As cyclospora concerns spread, farmers markets highlight importance of local food access
<p>Concerns over a statewide cyclospora outbreak have caused some Chicago shoppers to rethink where they buy their produce.</p><p>Enter farmers markets.</p><p>Chelsa Moore, an urban planner who works near the Pullman Farmers Market, said the recent outbreak has made her more aware of where her food comes from.</p><p>“I was just down a ton of rabbit holes this morning because I do buy a lot of fresh produce,” Moore said. “It’s just made me even more aware of what I’m getting.”</p><p>Moore said she has started to lean more towards farmers markets because she values knowing who is growing her food, in addition to having a relationship with the vendors.</p><p>“I’m like, all right, well, I got to pivot because I can’t get what I usually get from the stores,” she said.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-480000" name="image-480000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" data-srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/471d71b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6120x3435+0+323/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1b%2F01%2F5e2994c94c558b5f5ecda838844e%2Fmarketcyclospora-260716-5.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4666ac1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6120x3435+0+323/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1b%2F01%2F5e2994c94c558b5f5ecda838844e%2Fmarketcyclospora-260716-5.jpg 2x" data-lazy-load="true" srcset="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=" /> <source width="490" height="275" data-srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ba0b402/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6120x3435+0+323/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1b%2F01%2F5e2994c94c558b5f5ecda838844e%2Fmarketcyclospora-260716-5.jpg" data-lazy-load="true" srcset="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=" /> <img class="Image" alt="Customer Chelsa Moore, who said she feels safer buying fresh produce from farmers markets, speaks to a vendor at Pullman Farmers Market in Pullman on Wednesday, July 15, 2026.
Reported by 1 outlet — Chicago Sun-Times. See all sources ↓
<p>Concerns over a statewide cyclospora outbreak have caused some Chicago shoppers to rethink where they buy their produce.</p><p>Enter farmers markets.</p><p>Chelsa Moore, an urban planner who works near the Pullman Farmers Market, said the recent outbreak has made her more aware of where her food comes from.</p><p>“I was just down a ton of rabbit holes this morning because I do buy a lot of fresh produce,” Moore said. “It’s just made me even more aware of what I’m getting.”</p><p>Moore said she has started to lean more towards farmers markets because she values knowing who is growing her food, in addition to having a relationship with the vendors.</p><p>“I’m like, all right, well, I got to pivot because I can’t get what I usually get from the stores,” she said.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-480000" name="image-480000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" data-srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/471d71b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6120x3435+0+323/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1b%2F01%2F5e2994c94c558b5f5ecda838844e%2Fmarketcyclospora-260716-5.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4666ac1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6120x3435+0+323/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1b%2F01%2F5e2994c94c558b5f5ecda838844e%2Fmarketcyclospora-260716-5.jpg 2x" data-lazy-load="true" srcset="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=" /> <source width="490" height="275" data-srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ba0b402/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6120x3435+0+323/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1b%2F01%2F5e2994c94c558b5f5ecda838844e%2Fmarketcyclospora-260716-5.jpg" data-lazy-load="true" srcset="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=" /> <img class="Image" alt="Customer Chelsa Moore, who said she feels safer buying fresh produce from farmers markets, speaks to a vendor at Pullman Farmers Market in Pullman on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. " srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ba0b402/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6120x3435+0+323/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1b%2F01%2F5e2994c94c558b5f5ecda838844e%2Fmarketcyclospora-260716-5.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/c3a5348/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6120x3435+0+323/resize/980x550!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1b%2F01%2F5e2994c94c558b5f5ecda838844e%2Fmarketcyclospora-260716-5.jpg 2x" width="490" height="275" data-src="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ba0b402/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6120x3435+0+323/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1b%2F01%2F5e2994c94c558b5f5ecda838844e%2Fmarketcyclospora-260716-5.jpg" data-lazy-load="true" src="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=" > </picture> <div class="Figure-content"><figcaption class="Figure-caption"><p>Customer Chelsa Moore, speaking to a vendor at Pullman Farmers Market in Pullman on Wednesday, said she feels safer buying fresh produce from farmers markets.</p></figcaption><span class="line"></span><div class="Figure-credit"><p>Pat Nabong/Sun-Times</p></div></div> </figure> </div> </div><p>Illinois has reported 240 confirmed and probable cases of cyclosporiasis this year, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health. Of those cases, 111 were domestically acquired, 105 involved travel outside the United States and 24 are still under investigation.
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- <p>Concerns over a statewide cyclospora outbreak have caused some Chicago shoppers to rethink where they buy their produce.</p><p>Enter farmers markets.</p><p>Chelsa Moore, an urban planner who works near the Pullman Farmers Market, said the recent outbreak has made her more aware of where her food comes from.</p><p>“I was just down a ton of rabbit holes this morning because I do buy a lot of fresh produce,” Moore said. “It’s just made me even more aware of what I’m getting.”</p><p>Moore said she has started to lean more towards farmers markets because she values knowing who is growing her food, in addition to having a relationship with the vendors.</p><p>“I’m like, all right, well, I got to pivot because I can’t get what I usually get from the stores,” she said.</p><div class="Enhancement" data-align-center> <div class="Enhancement-item" data-crop=""> <figure class="Figure"><a class="AnchorLink" id="image-480000" name="image-480000"></a> <picture data-crop="medium"> <source type="image/webp" width="490" height="275" data-srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/471d71b/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6120x3435+0+323/resize/490x275!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1b%2F01%2F5e2994c94c558b5f5ecda838844e%2Fmarketcyclospora-260716-5.jpg 1x,https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4666ac1/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6120x3435+0+323/resize/980x550!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1b%2F01%2F5e2994c94c558b5f5ecda838844e%2Fmarketcyclospora-260716-5.jpg 2x" data-lazy-load="true" srcset="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=" /> <source width="490" height="275" data-srcset="https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ba0b402/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6120x3435+0+323/resize/490x275!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F1b%2F01%2F5e2994c94c558b5f5ecda838844e%2Fmarketcyclospora-260716-5.jpg" data-lazy-load="true" srcset="data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIyNzVweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=" /> <img class="Image" alt="Customer Chelsa Moore, who said she feels safer buying fresh produce from farmers markets, speaks to a vendor at Pullman Farmers Market in Pullman on Wednesday, July 15, 2026.
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As cyclospora concerns spread, farmers markets highlight importance of local food access
Sources1TypeCoverageChicago Sun-Times