Kamyar Enshayan, the director of the Center for Energy and Environmental Education at the University of Northern Iowa, has been excited about the Cedar Falls Food Co-op from the very beginning. In fact, he attended the founding membership meeting. His interest in the Co-op stems from a desire to support a retail store that supports local farms and organic farms and that helps to build elements of a food system that serves our region. His job includes managing a local food program, which has the goal of strengthening our region’s local food economy. He works with many farmers and large buyers and feels that having an additional grocery store that features local agricultural products is good for the community.
Kamyar and his wife Laura have lived in Cedar Falls since 1993 and they enjoy walking and hiking around town, tending to their garden, and camping. He is an active member of the community, and has served in a variety of capacities including as a City Council member from 2003-2010. His favorite time of the year of course is summer when every meal is a feast in their home, with ingredients from their garden and local farmers markets. His two favorite summer treats are the pesto he makes with their own basil and garlic from the farmers market, and an Iranian treat that incudes yogurt, mint, onions and chopped cucumbers.
His favorite place in Cedar Falls is the Ice House Museum, because it teaches us how early residents of this community kept their food cool without burning fossil energy. He believes that local food and local energy go together. In addition to a food co-op, he would like to see a stronger movement develop around local energy, which would include energy conservation, the capture of more solar and wind energy, harnessing the hydropower of the Cedar River, and of course the seasonal storage of ice as was done 100 years ago in Cedar Falls. He would also like to see more pedestrian-friendly public spaces and more public transportation in our region, all pieces that would contribute to a stronger and more sustainable community.