Recycling Event – Saturday, April 20

Sustainability is one of the core values of the Rooted Carrot Co-op. Mark your calendars for April 20th for an event focused on recycling and sustainability in Black Hawk County. 

“This pizza box LOOKS clean….surely it won’t hurt to toss it in the cardboard recycling bin!”  “This take-out container says it’s compostable…can I toss it in my backyard compost pile?” 

Have you had similar thoughts? This event is for YOU!!  John Foster, the Solid Waste & Resource Recovery Administrator at the Black Hawk County Solid Waste Management Commission will be joining us to share important information about recycling and waste management and answer YOUR questions on this topic. 

Additional experts and resources in sustainability may be added to the event, as it is still in the planning stages.

Mark your calendars for April 20th at 9:00 a.m. and stay tuned to the Rooted Carrot on social media and the April Garlic Press for final details on location and more! 

And remember, as part of this event, the membership team has purchased a Zero Waste™  Box from Terracycle for recycling plastic packaging. We will have this available for those who attend the event to recycle “flexible plastic packaging & rigid plastic packaging.” – (from Terracycle website; details here.) The box will not accept biodegradable plastics or “foamed plastics.” 

The membership team encourages you to collect any flexible or rigid plastics that can not be recycled through your community recycling program and bring them to this event. Please make sure they are clean of any food residue. 

If there is a positive response, we will consider expanding these opportunities in the future. 

Food Bank February Recap!

Rooted Carrot Market Co-op member-owners volunteered on Saturday, February 24th at the Northeast Iowa Food Bank

Co-op member-owners were part of a team of 30 volunteers who folded boxes, affixed labels to zip close bags, filled the bags with rolled oats and boxed them for storage and distribution. 

Together, we bagged about 1 ¾ tons of oats in a 2-hour shift, proving that when we cooperate, we can accomplish great things for our community!  

If you were unable to attend and would like to support the Northeast Iowa Food Bank, or if you are in need of food assistance, visit  https://www.neifb.org/ for information. 

The Rooted Carrot Co-op will continue to seek opportunities to partner with organizations in our area that share our values and work to positively impact the well being of all those living in the Cedar Valley. 

Message from the Board – March 2024

The Board is working on a community assessment tool that was presented at a Food Co-op Initiative (FCI) webinar in February. It asks some good questions that lead to great discussion. It gives old and new board members a chance to learn from each other. Rooted Carrot also presented at one of the webinars. Thank you to Tom Wickersham and Chris Rouw (app developer) for presenting about our member-owner app. FCI gives co-ops a chance to learn from each other! Are you using the app to locate our Community Partner Discounts and enjoy additional perks for being a member-owner?

Speaking of Community Partners, we are looking for a volunteer to join our Operations Committee and help us support our community partners. We are also looking for someone to become the Site Project Director or join our finance team. Would you be interested? Or know someone who is interested in any of these positions? If yes, please reach out to us at info@rootedcarrot.coop.

Jodie Huegerich, 

President, Board of Directors 

February Member Mixer Service Event – Food Bank

In support of the Northeast Iowa Food Bank, co-op member-owners and friends are invited to spend time volunteering at the Food Bank. We plan for a group volunteer event on Saturday, February 24 from 9:00-11:00 a.m. at 1605 Lafayette St., Waterloo. Please note, space is limited.

To join us, please visit the NEIFB Volunteer page at https://www.neifb.org/get-involved/volunteer/group-volunteering.

You will need an account in order to participate. 

Start by scrolling through the schedule on the page. When you reach “Feb. 24,” click the 9-11 time slot. You will be prompted to sign-in, or create an account.  Follow the steps until you see the “Registration complete” page. 

Registration must be completed by Feb. 17th

If the time slot is full or this time does not work for you, PLEASE select a different time! Bring a friend!! When we cooperate, co-op members and friends can have a big impact on our community! AND we’d love to know how many people and hours are invested through the co-op. Please use the email below to let us know if you volunteer at a different time. Thanks! 

If you have questions or difficulty registering, or to log your hours, please email info@rootedcarrot.coop.

Rooted Carrot App Featured in FCI Live Educational Series

Long-time Rooted Carrot Co-op Board member Tom Wickersham and Chris Rouw of Far Reach joined forces in a Food Co-op Initiative LIVE! Online educational series presentation.

Their session, titled “Going Mobile: Launching a Co-op App,” was an opportunity to share with other start-up co-ops across the country about the development of the Rooted Carrot Co-op App and the benefits it provides to co-op member-owners. FCI indicates RCCM is the first co-op to have an app for member-owners, and we are SO pleased that Tom & Chris were able to spread the word!

That’s co-ops helping co-ops, Principle 6 of the 7 Cooperative Principles, in action!

Thanks, Tom and Chris! 

Community Partners & App

Our Community Partner program offers special discounts &/or promotions from area businesses to Rooted Carrot Co-op member-owners. We LOVE our Community Partners! When you visit them, please take a moment to thank them for supporting the co-op! Our social media posts this month will feature Rooty visiting many of our Community Partners. Follow us and see how many you can identify! 

To access this member/owner benefit, simply show your Rooted Carrot Cooperative Market membership card to receive discounts or specials. Or, even more convenient, use the Rooted Carrot Co-op app (available for both Android and iOS devices) to locate a Community Partner business to visit, and use the app as your membership card! Continue reading

Recycling Event – Coming Soon!

Sustainability is one of the core values of the Rooted Carrot Co-op. 

Planning is in the early stages for an educational event in April, centered around recycling. As part of this event, the membership team has purchased a Zero Waste™  Box for recycling plastic packaging from Terracycle. We will have this available for those who attend the event to recycle “flexible plastic packaging & rigid plastic packaging.” – (from Terracycle website; details here.) The box will not accept biodegradable plastics or “foamed plastics.” 

The membership team encourages you to collect any flexible or rigid plastics that can not be recycled through your community recycling program and bring them to this event. Please make sure they are clean of any food residue. 

If there is a positive response, we will consider expanding these opportunities in the future. 

Watch for details! 

(image source: terracycle)

Message from the Board – February 2024

We are excited about our new committees – Community Relations and Grants! Both groups were able to meet in January and get started on goals and projects. The Board and several committee members also had the opportunity to attend live and recorded sessions from Katie Novak Cooperative Coaching and FCI (Food Co-op Initiative) on key topics related to our Co-op. FCI also provides Board members the opportunity to attend a monthly peer group with other Co-ops in similar stages as ours. 

Jodie Huegerich

Board President

Soup Challenge Winning Recipe

Co-op member-owners gathered for a Soup Challenge in November. There were some VERY tasty and interesting soups created by those who attended. Congratulations to Marci Kemp, whose soup was selected as the winner for the evening.
If you’d like to make the award-winning soup, here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 (15oz) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15 oz) can corn kernels, undrained
1 (10 oz) can Rotel diced tomatoes & green chiles, undrained
1 (1 oz) packaged ranch dressing mix
1 tsp cumin
1 Tbs chili powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

Instructions:
Place chicken at bottom of crockpot. Add the cans of corn, Rotel, and black beans. Top with seasonings and ranch mix. Stir together and place cream cheese on top.

Cover; cook on low for 6-8 hours. Stir cream cheese into chili. Use 2 forks to shred chicken. Stir together and serve.

(Source: plainchicken.com)

January Game Night!!

Join Rooted Carrot Co-op members and friends for an evening of games and fellowship. Bring a game or two if you don’t mind sharing, and a friend!!

Where: Urban Pie in Downtown Cedar Falls, upper bar area

When:  Tuesday, January 23rd 6:30-8:30

Consider dining at Urban Pie, one of our generous Community Partners, offering member/owners 15% off a dine-in order. Please thank them for supporting the Rooted Carrot Co-op!