantry patrons. They believe that good quality, healthy foods should be as readily available when dining out as they are when choosing what to eat at home. Inglenook offers this standard of quality in a variety of venues from concession stands to deluxe catering. Each week at the Geneva Green Market, NFP, Inglenook Pantry offers a variety of foods made from locally grown foods including quiche made from local vegetables and Rob Murphy’s cheeses and pies made from Hillside Orchards’ fruit.

Mark and Connie are continuously active members of their community. They support local farms and businesses by not only purchasing local products for their restaurant, but also providing a space and running the Geneva Winter Market, co-running the Geneva Green Market, NFP and supporting the Geneva schools in numerous ways. The Inglenook Pantry is truly the definition of a sustainable restaurant.

INGLENOOK PANTRY
Connie & Mark Weaver
N 5th Street
Geneva IL 60134
630.377.0373

What:
A Festival of Information & Ideas for Sustainable Living, Building a Sustainable Community

When:
Saturday, October 4, 2008
9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.

Where:
Unitarian Universalist Church of Elgin (three miles west of Randall on Highland Ave)
39W830 Highland Avenue
Elgin, IL 60124

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The fifth annual Prairie Fest held is a one day celebration of sustainable living. Workshops, presentations, exhibits, and interactions are free to the community.  This Prairie Fest Community Conference promises to give attendees valuable and practical information on living a low impact sustainable lifestyle.  It features professionals, practitioners, authors, and civic official who give attendees the opportunity to explore the many practical ways that we can live more sustainably.  Green City is the central theme of this year’s Prairie Fest. The name points to the larger challenges of creating a “Green City” in which we all live and thrive sustainably.

Fest with positive steps to take and resources to help them learn to live
more sustainably. There can be no sustainable community without all of us learning to live sustainably.
Thom Thomas, Presenter – 9 to 11

Moderated by Elgin City Council Member Dave Kaptain, panelists include:
Elgin Mayor Ed Schock, City Planner Tom Armstrong, Green Architect Keelan Kaiser, Read more

Heritage Prairie Farm Camp for Kids – don’t miss out on the opportunity to enroll your child in hands on experiences that give children the knowledge to begin his or her journey into understanding food and farming, tolerance and self-respect, community and responsibility. Children will have fun while experiencing productive and worthwhile work, in turn feeling a sense of accomplishment. Our peaceful and engaging environment is a great place for new friends and experiences with our knowledgeable and friendly staff. Sign up today!

Camps for ages 7 – 12: Camps run for 2 weeks, Monday thru Thursday 9:00 a.m. – Noon

Garden Explorers: (July 21 – 24 & July 28 – 31) *Sign up by this Friday!*

In this fun outdoor camp children will experience planning, preparing, and planting a garden. We will get our hands into soil testing and bug exploration, as well as the life cycle of plants; from a seed to seedling to a full grown plant. The campers will experiment planting with seeds, transplants, fruits, and trees. Enroll your child now and lay down the roots of life with the hands on, fun, and educational experience of Heritage Prairie’s Garden Explorers Camp.

Fun With Food: (August  4 – 7 & August 11 – 14)

Campers will harvest ingredients from the ground and then engage all five senses with the art of cooking. Campers will be evolved in the processes of cooking from helping select ingredients to measuring, mixing, cooking, and then of course sampling. Also, your child will become a certified food detective and learn how to make healthy food selections while shopping in the grocery store. We want to connect children to their food and to their community by introducing food system maps, which cover important social, economical and environmental concepts. Where does my food come from? How does it get here? Who am I really paying? How do my choices effect others and the environment? As a grand finale, we will take a field trip to the Geneva Green City Farmers Market and experience local farmers and local buyers.

Camps for ages 4 – 6: Camps run for 1 week, Monday thru Thursday 9:00 a.m. – Noon

Farm Critters: (July 21 – 24) *Sign up by this Friday!*

Campers will experience and explore the animal life on the farm. Come and join in the fun of the feeding, care, and responsibilities involving the animals on our farm.

Nature Crafts: (July 28 – 31)

Using nature as our inspiration and palette, campers will enjoy making creative functional items as well as original works of art. Campers will learn about famous artists as well as discovering the artist within.

Budding Farmers: (August 4-7)

Children will enjoy the outdoors while learning responsibility and sensitivity to the natural world. Activities will include animal care, picking vegetables and flowers, stories, games and crafts.

Garden Explorers: (August 11-14)

This camp is all about getting your hands dirty and having fun! Campers will join in with peers and counselors planting, weeding, and harvesting gardens throughout the farm. Learn about the bugs in and around the farm, and dig into composting.

See attached for registration forms, pricing, and detailed descriptions.
Download a registration form here
For a printable brochure of camp programs, click here.

Heritage Prairie Market
hpmfarm.com
630-443-8253