URBANA — If your Saturday morning could use a little more color, flavor and time outside, Urbana's Market at the Square has plenty of reasons to make the trip.
Nearly 150 vendors are expected to fill the Lincoln Square Mall parking lot Saturday morning, giving shoppers a chance to stock up on fresh food, discover something new and spend some time talking with the people who grow, make and sell what ends up on their tables.
The market also arrives as foodborne illness has been making headlines nationally. U.S. cyclosporiasis cases have reached record levels this year, with the current multistate outbreak linked to iceberg lettuce from central Mexico among the largest recent foodborne illness outbreaks in the country, according to information provided from Reuters. The CDC and FDA have reported 6,358 illnesses across 15 states and at least 278 hospitalizations, although federal surveillance trails state reporting by several weeks.
That makes knowing where your food comes from an especially relevant part of the weekly shopping trip. Urbana's Market at the Square is a producer-only market, meaning vendors sell products they have grown, raised, made or produced locally in Illinois.
Among Saturday's vendors will be Moore Family Farms, a small family operation near Watseka that has been in the Moore family for nearly 100 years.
Jim, Diann and Wes Moore operate the farm on less than 100 acres, using a system that more closely resembles permaculture. The family began moving away from conventional farming practices in the mid-1980s, when Jim and Diann started a vegetable garden and began selling their produce at local farmers markets.
The farm also raises livestock and focuses on small-scale farming practices that the family says are designed to be friendly to animals, people and the environment.
Moore Family Farms will set up in four spaces on the southeast corner of the Lincoln Square Mall parking lot and will bring a variety of farm-fresh vegetables.
For shoppers who love cheese, Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery will also be at the market.
The Champaign farm, located at 4410 N. Lincoln Ave., has transformed what was once conventional row-crop farmland into a mix of goat pastures, fruit orchards, gardens, pollinator habitat and restored prairie.
Nearly 100 pasture-raised dairy goats graze rotational fields, helping build soil, cycle nutrients and support biodiversity. Milk from the goats is turned into fresh and aged farmstead cheeses in the farm's artisan creamery.
Lauren and Jeffrey Brokish steward the farm today, continuing its focus on regenerative agriculture while producing food that connects customers with the land and animals behind it.
If something sweet is calling your name, Everyday Feast will have plenty to choose from.
Hannah and Matt started the cottage food bakery as a business they could build together. Their menu draws inspiration from seasonal produce, family traditions and bright colors, with a rotating selection that includes fruit crumb bars, brownies, blondies and cookies.
The bakery also offers challah and sourdough, along with dips, spreads, granola and seasonal salads.
Everyday Feast regularly appears at the Urbana farmers market on Saturdays and also attends the Champaign Farmers Market on select Tuesdays. Customers can order online for scheduled pickup.
Another market favorite, Sola Gratia Farm, will bring watermelon and Korean melons this week.
Founded in 2012 by St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Sola Gratia Farm was established with the goal of building a regional food system in which high-quality, locally grown produce is available to everyone, including people facing economic disadvantages.
The farm uses organic production methods focused on growing nutritious fruits and vegetables while improving soil health and building a community around locally grown food.
In celebration of Farmers Market Week, Sola Gratia also is offering its shirts at 25% off.
Of course, produce is only part of what shoppers can find at the Market at the Square. Vendors offer meats, dairy products, prepared foods, plants, flowers, jewelry, pottery, woodwork, candles, clothing, body care products, garden décor and more.
For first-time visitors, the producer-only format is worth remembering. If you have a question about where or how something was produced, ask the vendor. That's part of the experience — and one of the easiest ways to get to know the people behind your food.
Payment options vary. All vendors accept cash and personal checks, while many accept credit cards. Some also take electronic payments through Venmo or Apple Pay.
LINK benefits are accepted at the market, although funds must be converted into market tokens before they can be used for purchases.
So grab your reusable bags, bring your appetite and leave a little room for discovery. Whether you're shopping for the week's meals, looking for something special for the family or just want to enjoy a relaxed Saturday morning, the Market at the Square offers plenty of reasons to wander through the stalls.
For more information about using a LINK card at the market and for additional weekly market information, visit urbanamarket.org.
This week's vendors:
Al's 3D Pals
AO - Spicy and Sweet
AT&T
Atropos Scissors
Bad Bear Pottery
Bakelab LLC
Ben & Molly's Farm
Berries and Flour: Bakery & Harvest Goods, L.L.C.
bluecrowlavender
Bunning's Bakery
Burrito King Food Trucks
Carly Morrison Clay
Carnation Bookhouse
Cary's Garden of Eatin
Central Illinois Bakehouse
Champaign County Democrats
Champaign County Forest Preserve District
Champaign County Republician Party
Champaign Movie Makers
Champaign-Urbana Public Health District
CIMIC
Cindy Sampson/sampson N delilah
Ck Almonds
Cloud Mountain Kombucha
CoolkidCreates & GraveyardCrafts
Country Cottage Farm
CRYSTAL VALLEY FARMS
Cuddlebug Cottage
CUDO Plays
Delight Flower Farm
Discardistry
Ellen's Melons Roots and Fruits
EvermoreWood
Everyday Feast
Fabrikate
Faux Market
Foufoufactory
Fruitful Vines
Grandpa's Millwork
Granny Cakes
Green G Farm
Hanna’s Hobbies
Harden Ranch
Heart Fired Pottery
Hooker & Dye
Illinois Willows
J&S Sales
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jessamyn Smith
Joyfully Blooming
Jurassic Grill
Keke's
Koller Family Gardens
La Petite Bakery
Lancaster Flower Co.
Lazy Daisy Diner and Cafe
Leeyah-Symone Lemonade Stand
Little Bird Pottery
Living Light Farms
LUSCIOUS LEAVES
Maxwell’s Mushroom Farm
Melissa Morgan
Mexican Delicacies La Paloma
MILEUR ORCHARD
Moore Family Farm
Mueller Family Farm LLC
Nano Farms
Niece's Pieces Brownies
NitroCup
Not Too Sweet
nuEra Cannabis
Ochoa Farm
Office of Human Rights and Equity
Olde Tyme Kettle Korn
Phil Strang Artist
Piato Catering & Organic Food Nanny
PopCycle, LLC
Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery
Reimagined Relics
Richard Oosterhoff & Son
Roth Countryside Produce
Science at the Market, Physics UIUC
Silver Lining Goods
simply vicki
Sista's Savory Organic Tea LLC
Skye & Earth Jewelry
Sola Gratia Farm
Sparkles by Stephanie
Stango Cuisine
Stone & Knife
Strawberry Void
Strictly Wicks Candle Company
Sugared In Champaign LLC
Suline Creations LLC
Tegeler Sweet Corn
The Blooming Idiot
The Button Man
The Cousins Dog Biscuit Co
The Fancy Tomato
The Hangout Creation Station
The Little Farm Co.
The Wright Soapery
Thoughtful Fiber Arts
Three Angels Family Farm
Three Berry Flowers
Tiger Gardens
Triple S Farms
Twin City Theatre Company
Uniquely Blended Mood Modifiers
University of Illinois Developmental Psychology Labs
Upper Sangamon River Conservancy
Urbana Woodworks
Watson's Shack & Rail
