Rooted Carrot had 12 people volunteer at the Northeast Iowa Food Bank on April 22.

We put bulk Cheerios into 1lb bags and packed almost four pallets for a total of 1200 lbs! While part of the crew scoped and bagged, others put boxes together, and others put labels on the bags. We worked alongside two other volunteer groups from Ferguson Distribution Center and St Edwards Church. What a great day fulfilling our Co-op Principle #7 – Concern for Community!

If you are interested in helping out at the Food Bank, please contact them at 319.235.0507.

We want to stay in touch with you!

CFU has announced that they will be ending their email service in 2025. If you currently use @CFU for email, please update your email address by clicking the “update subscription preferences” link at the bottom of this email OR email us at info@rootedcarrot.coop with your new email address to ensure delivery of the Garlic Press and other important email communications.

Updated information available at: cfu.net/email

Account Holders with Last Names

A-G: Email service ending July 1, 2025

H-N: Email service ending September 1, 2025

O-Z: Email service ending November 1, 2025.

Thank you for helping us keep you informed about the co-op!

The Membership & Communication Team works to keep the Rooted Carrot Co-op present and engaged at events throughout the community.

Volunteers shared information and enthusiasm at the UNI Student Wellness Fair last month, and will be at the Cedar Falls Business and Professional Women’s Salute to Women this week, and at the Aldrich Elementary School Wellness Fair in April.

If you know of any other events related to health, wellness, or food, who may be seeking vendors, please let us know! info@rootedcarrot.coop

The Board and Site Committee members have been meeting with Sarah, a Business Consultant with Columinate on updating our Proforma. The proforma will assess financial feasibility and is a financial model that includes the co-op’s estimated operating budgets for the first 10 years, along with balance sheet, cash flow and debt service schedule. Committee members have tweaked the proforma over the last several years but the Board agreed it was time to bring in a consultant again. 

If you have an expertise in finance or grants, we are looking for additional members to join our finance and grant committees. Please reach out to us at info@rootedcarrot.coop.

Jodie Huegerich, 

President, Board of Directors

Last month, the city of Cedar Falls requested input from citizens through a ‘Charting Tomorrow’ community survey. Thank you to all of you who voiced your opinions, especially those who included the Rooted Carrot Co-op Market as an important part of your future vision for Cedar Falls!

Join together in supporting the Northeast Iowa Food Bank throughout the month of February.

The Rooted Carrot Co-op is scheduled to volunteer at the food bank on Saturday, February 22 from 9:00-11:00. Bring a friend or two or three… We can accomplish a great deal when we all cooperate to help alleviate hunger in our communities. 

In order to be prepared for the size of our team, please RSVP by 2/15 at membership@rootedcarrot.coop. 

If you are unavailable on the 22nd, we encourage you to find another time to volunteer. Click here for more information. 

This fall, member-owners, Board members, Community Relations Committee members, and Site Committee members got together to create a campaign to educate and inform the mayor and members of the Cedar Falls City Council on the benefits of our Co-op. The Don’t Wait, Cooperate Campaign enumerates the health, economic, and community-building benefits. Our goal is to gather city government support for our Rooted Carrot Co-op Market.

We had one-on-one meetings with the Mayor and each of the City Council members. We had a chance to tell our story and found the conversations to be very positive. We provided them with specific information through our new flyer that enumerates our over 1200 members, the economic value of buying locally, and the healthful benefits of organic local foods. We reminded them that several outside consultants have recommended that the city should have a grocery store near the downtown area, “like a co-op market”.

In December, the Cedar Falls City Council and city staff had their regular yearly goal setting sessions to plan on projects for 2025. Discussions at those meetings included helping Rooted Carrot Co-op Market find a location, and supporting our efforts to that end. Afterwards, Mayor Danny Laudick informed us; “At goal setting, most everyone was supportive of working with you guys to find a location.” This is an important step forward that lays foundations for cooperation with the city to find a location for the Co-op.

David Schachterle
Rooted Carrot Board member
Community Relations Committee

Thank You, Tomie, from IOWA MISO for the fun afternoon teaching us all about Miso!

This past Saturday February 1st, member-owners and friends joined together to learn all about Miso, taste Miso, and make their very own Miso. Tomie uses Organic Iowa Soy Beans. (We will let you know in a year how it turns out.)

For more information check out http://www.iowamiso.com/

Check our Facebook page to find a video from each of our Board members talking about our roles and why we are invested in our Co-op!

Our board members and committee members have been busy in 2025! We had Investor meetings and Proforma (financial roadmap) meetings this past month in addition to our regularly scheduled committee meetings. The Site Committee is revisiting all past potential sites as well as continuing to explore new leads. They have broadened their search to include empty lots after learning from two other Co-ops that own their land and buildings instead of leasing. The Community Relations Committee is continuing to educate leaders in the Cedar Valley about the Rooted Carrot Co-op and the impact on our community. The Communications/Membership Committee welcomed their UNI intern, Riley! They are excited for this opportunity. 

Jodie Huegerich, 

President, Board of Directors 

We are delighted to welcome Reinier “Tomie” Hesselink, maker of Iowa Miso, for this unique educational experience. 

What is Miso? Learn the history, types, and nutrients present in miso. 

Taste several kinds of miso, including traditional miso from Japan.

Taste miso soup from kombu dashi.

AND….MAKE YOUR OWN MISO with fresh rice koji prepared by Tomie. Then, let your unique miso ferment for 8-12 months to achieve the richest flavor. 

• When: Saturday, February 1, from 1:00-3:30
• Where: Bethlehem Lutheran Church, 4000 Hudson Road, Cedar Falls. 
• Cost: $50 per person, please be prepared to pay Tomie cash at class. 
• RSVP before January 25th so preparations can be made. Class size is limited to 15 people. 

Open to Rooted Carrot Co-op member-owners and friends. Please, each member-owner may bring one non-member friend only. 

The Rooted Carrot Co-op is promoting “Food Bank February” by supporting the Northeast Iowa Food Bank throughout the month. You are welcome to bring a food donation for the food bank to this member mixer event.