• Evanston’s own Chef Brian Huston leads VEG E-Town food classes at the Downtown Evanston Farmers Market

    VEG E-Town is a new weekly event at the Downtown Evanston Farmers Market. It began on August 5 and will run for 9 weeks (with 8 sessions). VEG E-Town is a program that, among its many virtues, has returned live cooking demos to the market. There have only been one or two Chef Demos since the Market pivoted to protect vendors and customers during the Covid-19 pandemic.

    Evanston native and storied Chef Brian Huston (owner and chef of Evanston’s sorely missed restaurant Boltwood), is the host/instructor/chef for each 15-minute session. There are 4 or 5 sessions each week. Brian explains that, “…we’re going to do…an 8 to 9 week series of different vegetables showing the people how to cook them and how easy they are to make and eat.”

    This program has its origin in a USDA initiative called Veg U. Veg U. is intended to “further the awareness of farmers markets’ contributions to healthy food access.” After a pilot effort in the nation’s capital, Veg U. then, “set out to develop and pilot on-campus farmers markets at three 1890 land grant universities and Vegetable Education (VegU) programs at three farmers markets.” Markets in Texas, Illinois, and Kentucky were chosen for the program, and so Chef Brian helms one of only 3 programs in the U.S.

    He is no stranger to the Farmers Market. Brian Huston’s generosity in sharing his time and talent for chef demos and fundraising events is legendary, if not unique. Many area chefs contributed their efforts throughout market seasons since around 2010, until pandemic caution put food-sharing of any sort off-limits.

    Although Chef Brian is a veteran, he is quickly growing into this particular endeavor. “I think really what people want is to taste things. And if we can draw them in with food to taste and talk to them, I think we will touch and reach more people.”

    In his second program, “Veggie Wraps,” there wasn’t a lot of cooking, but there was a lot of assembling, and a whole lot of tasting. “…the theme of today is…things in season that go well together. So really, it’s a matter of taking today’s ingredients and then combining them with a binder. And so I’ve made a couple of binders — some salsas, some Green Goddess dressing. And I got some hummus.”

    With the help of volunteers from Evanston Grows, a cavalcade of tasting appeared on the tasting table, quickly swept up by the crowd.

    The overall lesson of this particular session was, “Things that grow together go together.” Market farms and vendors are supplying product for the demos, and their bright and beautiful array of fresh wares certainly proved that point.

    And one “student” observed that a professional cook like Brian Huston can’t help but teach with every word and action. “I’ve been bringing home stone fruit and mangling it,” the visitor observed. “I watched Brian slicing peaches for a wrap, and it’s a revelation. I can’t wait to get back home and make a fruit salad! And he didn’t have to say a word.”

    The Veg E-Town demos run from 9am to 10:30am. There are usually 4 sessions.

    In October, Friends will keep the cooking going with a series of weekly demos featuring several local restaurants. We’ll share more information when it’s available.



  • The Farmers Market Looks Better Than Ever When You Look at Today’s Groceries

    Friends’ president, Vikki Proctor, keeps a close eye on food and food policy in the news. She was dismayed at the revelations in a New York Times Guest Essay — but best to let her tell the story.

    Vikki writes —


    It was disheartening to read that in the debt ceiling crisis compromise, our neediest citizens, those relying on Snap/ Link food subsidies are losing some of their benefits. Why are the poor the low-hanging fruit? Why is it so hard for lower income families to secure healthy food?

    With these thoughts in mind, I was drawn to Stacy Mitchell’s NYT essay, “The Real Reason Your Groceries Are Getting Expensive”. I expected to read about climate change, government subsidies wrongly awarded, globalism etc.

    Instead, Mitchell discusses the bullying tactics of the big food retailers, Walmart, Kroger. It’s ever so simple. Walmart demands special deals from its suppliers and the shortfall is corrected by charging small retailers more. As Mitchell states, “This isn’t competition. It’s big retailers exploiting their financial control over suppliers to hobble smaller competitors.”

    Yet, it wasn’t always this way. The US antitrust policy was on a sensible path in 1936 when the Robinson-Patman Act mandated that suppliers offer same terms to all retailers. When this Act was enforced, independent stores succeeded, with nearly 2 million workers owning or co-owning those neighborhood stores.

    In the 1970s, regulators stepped back believing large retailers control of suppliers would lead to reduced prices. The results are in: we now have

                  * Higher grocery prices

                  * Food deserts

                  * Decline of independent grocers

                  * Fewer dollars to farmers

    Hardly, sustainable outcomes.

    No happy ending yet but Congress can and SHOULD enforce the Robinson-Patman Act restoring fair practices in the food industry. Without this action, protection of our local farms and access to healthy food for all are unrealistic goals.

    In the meantime, I’ll continue to shop in the one place where farms, farmers and consumers can get a fair deal — my local farmers market.


    Implicit in Vikki’s final thought is the belief that her local farmers market offers the food she needs at a reasonable price. Is the Downtown Evanston Farmers Market such a place? And for whom?

    One thing to understand about our market is that it is big. Between our many farms and all the artisanal vendors, the market is rich with product in almost every category save dairy (other than cheese).

    Our market was founded in 1975 by several Evanston citizens. One of them was Harriet Friedlander, who passed away a few years ago. The Evanston Roundtable’s obituary explained, “Harriet founded the Evanston Farmers Market in 1975 out of a desire to be able to buy locally-grown organic produce. Driven out by low-cost grocery chains, farmers markets had disappeared in the Chicago area after the Second World War, but began reappearing in the mid- and late 1970s. The Evanston Market was the very first, and soon was widely emulated in both the city and suburbs.

    “Low-cost grocery chains.”

    Not many of those around these days. And for families who depend on Snap/Link (food stamps) the news has been bad all year long. (See the links above.) Although pandemic-related increases in Snap payments ceased earlier this year, the farmers market is one place where Snap support hasn’t wavered. For more than a decade, Link card withdrawals have been matched with up to $25 in additional funds raised from government programs, foundations, businesses, and many individual donations.

    These match funds are the difference between the farmers market being a luxury versus a necessity. We asked a Link user if they would choose to shop at the market sans matching dollars. “Probably not. Or if I was, it wouldn’t be enough to buy, you know, a week’s worth of groceries.”

    It’s not just Link benefits that drive folks to the market. “…the quality of produce is that you can buy it here and it won’t rot in three days in your fridge. So, you know, even, even if you’re buying things at a discount on a grocery store, they end up being…they’re very problematic. They don’t last.”


    So here in 2023, grocery prices are uniformly high. Snap benefits have dropped. The Farmers Market continues to offer a matching dollar program that can put almost $700 of buying power at the disposal of families who have the greatest need in managing food costs.

    Click this image to make a donation to Just25+ right now.

    Friends of Evanston Farmers Market has run a simple fundraising program for a few years now. It’s called Just25+, because $25 is all that we ask for from donors. If you can afford more, well, that’s what the “+” is all about. If 25 bucks is a bit rich, we’re happy to accept any amount. Our goal is for people and families to support each other. We haven’t publicized it in several months, but the need for support remains great, and we wanted readers to know that Friends and the families that receive your financial support are grateful for your help.



  • Fire struck Geneva Lakes in March, but they are making things work with ingenuity and a little help.

    Pictured above: Left: Geneva Lakes Produce stand at the Downtown Evanston Farmers Market. Upper right: the fire that devastated their facilities in March of 2023. Lower right: Corben Koster, farmer and one of the managers of Geneva Lakes Produce.

    You could not be faulted for thinking that things must be going pretty smoothly for Geneva Lakes Produce, an Evanston Farmers Market anchor farm for many, many years. Their stand at the market is bursting with seasonal products, and everything looks beautiful.

    The grim story behind this bountiful facade is that everything you see at this and the many other markets that Geneva Lakes visits is there only because of an extraordinary continuing effort after a devastating event.

    Here’s the basic story, told by Corben Koster, who manages the farm along with many other members of his family. “At the end of March, we had a pretty devastating fire that seemed to have started in our mechanic shop on the farm…and it spread to take over our entire packing shed with all of our coolers. It was a 6500 square foot building, with 3000 square feet of cooler space in it, and we lost every single inch of it, (and also) a little office trailer connected to the side and a greenhouse connected to the other side.”

    To make a long story short, Geneva Lakes was capable of growing and picking produce in the field, but their ability to wash, sort, package, and store produce was hobbled by the fire.

    Although they have managed short-term solutions to allow them to proceed, they remain without the facilities and equipment to make the job, “…you know, efficient and more convenient,” as Corben put it. “Everything takes longer.”

    Insurance will cover some of the replacement of working space and equipment, but ultimately, Geneva Lakes only has about half of what they need to restore their facilities. And because insurance won’t cover the entire rebuild, the farm has reached out to their community of customers and supporters in a couple of ways. They’ve got an ongoing GoFundMe effort to which you can contribute at https://gofund.me/dc52df51. And there is a Facebook Group, Rebuild Geneva Lakes Produce Team that offers many ways to help Geneva Lakes restore what they lost.

    One of their first big challenges has been to cobble together a facility that will allow them to get an adequately-sized cooler in place ASAP. Right now they are overloading the cooler at their farmstand to store produce for farmers markets.

    We asked Corben if there was a silver lining to this disaster, and he responded, “There is. And the thing I keep saying is, you know, I think in two or three years from now, we’re going to be like, oh, this is what a great set up we have. You know, But I’ll tell you the next two years and especially right now. Yeah, right. It’s going it’s very, very tough.”

    We can all support Geneva Lakes produce via the links above, by joining their CSA, and just by shopping at their stand at the market.

    When you walk past Geneva Lakes in the Northeast corner of the Downtown Evanston Farmers Market this season, consider the resilience and iron will of the Koster family as they abide their extreme challenges and bring such beauty and variety to our market every week. Then, do what you can to help those efforts succeed.



  • Friends Meets with Mayor Biss for Some Clarity About the Evanston Thrives Action Plan

    We’re following up on the reporting we’ve done about Friends’ concern over the portions of the Evanston Thrives action plan that involved the Downtown Evanston Farmers Market.

    A good outcome was expected and that is exactly the result of the meeting between Friends of Evanston Farmers Market and Evanston city officials.

    By the time of the April 19 meeting, Luke Stowe, City Manager, had already announced that the market would remain in downtown Evanston in the lot adjacent to the Maple Street Parking Garage.

    Concerns mounted after the Evanston Roundtable published a report, Evanston Thrives, recommending the market be moved to Fountain Square.

    Mayor Biss emphasized that the economic study was focused on how to improve the economic health of Evanston. He did not expect the study to do a thorough investigation of the current market and what it needs to remain a well-recognized and successful market for vendors and shoppers alike.

    He, Luke Stowe and Audrey Thompson, Director of Parks and Recreation stated the city would never consider moving the market without a thorough investigative process involving all stakeholders.

    The hour-long meeting ended with the city and FEFM pledging to work together to support our wonderful community asset, the Downtown Evanston Farmers Market.

    The 48th season of our farmers market begins on Saturday, May 6.



  • The Vendor Slate for the 2023-2024 Market Season is Set, and it all begins on Saturday, May 6th

    The 48th season of the Downtown Evanston Farmers Market begins on Saturday, May 6th at 7:30 a.m. As with every season, there are some changes.

    Every year around this time, Market Manager Myra Gorman announces the new (happy!) and departing (Sad!) vendors for the Downtown Evanston Farmers Market. This happens after applications are sent out in the winter months, and after Friends and Myra collaborate on tastings and review of new vendor applications and their wares. This year, departing vendors opened 7 slots for new vendors, and Myra shared the news on the Evanston Markets Facebook Page.

    We won’t “liberate” Myra’s copy, and you can read her news and her excellent descriptions of the new members of the DEFM family of vendors by clicking here.

    We will provide the basic information in this post,, including links for all our new vendors so you can read all their interesting backstories at your leisure. Here’s our listing of the seven new vendors.

    • Mima’s Toast Bar, featuring tons of toppings and bread from the most excellent Katich Bread.
    • Gracie Pie Apothecary Soaps.. Gracie Pie Apothecary’s products are hand crafted in small batches in Kankakee, Illinois. All of their soap is hand made with local, free range goat’s milk from well loved goats.
    • Will Power Your Day. An every other week vendor that will be located in the northwest corner of the market. They offer plant-based snacks that are ‘Explosively Delicious, Powerfully Nutritious.’ 
    • Kikwetu Coffee Company. A family owned, Chicago-based, specialty coffee company, working directly and exclusively with small scale, quality-focused coffee farmers in Kenya.
    • Green Cuisine specializes in fresh hand made Mediterranean products such as Hummus, Babaganuje, morracan carrots dip, fluffy pita clouds , variety of olives and more.
    • Insanely Awesome Bakery. A cottage food bakery from a veteran Chicago chef/baker. Delicious food. Phenomenal technique.
    • Lemaster Family Kitchen. Spice blends that are handmade, grinding whole chilies and spices for freshness and potency that’s impossible to find in a grocery.

    In addition to these 7 newcomers, Downstate Donuts has recovered from the fire that hobbled their production capability and caused them to drop out of last season’s market. Their products are potato-based and quite remarkable.


    The room for these new vendors is provided by several vendor departures — some with literally decades of participation in our market. The departing vendors include:

    Bennisons Bakery

    Marilyn’s Pies

    Pasta Pappone

    Thao Gardens

    Luciano’s Empanadas

    Green Fire Farm


    Our calendar of events is updated. We’re triple-checking the full roster for this year’s market, and that will be updated 2 weeks before the Downtown Evanston Farmers Market resumes on Saturday, May 6 at 7:30 a.m.