New Fun Business Partners to Add to Your Summer Fun! 

June is the month for sunshine, being outside, good food & enjoying life! Our newest members of the business partner program each compliment the attributes of this up-coming month.

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If you like to be outside & dig in the dirt, then get excited about our first new business partner. Wapsi Pines Nursery & Greenhouse offers a great selection of annuals, perennials, grasses, shrubs, roses, trees and vegetables for your garden.   They carry lots of pots, trellises, bird feeders, bird baths, and other decorative items to enhance your outdoor living space or as great gifts for the gardener in your life!

They’re graciously offering our founding member-owners 10% off of your entire purchase from the greenhouse.

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Everyone loves to eat, right? Especially, if it’s good food! So, why not get cooking with 10% off of Spoon It with Luann cooking classes? Luann Alemao, a local food/nutrition educator and host of “Get Fit” TV teaches fresh, healthy cooking courses with “Blue Zone” inspired menus. She cultivates a hands-on experience, which includes techniques, history and nutrition information about the dishes inspired for each Spoon It with Luann class. Her food never disappoints.

Shakti

 

Balance & healing are crucial to an enjoyable life. Shakti Holistic Healing sessions work to increase the vitality of your body, heal physical & emotional pain, guide you to experience aliveness & bring you into deeper states of awareness, relaxation & peace within your own body. Doesn’t that sound divine? Well, it is. Truly. Wanna know the best part? If you’re a member-owner of the Cedar Falls Food Co-op, you may now receive a Shakti healing session for $20 less. Now, that is definitely something to enjoy this summer!!

FashionToFive

Feeling good & looking good go hand-in-hand when it comes to an enjoyable lifestyle! Fashion To Five carries contemporary modern clothing styles for men from the West to the East coast and brings them right here to the Midwest! They also offer tailoring and personal styling to assure your clothes fit the way you want. The best part is co-op member-owners get 10% off of all the apparel that you purchase in their unique online to downtown venture! Stop in to learn their story & see their cool styles for men.

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!

Friends make everything better!

The Co-op is growing, and the sooner we can raise 1,000 members, the sooner we can open the store. Who can best recruit new members? Existing members!

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If you get a friend to join the Co-op, you’ll be entered into a drawing to win a $25 Cedar Falls Community Main Street Gift Certificate. These gift certificates can be used at any business in the downtown district. And if that isn’t enough, here’s the icing on the cake: There’s no limit to how many times you can be entered into the drawing…for each new member who joins, you’ll have an equal number of entries in the drawing. Plus, we’ll have a drawing each month, so you can be entered to win a gift certificate in June, July, August, and so on.

How does it work?

When you get a friend, co-worker, neighbor…anyone!…to commit to joining the Co-op, just have them add your name to the “How did you hear about the Co-op” section of the membership application. (Or write your own name in that section for them.) Once they turn in their application with payment, you’re entered into the drawing. It’s that easy!

Special thanks to Cedar Falls Community Main Street for their support of this incentive campaign!

 

The fine print

To be eligible to be in the monthly gift certificate drawing, you must be a member of the Cedar Falls Food Co-op and have your name clearly included in the referral section of a membership application. Hard copies and online applications are both eligible. All names submitted in a given month will be entered into a drawing. Previous winners of the drawing are eligible for future drawings. The prize is a Cedar Falls Community Main Street $25 gift certificate. Please note gift certificates need to be used within at least 6 months. Co-op Board members and their families are not eligible.

Become a member and bike away!

New Poster Draft  2 copyCo-op members from last year might remember our awesome member drive where we worked hard to gain 30 new members in the month of June, which included a bike giveaway sponsored by Bike Tech. That campaign was such a success, and we had such a great time, that we’ve decided to do it again! All NEW members who join the Co-op in the month of June will be entered into a drawing to win a women’s Electra Cruiser, courtesy of Bike Tech. This applies to all new applicants, so those choosing to join by the payment plan will be included in the drawing. The winner will be announced in early July.

We have a number of great advertisements planned for this, with the help of some of our amazing members. Be sure to “like” us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, and share our posts to help get the word out about this awesome giveaway. If you have friends and family who have been considering joining, let them know that this is the month to do it! Every person we each tell about the co-op is one step closer to making our dream a reality. Help make June our Best Month Ever and join today!

From the Board President: Food Co-ops Everywhere!

Did you know that the Cedar Falls Food Co-op is one of about 140 start-up food co-ops across the country? Our effort to establish a community-owned grocery store in Cedar Falls is part of a huge momentum across the U.S. to take control of our food and make our communities healthier, more vibrant places to live. Let’s meet some of my favorite co-ops around the country and see where they are in their development. For context, the Cedar Falls Food Co-op is currently at 350 members, incorporated in the fall of 2014, and is planning on opening a 10,000-14,000 sq ft store.

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Our Business Partner Program Keeps Flowering

The month of May ushers in two more business partners committed to helping our community stay healthy & strong!

 

NRGpilatesNRG Pilates is committed to teaching you how to intelligently use, develop & refine the greatest machine ever created…your body. They train the body as a whole. That way, there are no imbalances and all muscles are strengthened as the body works harmoniously together.

 

Whether you’re a member of the co-op or not, your first class is free!! However, once you’ve experienced how effective & powerful you feel after completing a Pilates, Kettlebells, Suspension or Bodyweight training session, you’ll want to go to more classes. As a co-op member, NRG Pilates is offering 10% off of a 12-visit studio pass. Train hard. Save money. Beauty & brains is a great combo, folks!!


AgapeTherapyAgape Therapy’s vision is to create, shape, and progress towards a clinic that inspires total health in each individual that walks through the door.  They want to preserve local business because it is that relationship with the community that sets us above the rest. It allows us a closer look at what the need is for people’s health right here where we are.

 

The Cedar Falls Food Co-op could not agree more & we are honored that Agape has caught the vision of how the co-op will integrate with & benefit their clientele by offering healthier, local food options. Until our store opens & we all get to go shopping, Agape has generously offered our membership 10% off of each 60-minute massage you schedule. Yes, co-op membership already has its benefits. Now, go relax & save.

 

Food Deserts

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Food deserts are described as geographic areas where residents have limited or nonexistent access to affordable, healthy food options within a convenient traveling distance. It is estimated that roughly 2% of American households live more than one mile from a grocery store and do not own a car*. Food deserts are typically found in communities that are low-income and have a large minority population. What typically occurs in these areas is that the lack of access to fresh foods leaves people to resort to fast food chains or highly processed food that are available at convenience stores. As a result, people living in food deserts are found to not consume enough fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy, and protein to have a nutritionally sound diet.

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Business Partner Spotlight: Balance Hot Yoga & Montage

balanceBalance is a Hot Yoga Studio located on the hill in Cedar Falls.  Their goal is to present a new dimension to yoga in a positive environment for all experience levels.  They offer classes daily, including weekends, and have a wide variety of pricing options such as class packages, monthly unlimited usage, per class drop-in and annual membership.  They are also currently running a special where if you refer a friend then the both of you will receive your first month free. In addition, with your Cedar Falls Food Co-op membership you’ll get 10% off a monthly unlimited auto-pay plan. 

With the availability of classes and flexibility of pricing, Balance is a viable option for those looking to achieve balance and harmony for both body and mind.


MontageLocated in the heart of downtown Cedar Falls, the Montage restaurant has it all.  An extensive wine list, an eclectic atmosphere featuring artwork by local artists, an upstairs martini bar, a rooftop patio and of course, an incredible menu.

The menu features a variety of appetizers, dinners and desserts that include vegetarian as well as gluten- free options.  Of particular interest, is their current seasonal specials:  Roasted Rosemary Cashew Pasta and Hot Buttered Rum Cheesecake.  So, be sure to try these before they’re gone!

Montage also has two rooms available to accommodate large parties and they also provide catering.  Keep this in mind when planning for your next family or corporate event.

Locally owned and operated since 1999, Montage is a favorite downtown destination.  Take advantage of 10% off your meal with your Cedar Falls Food Co-op membership and make your reservation today!

From the Board President: The Top 6 Myths About the Food Co-op

Since the first community meeting in September 2012, those of us behind the efforts to open the doors of the Cedar Falls Food Co-op have had to explain our vision. In addition, we’ve educated many people about what a co-op is. Along the way, however, we’ve discovered the need to correct a number of myths about co-ops in general and the Cedar Falls Food Co-op in particular. Here is my list of the top 6 myths about the Cedar Falls Food Co-op:

 

Myth #1: The Co-op will be a “buying club,” an indoor farmers market, or a small Roots-type market

FACT

Roots Market, which closed in 2012, was 4,000 sq ft in total size. The Cedar Falls Food Co-op will be 2.5 to 3 times that size. It will be a full-service grocery, meaning shoppers will be able to buy produce, boxed good, canned goods, frozen foods, dairy, meats, beer and wine, health and beauty products, pet food, seasonal products and more. Yes, you’ll be able to pick up some produce grown by local farmers and some coffee, toilet paper, and whatever else is on your grocery list. With a full deli and a “grab and go” cooler, the Co-op will be your one-stop shop.

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Business Partner Spotlight: The Runner’s Flat & Moo Roo

RunnersFlatSpring has sprung! It’s time to put away the winter boots and run (don’t walk) to The Runner’s Flat in downtown Cedar Falls. In addition to having a wide variety of shoes and accessories, their expert staff will take the time to find what is right just for you. They are also committed to building a community of runners through their run clubs, community events, shoe and gear reviews as well as their What’s Up Wednesday weekly talk show.
The Runner’s Flat is the Cedar Valley’s only specialty running store that is also locally owned and we are proud to have them as a business partner. Take advantage of your Cedar Falls Food Co-op membership by saving $10 off of a purchase of $100 or more at the best place to run into!

 

HansensDairyUpdatedMoo Roo Ice Cream Parlor and Dairy Store in Waterloo is a retail store for Hansen’s Dairy.  The items you can find for sale there are Hansen’s milk, cheese, butter and of course ice cream!  This store has the old-fashioned hard dip as well as soft serve ice cream and a variety of treats such as sundaes, shakes, ice cream cakes and the Polar Vortex – a mix of soft serve with candies.  In addition, Moo Roo sells high quality food items including meats, bread and produce from local farmers.  

Moo Roo also has seating for about 40 people, so it’s a great location for parties or meetings.  While you’re inside be sure to check out the mural that depicts a dairy farm through the four seasons.  

Moo Roo is a great supporter of our local farmers and entrepreneurs and we’re proud to have them as a business partner. Keep in mind that with your Cedar Falls Food Co-op membership you’ll receive an additional 5% off of milk.