2026 Member-Owners Annual Meeting

Date: Thursday, October 22

Time: 6:30 pm

Location: Cedar Falls Community Main Street Office – 310 E 4th Street, Cedar Falls

Member-owners, please take this opportunity to learn about what is happening with the Rooted Carrot Co-op and to share your input and ideas with board leadership.

The co-op is built on your presence and active participation. The annual meeting is an opportunity to generate new ideas and fuel new energy to keep things moving forward collectively! 

Board Voting is Now Open! 

Member-owners should have received an email on Monday, October 5 with a link to vote for the 2026 Board of Directors..

If you are a member-owner and have not seen this email, please check your spam folder. In past years, some email servers have rejected the email. Others may not receive it because their email address changed and hasn’t been updated. 

Engage your community! Take a minute to check with your fellow member-owners to see if they received the link as well. Please email info@rootedcarrotcoop as soon as possible if a ballot wasn’t received. 

Rooted Carrot Co-op Celebrates National Co-op Month!

October is National Cooperative Month, highlighting the over 30,000 cooperative businesses and 350 million members of cooperatives nationwide.

The theme for 2026 is “Built for This Moment.” This focus highlights how cooperatives reliably step up during economic shifts, infrastructure challenges, and inflation to protect local resources and support communities. 

 

Being part of a co-op means owning a share in a business whose focus is on building up and meeting the needs of the community. That’s a pretty special business! Local credit unions, rural electric cooperatives, housing or worker co-ops, and agricultural co-ops ranging from the local farm co-op to the Fortune 500 company Land O Lakes all share the same basic foundation.

Most co-ops strive to adhere to the seven cooperative principles, which combine to help build trust between the co-op, its members, and the community.

Here are some perfect examples of how the Rooted Carrot Co-op Market (RCCM) aligns directly with these principles:

  • The second principle, Democratic Member Control, gives member-owners a voice in the cooperative’s policies and decisions. RCCM member-owners have until October 16 to vote for board elections, and the upcoming Annual Member/Owner Meeting is Thursday, October 22. 
  • Principle 5 is Education, Training, and Information. The RCCM Membership and Communications team strives to both plan and amplify educational events that center around our co-op values. 
  • This team also engages members in community events that illustrate Concern for Community, which is the sixth principle. 

In short, cooperatives make the world, and our community, better! During this month, let’s celebrate the history and positive impact of the cooperative movement, and let’s celebrate all the members, committee members and board members who have contributed to the efforts of the Rooted Carrot Co-op. Cheers!

Message from the Board – October 2026

Kathryn Gilbery, Board Vice-President

On October 14, the University of Northern Iowa will host Iowa author Austin Frerick for “Game Over: Ending Corporate Agriculture’s Game of Monopoly.”

Frerick is the author of Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America’s Food Industry, which reveals how consolidation has transformed the way our food is produced, who has power within our food system, and the repercussions that negatively affect us all.

I read Barons in a book club where we read a chapter a month. Every discussion we got angrier as we learned how powerful companies have so much influence over our political system, grocery stores, environment, and lives. 

I have heard Frerick speak on two different occasions and have been surprised how optimistic he is, considering how knowledgeable he is about the scale of the challenges that we are facing. He also shared that he is working on a second book that will feature companies and organizations who are challenging the status quo by producing food in ethical ways that protect and enhance the environment, their employees and animals, and our health.

Rooted Carrot is one of those organizations choosing to make our food system better despite the challenges. By prioritizing community through local purchasing, inclusivity, education, and sustainability, we are building a stronger, more connected food system right here in the Cedar Valley.

Thank you for being part of the solution!

Details for this event are below. 

Game Over: Ending Corporate Agriculture’s Game of Monopoly by Austin Frerick

Join us at the Center for Energy & Environmental Education on Wednesday, October 14, 2026 to hear from guest speaker Austin Frerick, author of Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America’s Food Industry and presenter of “Game Over: Ending Corporate Agriculture’s Game of Monopoly.”

Austin will explore the rise of seven titans of the food industry and the consequences of corporate consolidation for workers, eaters and democracy itself. From secretive global coffee empires to mechanized mega-dairies, Frerick paints a stark portrait of how power has shifted – and how we can reclaim it. Learn more about Austin Frerick by visiting his website at: www.austinfrerick.com 

Agenda:

  • 5:00-6:00 pm | Social Hour & Food Truck
  • 6:00-7:00 pm | Speaker, Austin Frerick (Registration Required) 
  • 7:00-8:00 pm | Connection Hour

Seating for the Speaker Hour is limited and you must register HERE! Anyone is welcome to attend the Social Hour and Connection Hour. 

Learn More: https://calendar.uni.edu/events/2026-10-14/austin-frerick-presents-game-over-ending-corporate-agricultures-game-monopoly

2026 Scholarships – Applications Now Open!

Because of generous donations to the Rooted Carrot Co-op Market’s Scholarship Fund, Co-op members are committed to making membership affordable for anyone who wants to join. The scholarship will cover $100 toward the Membership for friends who would like to become member-owners but cannot cover the full $200 member share.

We will be accepting applications from October 5 to October 30, 2026. Scholarship recipient names will not be released and will remain confidential. If you have questions, please email us at membership@rootedcarrot.coop.

Please apply here: https://rootedcarrot.coop/scholarship-opportunity/

We award a limited number of scholarships each year.

Recipe – Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup

From: Healthy Harvest

A fun twist on the traditional Chicken Noodle Soup. The use of lemon adds brightness for the coldest winter months. All your favorite veggies are here, but use any greens you like instead of spinach. Use fresh local ingredients. Find them nearby or stop by your local farmer’s market.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb chicken breasts or thighs
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups carrots, about 3 large, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cups celery, about 3 stalks, chopped
  • 1 1/2 cup onions about 1 large, chopped
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 7 cups chicken broth or broth of choice
  • 1 tbsp oregano or 1 1/2 tsp dried
  • 1 tsp basil* or thyme, and rosemary (or 1 tsp dried Italian seasoning)
  • 1 cup dried orzo
  • 1 1/2 tsp lemon zest
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice, fresh-squeezed
  • 5 cups spinach or green of choice, torn into small, bite-sized pieces
  • salt + pepper to taste
  • Parmesan cheese, optional, for serving

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