Oswego Country Market showcases diverse range of local vendors

Oswego resident Tina Whitlock knows how soap is supposed to feel on one’s skin.

Whitlock makes homemade soap and other bath and body products as part of her business, White Blossom Soaps. She has been selling her products at the Oswego Country Market for the past few years.

“I’ve been making soap going on seven years at this point,” Whitlock said as she participated in the Oswego Country Market on Aug. 13. “It started as a hobby. I started making bath bombs first and then I just fell in love with it and I kept doing it. I love it because the soaps feel better than store bought soap.”

The Oswego Country Market, which is run by the Oswegoland Park District, is located at 15 Main St. near the Village Grind Coffee and Tea Co. and the Oswego Public Library in downtown Oswego. The market opened for the season in June and will be open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Sunday through Sept. 24.

Her experience at the Oswego Country Market has been a rewarding one.

“The people are great and friendly,” Whitlock said. “The Oswegoland Park District is fantastic. And I just love being down here at the market. It’s my favorite market that I do.”

She recently started making natural deodorants that don’t contain aluminum or baking soda. And her homemade shampoo bars have proven to be a big seller.

“If somebody buys shampoo at a store, it’s like 90% water,” Whitlock said. “The bars here, depending on how often you wash your hair, they can last like three months or so. So it’s a good investment. And if you’re traveling, you don’t have to have bottles with you.”

Those looking for organically grown produce can find it at Big Rock Organics, another vendor at the Oswego Country Market.

“We’re a small family farm and we grow everything on our farm,” said Natasha Lewis. “I’ve kind of taken it over from my parents. We are here at the market in August and September.”

Big Rock Organics sells produce you might not find elsewhere, like dragon carrots, purple kale and kohlrabi. It has been a vendor at the Oswego Country Market for two years.

“Dragon carrots are purple on the outside and orange on the inside,” Lewis said. “A kohlrabi is like if a cabbage and an apple had a baby, that’s what it tastes like. So it’s kind of sweet and a little crunchy. We do a lot of really different, interesting things. We have a YouTube channel and I do videos each week with ideas on how to cook different things. Even a simple potato tastes amazingly wonderful when it is homegrown.”

Big Rock Organics also sells floral bouquets. In addition, the farm raises sheep and Lewis has a fiber art studio called Esther’s Place.

More information about the Oswego Country Market can be found at the Park District’s website, oswegolandparkdistrict.org.