Did you know that the co-op has over 40 local businesses that offer our members specials to save you money? All while supporting what we do best…keeping things local!
Your Journey to Health: A Cedar Falls Food Co-op Celebration
Come and enjoy, Your Journey to Health- A Cedar Falls Food Co-op Celebration. Vitalize your body, mind and spirit at this summertime event. RSVP HERE. Feel the life-force within, as you learn about the importance of spinal health, and enjoy celebrating life in the garden with Luann Allemao’s Blue Zone inspired special pesto creations. What you will learn is amazing! Let’s spend a fun evening together embracing the liveliness of the season. And feel free to bring a friend along, too.”
This event is free and open to the community. Anyone who becomes a member of the Cedar Falls Food Co-op at the event will be entered to win a free spice-blend from Luann Alemao and Associates!
A YETI? What’s a YETI? Join in August and you might be a YETI owner soon!
Have you heard of this amazing beverage holder that keep cold drinks cold and hot drinks hot for looooooong periods of time? Well, they are the latest rage, and we are giving one away to one lucky winner. How can you win this? By becoming a member-owner of the Co-op in August! It’s easy to join – just go HERE. You can join online or download a form. Start a payment plan or pay in full. Each new member brings us closer to opening our store.
Are you already a member-owner? You too have a chance to win something this month! Find out how HERE.
Board Happenings: July 2016
Take a minute and see what the Board of Directors have been up to this month.
- The Co-op has moved into the new Millrace space on State St. Be sure to drop by the next Cocktails with the Co-op to see the new space!
- We blew our June goal out of the water! 50 members in one month!!! We have some house parties lined up, and some fun events scheduled in August, so let’s keep this amazing momentum going!
- Board elections will be coming up soon, so be prepared to cast your votes, or even run!
- Now that we’ve finished our market analysis, our next step is to complete our financial pro forma. The Finance Committee is working with a consultant to complete this, and soon we’ll be moving forward.
From the Board President: Do YOU Have What it Takes?
How about some quick numbers to start out? The Co-op is not quite 2 years old, but we’re over 400 members strong. Cedar Falls Food Co-op members live in 5 states (yowza!) and in one of those states, Iowa, they reside in 9 counties. Here in the greater Cedar Valley, from La Porte to Waverly, 16 zip codes are represented by Co-op members. There are also 12 households with 2 member-owners under the same roof!
Here’s another important Co-op number: nine. That’s how many people are serving on the Board of Directors. So, while 400+ member-owners each have a say and a stake in the well being of the Co-op that we all own, there are 9 people doing the bulk of the work in raising the awareness, developing the policies, managing the books, and growing the membership.
I have had the honor of working alongside these dedicated Board members. They, along with the 3 directors whose terms ended last year (yet who each continue to serve on committees), have been among the most inspirational people to me. Their wisdom and their wit…their dedication and their determination…their enthusiasm and their energy—simply put, they are AMAZING people, and I consider myself a lucky person to have the opportunity to work with and be inspired by them.
But, as the bylaws dictate, and as best practices recommend, it’s time to open the doors to other member-owners to serve on the Board of Directors. Each year 3 terms end, and so now we’re accepting applications for those who want to contribute to and help guide this effort to a successful outcome—opening the doors. Those who step up and get voted in as Board members will not only have the honor of serving alongside some of the most incredible people in the area, you’ll also be at the helm during some of the most exciting times in our development—selecting a site, designing the store layout, and hiring a general manager.
So, will YOU become a candidate for the Board of Directors? Learn more about the role and responsibilities of Board members HERE. And if you think you could contribute to the movement, submit a completed application by September 10. Be sure to brace yourself for an incredibly rich and rewarding experience!
In cooperation,
Tom Wickersham
Carrot Scavenger Hunt
The Nameless Co-op Carrot (have you submitted your idea on our Facebook page yet?) has left six carrot buddies at several business partner locations around the Cedar Valley for you to find from today until Monday, August 22nd. Your mission, should you choose to accept it: find a carrot buddy, take a selfie with it, post it to Facebook, and tag Cedar Falls Food Co-op. We’ll post a photo clue every couple days to help you out. Find at least three carrots, tag us in selfies taken with the carrot at each locations, make sure you’re a CFFC member, and you’ll be entered into our August incentive drawing: a YETI tumbler that keeps your cold beverages icy cold or your hot beverages piping hot for an incredibly long time. (All new August members will be entered into the Yeti drawing automatically, regardless of scavenger hunt participation.) Go find those carrots!
Name the Co-op Carrot Contest
Now accepting any and all ideas for names for the Cedar Falls Food Co-op’s mascot, the Co-op Carrot. Let us know your favorite ideas. If we pick your suggestion, you can win a Co-op T-shirt! All entries must be submitted on Facebook by August 31. Finalists will be selected based on creativity and alignment with the Co-op’s mission and vision. A final selection process will take place at the Fall Food Fest on September 27. What are you waiting for? Get those creative (carrot) juices flowing!
The fine print
All entries must be submitted by midnight on August 31, 2016. Suggestions must be posted on the Cedar Falls Food Co-op’s Facebook page. Once a winner is selected, the winner can choose from the T-shirts currently in stock. If there are multiple entries for the same name, the judges will consider the entries submitted first. No purchase necessary. Co-op Board members and their families are not eligible.
So Excited We’re Fainting!
July gets hot here in the Cedar Valley! Our newest member of the business partner program is no stranger to heat & yes…a little bit of fainting.
We are very excited to announce…and you may want to sit down for this one just in case…that The Fainting Goat Smokehouse Bar & Grill from Waverly, IA has graciously decided to offer our wonderful family of founding members a whopping 15% off of your dine-in meals at their delicious restaurant!
We love, love, love that our business partner program continues to mushroom outside of the Cedar Falls city limits because it is our vision to cater to the entire Cedar Valley community. We will all benefit from a full-service, cooperatively-owned grocery store in Cedar Falls!! And now our members will benefit by saving a healthy chunk of change when they dine-in at The Fainting Goat!! A veteran-owned farm-to-table concept with local Iowa beer on tap & beef, pork and poultry all are raised right here in Iowa, to support our Iowan farmers! Grill fresh. Grill local.
We are so grateful to all of our business partners for their trust & support in the efforts of the Cedar Falls Food Co-op. Be sure to take your member card with you when you go out & about and take advantage of these offers! It’s good for all of us & our community as a whole. Finally, please check out our online business partner specials page for a full listing of all of our current business partners and the full details of each offer as sometimes restrictions may apply. Thanks!
Members are Making It Happen!
Who can best recruit new members? Existing members! For every friend you recruit to join, you’ll be entered into a drawing to win a $25 Cedar Falls Community Main Street Gift Certificate.
When you get a friend to commit to joining the Co-op, have them add your name to the “How did you hear about the Co-op” section of the membership application. Once they turn in their application with payment, you’re entered into the drawing. It’s that easy!
From the Board President: Important Board News
There’s been a change in leadership of the Board of Directors of the Cedar Falls Food Co-op. And coming up in July is an opportunity for you to serve on the Board.
First, with regards to the change, when Melanie Drake accepted the position of Outreach Coordinator, she resigned from the Board at the end of May. Melanie was one of the original members of the Co-op’s steering committee, which later became the Board when the Co-op incorporated in 2014. Melanie’s dedication to the Co-op is evident in all that she has done, including serving as the co-chair of the Membership Committee. In her new role, she’ll continue to move us closer to opening the doors on a full-service grocery store. She has great passion for this efforts, and I invite you to contact her to find out how you can help, too.
At the June Board meeting, the Board voted to appoint Terry Stewart to fill the vacancy, and to serve out the remainder of Melanie’s term. Terry has been a long-time advocate for the Co-op, and is currently a member of the Operations Committee. Most people know Terry and his wife Nita who sell organic produce at the Cedar Falls Farmers Market. Say ‘hello’ to Terry next time you’re there!
As the terms of the Board of Directors are staggered, this summer we will once again have an opportunity for Co-op members to run for election to the Board. Every year 3 seats are open, and each term is 3 years. Full details about how to become a candidate for the Board of Directors will be posted on this website starting July 25. I invite you to consider joining in this effort. It is demanding, but extremely rewarding work. As we get closer to opening our doors, you could be a key player in that step. Keep an eye out on our website and our Facebook page for complete instructions.
In cooperation,
Tom Wickersham