Mallory DeVries, Board Member

As I near the end of my time on the Rooted Carrot Co-op Market Board, I have been thinking a lot about what it takes to keep a project like this moving forward.

After more than a decade of searching for the right home for the co-op, it would be easy for the work to lose momentum. A long timeline can wear people down. It can make even a strong vision feel distant.

But that is not what I have seen.

What I have seen is a group of board members who continue to show up with dedication, patience, and a clear belief in what Rooted Carrot can become. Month after month, they bring their professional skills, community knowledge, thoughtful questions, and steady commitment to the work of building a cooperatively owned grocery store in Cedar Falls.

That dedication matters because this work is not only about opening a store. It is about creating a different kind of grocery model for our community.

Food co-ops are designed to keep more value local. They build stronger connections between shoppers, producers, and the local economy. Nationally, food co-ops purchase from local farms and producers at significantly higher rates than conventional grocery stores, with local purchasing estimated at about 2.5 times the conventional grocery rate.

For Rooted Carrot, that means the future store has the potential to create a meaningful new market channel for local farms, food businesses, and producers while giving Cedar Falls area shoppers more access to locally produced, nutrient-dense foods.Continue reading→

We will be at the Cedar Falls Farmers Market on Saturday, June 20 from 8:30 am to noon.

Stop by the booth to say hello and pick up a yard sign!

By: Co+op

https://www.grocery.coop/recipes/berry-shrub

Recipe Information

Total Time: 24 hours total; 30 minutes active

Servings: 10

You don’t have to ferment your own beverages to reap the benefits of probiotic drinks. In this easy shrub, active apple cider vinegar provides a bit of good bacterial culture as well as tartness to balance the sweet berries and sugar.

Ingredients

• 6 ounces fresh raspberries, blueberries or blackberries, washed
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup active apple cider vinegar
• Ice and club soda, to serve

Preparation

1. In a two-cup storage container with a lid, mash the berries with a wooden spoon. Stir in the sugar and vinegar, then cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
2. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl and strain the fruit, pressing with a spoon to extract all the liquids. Discard (or eat) the pulp.
3. Store the liquid in the refrigerator for up to a week, tightly covered, before serving. To serve, place two tablespoons of shrub in a glass, fill with ice, then add club soda to top it off. Stir and serve.

Serving Suggestion

Skewer fresh berries and freeze to make a fun stir-stick that can be enjoyed with the drink.

Nutritional Information

70 calories, 0 g. fat, 0 mg. cholesterol, 0 mg. sodium, 17 g. carbohydrate, 1 g. fiber, 0 g. protein

Farmers markets are more than a shopping destination—they’re vibrant hubs of flavor, connection, and community. Every visit supports the hardworking producers and celebrates the unique food culture of your region. Check out the UNI Local Food Guide!

As we navigate the choices for our culinary experiences, here are five compelling reasons why you should make visiting your local farmers market a priority:

1. Taste the Difference: Local produce at farmers markets is fresh, seasonal, and bursting with flavor. These ingredients elevate your meals while celebrating the hard work of your region’s farmers.
2. Support Your Neighbors: Shopping at farmers markets directly supports local farmers, artisans, and small businesses, keeping dollars in your community and strengthening its economy. 
3. Build Connections: Farmers markets bring people together. Chat with growers, share recipes with fellow shoppers, and be part of a community that values good food and shared experiences. In fact, sociologists estimate people have 10 times more conversations at farmers’ markets than supermarkets.
4. Discover the Unique: Beyond fruits and vegetables, farmers markets showcase a diverse array of artisanal products. From farm-fresh eggs to handmade jams and baked goods, these markets offer a treasure trove of distinctive items you won’t find in conventional stores. Explore the stalls, and you may uncover hidden gems that add a touch of local flair to your daily life.
5. Empower Producers: For many farmers and artisans, farmers markets are where it all begins. Your support helps them build confidence, grow their businesses, and turn their passion into a sustainable livelihood..

The Last Bite: Make farmers markets a regular part of your week and watch your meals–and community–thrive! 

Source: Mallory Devries, Board Member and Communications Staff for Healthy Harvest of North Iowa and Iowa Food System Coalition, consultant for the UNI Local Food Program.

What happens when Iowans shift just a little more of their food spending locally? It adds up.

This season, we’re joining the Iowa Food System Coalition and partners across the state to take on the Iowa Local Food Challenge!

Pick a goal that works for you, whether it’s one meal a week or a portion of your grocery budget, and start building the habit. You’ll get recipes, seasonal ideas, and simple ways to find local food along the way.

👉 Join us! iowafoodsystemcoalition.org/challenge

Building community, connections, and understanding is vital to the co-op moving forward.

Brews and FAQs is the perfect opportunity to connect, learn, and ask any questions about the co-op.

Member-owners and friends are invited to Urban Pie at 5:30 p.m. on June 3 for some brews (or any beverage of your choice, of course). Board members look forward to connecting with you and answering any questions (FAQs) you may have!

The Co-op Exists Now

Lisa Nelson, Board President

Have you heard or read something that unexpectedly shifts your perspective, then, over time, other pieces fall into place? 

I’m one of the people often seen at events, at the Rooted Carrot Co-op table – sharing my enthusiasm for the co-op, answering questions, and handing out bookmarks with information. I enjoy meeting new people, and many people are unaware the co-op exists. They are excited at the prospect of greater access to local foods, and of having the power to give input on what is on the shelves of their own grocery. 

Other people have heard of the co-op and have questions about why we don’t have a store, what’s taking so long, and “Aren’t you going to build at 7th and Main St.?” All legitimate questions. 

As a part of the membership team, I’ve described the RCCM as a group of people who are working together to own a local grocery, listing all of the underlying positive impacts that it will have on the well-being of myself, my neighbors, and the Cedar Valley, almost always speaking in future-tense. 

Last month, I heard something at an online co-op leaders’ training that caused a shift. All of the things I’ve shared at tabling events are still true, AND the co-op exists now. We are that group of member-owners, and are having a positive impact on our community even without a brick and mortar store. Continue reading→

Our Cedar Valley Pickup Site pilot for the Iowa Food Hub Online Market is coming to a close, and we want to take a moment to celebrate what this community made possible.

Because of this pilot, new connections were formed, including a meaningful partnership between the Iowa Food Hub and Hansen’s Dairy. This kind of relationship-building is exactly what co-ops are meant to do. We bring people together, test new ideas, and lay the groundwork for something stronger. A special thank you to Hansen’s Dairy for opening up their space and helping make this pilot possible.

While this chapter is wrapping up, the momentum is real. There are a lot of exciting things happening around food access and local supply chains in the Cedar Valley, and we’re actively exploring what’s next.

We don’t need to wait for a physical store to start showing up for local food. We are a co-op, and we’re already doing the work. #DontWaitCooperate

In the meantime, there are still plenty of ways to stay connected to local food. Farmers market season is right around the corner. CSA shares with WeArose are still available (link here). You can also look for local products at area grocery stores. And the 2026 Cedar Valley Local Food Guide is a great place to start exploring.

Thank you for being part of this pilot, for your curiosity, and for showing up for local food in a real, tangible way. This is what cooperation looks like.

By: Co+op

Total Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 4-6

Avocados are the star of this colorful salad. With black beans and queso fresco, the salad is perfect for a side and has enough heft to serve as a light lunch.

Ingredients

• 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup slivered red onions
• 4 ounces queso fresco, crumbled
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large avocados, diced

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, combine the black beans, grape tomatoes, red onions and queso fresco. Toss to mix.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the garlic, lime juice, olive oil and salt and whisk to combine.
3. Add the diced avocado to the black bean mixture, then pour the lime juice mixture over it. Toss to mix and serve.

Serving Suggestion

Serve alongside tacos or atop a bed of lettuce with a side of tortilla chips

Nutritional Information

290 calories, 20 g. fat, 15 mg. cholesterol, 350 mg. sodium, 19 g. carbohydrate, 7 g. fiber, 9 g. Protein

Link: https://www.grocery.coop/recipes/avocado-and-black-bean-salad

The Rooted Carrot Co-op continues to find ways to build up the local food economy in the Cedar Valley. We are so fortunate to have many strong farmer’s markets opening very soon! What a great opportunity to meet the people growing and making things in our region and to support their efforts. But, not everyone who values local products attends farmer’s markets, and there may be local items that just aren’t available at the farmer’s market.  

To expand on our local markets and give people more opportunity to access local goods, the  membership team is working with WeArose to offer a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) delivery in Cedar Falls. People who invest in a CSA support farmers by purchasing produce in advance and receiving in-season fresh produce each week. This provides important guaranteed capital and a consistent market for the farmer while building connections with customers. Click Here to read more!

The Rooted Carrot Co-op has also partnered with the Iowa Food Hub to manage a weekly delivery in Cedar Falls. This provides another access point for us all to access local, fresh products year round. Beyond building connections between producers and consumers, another goal of this partnership is that, as the food hub becomes more present in the Cedar Valley, more producers in our community may begin to sell their items through the Iowa Food Hub. As more markets open to offer local produce, we strengthen the local food economy and build a strong foundation for a locally-owned cooperative grocery store. Click Here to read more!

This is just a taste of what the Rooted Carrot Co-op board and committees are doing to build and support networks centered around local food access within our community. If you want to be an active part of this movement, email info@rootedcarrot.coop today! 

Lisa Nelson
Board President