Member Spotlight: Patty Cutts

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Patty Cutts has lived in the Cedar Valley with her husband Ken for over 40 years.  Both are currently enjoying their retirement from careers involving education.  After teaching at Helen Hansen Elementary in Cedar Falls, Patty worked at (then) AEA 7 as a technology consultant. Ken taught graduate courses for UNI and the University of Wisconsin. After retiring from educational roles, Patty worked at University Book & Supply as an Event Coordinator.   Patty and Ken love the friendly atmosphere of the Cedar Valley, the good educational systems as well as the caring organizations that build the community and make it a wonderful place to live.  Patty describes the Cedar Valley as “a large metro area with a small town attitude”.  She then added that the people here care about each other and always help in a time of need. 

Patty and Ken enjoy traveling, hiking and reading in their retirement.  In addition, both serve the community through volunteering.  This includes serving on the boards of  St. Luke’s Episcopal, the Boys & Girls Club of the Cedar Valley, the Food Bank of Northeast Iowa and serving on the committees at the Community Foundation of Northeast Iowa.

Some of Patty’s favorite places to shop are Hanson’s Dairy and the farmer’s markets for grocery items.  She and Ken both love the fresh food that is available, in particular, anything that is in season is “always delicious”.  Patty very much enjoys cooking and making dishes from scratch with fresh ingredients.  Patty says that her “day at the beach is a counter full of fresh ingredients, pots and pans, a hot oven surrounding my recipe laden iPad”.  Patty and Ken are also both coffee lovers and enjoy visiting Cup of Joe’s, Cottonwood Canyon and Sidecar Coffee for their favorite brew.

Regarding the Cedar Falls Food Co-op, Patty is looking forward to one place where she can shop for food that is made fresh or grown locally.  In addition, she likes that the Co-op will provide jobs and support local businesses, therefore growing and benefiting the Cedar Valley.   Overall, the Cedar Valley is a very special place for Patty and Ken.  Their home is located on the border of Hartman Reserve, and Patty says that “our heart is there as well.  The ever-changing woods are our source of renewal”.

From the Board President: The Cedar Falls Food Co-op Celebrates National Cooperative Month

Being part of a cooperative means being part of something special. The Cedar Falls Food Co-op is celebrating National Cooperative Month in October, along with 40,000 other cooperative businesses serving more than 120 million people nationwide.

“Cooperatives Build” is the theme of this year’s National Cooperative Month. It’s also a great time to host the annual Owner Meeting & Social. Consider these ways that co-ops build:

Cooperatives Build Trust

Most co-ops strive to adhere to seven key cooperative principles, which combine to help build trust between the co-op, its members and the community. For example, the first principle is Voluntary and Open Membership, which means that we are a voluntary organization open to all people to use our services and willing to accept the responsibility of membership. The second principle, Democratic Member Control, gives members a voice in the cooperative’s policies and decisions. If you haven’t yet voted in the board candidate election, you have until 7:00pm on Tuesday, Oct. 18. More details here.

Cooperatives Build Community

The seventh cooperative principle is Concern for Community. Cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through employee involvement in local organizations, through charitable contributions to community efforts and through support for schools. Here locally, a team of Cedar Falls Food Co-op board members and friends helped with flood clean-up on October 1. We’re also participating in Girls’ Night Out on Thursday, Oct. 6 (we’ll be providing drinks at Miss Wonderful), and the John Deere Health & Safety Fair on Oct. 19.

Cooperatives Build Jobs

Cooperatives generate jobs in their communities, keep profits local and pay local taxes to help support community services. Cooperatives provide more than 850,000 jobs, providing $74 billion in annual wages. Once open, the Cedar Falls Food Co-op will generate many jobs, and will ensure the wages are fair while providing health care benefits to as many employees as possible. The Co-op also values local economic development, and as such, we’re a proud supporter of the Greater Cedar Valley Alliance & Chamber.

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Cooperatives Build a Better World

Through all of the above ways, cooperatives build a better world. Help the Cedar Falls Food Co-op celebrate National Cooperative Month in October. If you haven’t yet become a member, join today!

In cooperation,

Tom Wickersham

 

P.S. We’re proud to partner with area credit unions during National Cooperative Month, including (as of publication of this newsletter) Cedar Falls Community Credit Union, Collins Community Credit Union, University of Iowa Community Credit Union, and Veridian Credit Union. We’ll be posting information about the Seven Cooperative Principles at select locations—watch for them!

 

SECOND ANNUAL OWNERS MEETING & SOCIAL, OCT. 18

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The Cedar Falls Food Co-op’s second annual Owners Meeting & Social will take place on Tuesday, October 18 from 6:30-8:30pm at the Oster Regent (103 Main Street, Cedar Falls). We’ll come together as a community and practice our core principle of “Democratic Member Control” as we elect new board members (and help develop the Co-op’s key values statement). Only owners can take part in this event, but everyone is welcome to become an owner—you can even join at the door.

The evening will start with reports on operations, finance and other key growth indicators. We’ll look ahead at upcoming milestones and projections on opening. We’ll also announce the results of the board elections. Plus, there will be plenty of time for Q&A from members. The second half of the evening will be a social gathering with food and drink, including homemade cider, fresh baked goods, and fall-inspired snacks. Members attending will have a chance to provide input on the Co-op’s values statement, and will be the first to hear the results of the carrot naming contest!

What sets the Co-op apart from other business models is that YOU are an owner, and the annual owner meeting is a part of the Co-op’s bylaws. Exercise your right as an owner…join us!

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Board Elections Underway. Vote Today!

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Voting is underway for new directors to serve on the Board of the Cedar Falls Food Co-op. Four candidates are running for three seats. Details about the candidates and their full statements are here.

This year, voting is done completely online. Details and instructions have been sent to all member-owners via email. If you haven’t received instructions, or are having difficultly with the online system, please contact Outreach Coordinator Melanie Drake at outreach@cedarfallsfood.coop.

By reducing the amount of paper generated in creating nearly 450 ballots and mailing them, plus using a highly respectable and very secure online system called Simply Voting, the Co-op anticipates an even greater participation in the elections, which is important, as Democratic Governance is one of the Co-op’s key principles.

The deadline to vote is 7:00pm on Tuesday, October 18. Those who do not have a computer can vote during the first half hour of the second annual Owner Meeting & Social on Oct. 18.

Exercise your right, and vote!

 

Enjoy summer’s bountiful zucchini with this lovely treat!

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A lemon version of a popular summer treat. Try putting some of those extra zucchini into this delicious bread (it’s really more like cake).

 

Bake: 325°F for 60 min

Makes 1 large 5” x 9” loaf pan, or 2 small 8” x 4” loaf pans

Ingredients:

½ c. butter or substitute*

3 eggs

½ greek yogurt

1 tsp. Vanilla

1 tbsp. Lemon juice

¾ c. sugar

2 ½ c. Grated zucchini

Ingredients:
3 c. Flour**

1 tsp. Baking soda

1 tsp. Baking powder

1 tsp. Salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Melt butter a little. Mix butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, yogurt, and lemon juice. Add zucchini and mix. Mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in separate bowl. Add wet mixture to dry and stir well. Empty mixture into greased pan (or pans) and bake for 55 minutes. Allow to cool completely before removing loaf from pan. Enjoy!

notes:

*I used Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks in this recipe

**I like to use spelt flour, but any all purpose flour will work

 

Member Spotlight: Anne Hennessey

image by Dan Phillips Photography - Cedar Falls, Iowa

image by Dan Phillips Photography – Cedar Falls, Iowa

Dr. Anne Hennessey moved to Cedar Falls eleven years ago with her husband and two daughters where she also works as a dentist at Hennessey Family Dentistry.  Because of her profession, she is very interested in living a healthy life for herself as well as her family.  This includes supporting local businesses as much as possible.  A couple of her favorite stores are the Runner’s Flat and Barn Happy.  She has also been a member of Hansen’s Dairy for at least five years and is a member of a CSA.  She uses the fresh produce from the farmshare to make her own salsa and spaghetti sauce as well as freezes some of the produce so that she and her family can enjoy it during the winter months.  In addition, Dr. Hennessey has a small garden which produces lettuce and spinach in early spring, and tomatoes throughout the summer. 

She is involved in the community by serving on the Sartori Foundation board.  This board is responsible for raising and distributing money in order to promote Sartori, for example, by purchasing new hospital equipment.   

Dr. Hennessey is excited about the new solar program through CFU and greatly enjoys the bike trails in Cedar Falls.  She  would definitely like to see Cedar Falls become even more bike friendly.  Overall, she believes the Cedar Valley is moving in the right direction in aligning with her health and wellness goals, and that the Cedar Falls Food Co-op fits perfectly with this direction.

From the Board President: Top 10 Co-op Updates

Last week, a friend asked me a question that I hear a lot: “So, what’s new with the Co-op?” When I concluded my answer ten minutes later, my friend, whose eyes had become a bit glazed over, probably regretted asking that question. And I hadn’t event gotten the chance to talk about our new refrigerator magnets (which you can pick up for free at Co-op events this fall.) Truth is, there’s so much going on with the Co-op that I could have talked twice as long. With a promise not to bore you too much, here’s a quick countdown of my top 10 favorite things currently going on with the Co-op:

Continue reading→

Run for the Board. Vote for the Board

This fall, the Cedar Falls Food Co-op will be conducting its annual elections for the Board of Directors. Before that gets underway, though, there’s still an opportunity for you to run for the Board.

 

The Co-op is currently accepting applications for members interested in serving on the Board. Details about running for the Board are on the Co-op’s website. There you’ll find an application and other important details, including a comprehensive FAQ. The deadline to apply is September 8 (postmark date if submitting by mail) or September 10 (if submitting by email).

 

Later in September, we’ll begin the elections for the Board, and we’re excited to announce that we’ll be shifting to an all on-line elections process. Details will be distributed to members via email later this month. We’ll reach out to members who don’t have an email account, to provide them with alternative voting methods.

 

By reducing the amount of paper generated in creating nearly 450 ballots and mailing them, plus using a highly respectable and very secure online system called Simply Voting, the Co-op anticipates an even greater participation in the elections, which is important, as Democratic Governance is one of the Co-op’s key principles.

 

Please watch for important voting instructions, and be sure to vote!

 

Board Happenings: August 2016

Take a minute to see what our Board of Directors has been up to!

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  • We’ve been gaining a ton of new members to our newsletter, so welcome to those of you who are here for the first time!
  • Board Elections are coming up soon! Application materials are due early September, so if you’re interested in serving the Co-op, check out our website for more details.
  • We continue to work on our Financial Pro Forma, which is the next big task to complete in our development.
  • With the completion of the Pro Forma on the horizon, we’ve begun laying the groundwork for our capital campaign. Be on the lookout for more news about this soon!
  • We love our amazing business partners and appreciate everything they do to help spread the word about the Co-op. Be sure to stop by our booths when we’re out in the community to learn about all the great things they have to offer in addition to your Co-op discount!
  • The Fall Food Fest is coming September 27th, at 6:30pm. We have some fun new activities planned, so be sure to stop by.
  • Planning for the Member Owner Meeting is under way, so keep an ear out for more details.
  • Several members of the Board plan to attend the Strong and Small conference in Bloomington, MN in November. This conference is a one-day networking and training event aimed at small and start-up food co-ops.