First, thank you to those of you who attended or reviewed the information from one of the two special meetings the Board organized last summer. Around that time, many of you took up the invitation to participate in an advisory vote to gauge your opinion on whether the Board should continue the effort to bring our grocery store to bear. We recognized that for many of you the lack of a site this many years into the work was stressing the trust you provide the Board.
It was important to have that conversation with you, including reviewing sites that offered potential and the factors that led to their failed viability. We also shared that the two most promising options at the time were 3+ years out. After those meetings, the advisory vote indicated that 70% of member-owners wanted the Board to continue the effort.
There is no perfect site, and our responsibility to member-owners is to investigate sites with an open mind for varying degrees of the following requirements: 7,000ish square feet, a square or rectangular building, 20+ parking spaces, accessible for 52’ semi-trailer deliveries, dock access, ground floor entry, good ingress/egress, and a high traffic location.
You have heard those important nuggets before, but we take any chance we can to re-emphasize them because those details increase the inquiries and leads that come our direction. Even so, I’m aware that the most pressing question is ‘What’s happening now?’
The 5-member site team meets monthly. In the past 12 months, we have explored and visited several potential locations along both sides of University Avenue, re-examined several sites that had been explored years ago, and held fresh conversations, including tours, with some property owners up and down Main St. We began partnering with the Community Relations Committee, a team formed just over a year ago to drive community conversations with elected officials, city staff, businesses, and other stake holders. The teaming has been robust and exciting, and has led to effective education, heightened curiosity, and open doors.
Since late winter, we have been spending most of our effort on a specific site that meets most of the above criteria and would provide the co-op with new opportunities. This site requires a unique approach, and we are focused on doing that well. In the meantime, we remain open to other potential sites so that all exploration is just and fully accountable.
We understand how difficult it is for you to not receive full information, but we are committed to sharing what we can even if the sharing can only go so far. The work is being done, and the talent is here to see it through, thanks to a lot of volunteer hours and a bonding of hearts and minds to always take the next step. When we can share more we will. Nothing will be more satisfying for the Board than to share great news with you. Your trust, help, and engagement help us keep the work moving forward.
Kate Dunning, Site Team Chair
Rooted Carrot Co-op values all of the volunteers who have invested their time, energy, and skills in working toward the goal of building a community-owned grocery in Cedar Falls. Those who volunteered this year were invited to gather at Three Pines Farm for a beautiful evening of conversation, laughter, a delicious dinner, and a beautiful sunset. And goat pets and llama feeding, too! 
