The Co-op’s New Outreach Coordinator: Melanie Drake

MDthumb2

The Cedar Falls Food Co-op is pleased to announce that Melanie Drake has accepted the position of Outreach Coordinator. She will work with new and potential members to help the Cedar Falls Food Co-op move closer to realizing a new store.  The hiring committee interviewed a number of fantastic candidates but felt that Melanie was the best fit for the position.

“I’m thrilled to be in the position of the Outreach Coordinator for the Cedar Falls Food Co-op,” said Melanie. “My husband and I moved to Cedar Falls four years ago because of the community. I had no idea at that time that I would be so involved in the efforts to start a food co-op in the Cedar Valley region. It has been an amazing journey so far with so many dedicated community members who have given countless hours to this endeavor.

“We will have a food co-op in Cedar Falls. While I know we all want this tomorrow, we are taking the time to be intentional about the process and make sure we cover all of the necessary steps to have a sustainable co-op for generations to come.  If there is one thing you take away from this message, let it be the following – when I or others reach out to you to assist with Co-op activities, please always respond to us, even if the answer is, “no.” We would much rather hear from you and know you remain committed to our efforts, even if you cannot assist at that time, then hear nothing from you at all. Thanks to all who have provided support so far and thanks in advance to everyone who will be giving their time and talent for our future efforts.”

By accepting the position, Melanie has stepped down from the Co-op’s Board of Directors. The Board will be appointing a new member to fill her vacancy. Please join us in welcoming Melanie in her new role!

Try out this savory and fresh chicken dish hot off the bbq.

Screen Shot 2016-05-28 at 12.31.42 PM

Lemon thyme chicken on fresh greens with a roasted yellow beet and balsamic vinegar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts

Juice and zest of one organic lemon (or ¼ c. lemon juice)

¼ c. Olive oil

1 heaping tbsp. fresh thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Directions:

In a medium bowl, add olive oil, lemon juice and zest, thyme, and salt and pepper. Add chicken and make sure it gets covered with the marinade. Cover and set in fridge for 1 hour.

Grill chicken 5-6 minutes over direct heat or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.

Serve on it’s own or try it over a bed of greens with oil and vinegar.

 

Enjoy!

Member Spotlight: Kamyar Enshayan

Kamyar's photo

Kamyar Enshayan, the director of the Center for Energy and Environmental Education at the University of Northern Iowa, has been excited about the Cedar Falls Food Co-op from the very beginning. In fact, he attended the founding membership meeting. His interest in the Co-op stems from a desire to support a retail store that supports local farms and organic farms and that helps to build elements of a food system that serves our region. His job includes managing a local food program, which has the goal of strengthening our region’s local food economy. He works with many farmers and large buyers and feels that having an additional grocery store that features local agricultural products is good for the community.

Continue reading→

Business Partner Spotlight

barnhappy

If you’re looking for a slice of Iowa, then Barn Happy is the place to be.  Located on University Avenue in Cedar Falls, an old dairy barn built in 1925 has been re-purposed into a food and gift store.  

Opened in the spring of 2003, family-owned Barn Happy features Iowa specialty foods and gift baskets.  In addition, they also offer fresh-brewed coffee, homemade baked goods, soups and sandwiches as well as antiques and locally made crafts.  

The owners of Barn Happy, Tim and Kris Boettger, have firm roots in Iowa and believe it is important to preserve the heritage and values of the heartland.  They want their customers to get a genuine feel of the state with the Iowa – made products for sale.

With your Cedar Falls Food Co-op membership you can have a free bottomless cup of coffee and enjoy your Iowa experience at Barn Happy. 

holiday-1409490_960_720

Father’s Day is June 19th this year.  As you’re thinking of the perfect gift for Dad, consider a purchase from one or more of the Cedar Falls Food Co-op business partners.  Not only can you find gifts any Dad would appreciate, but you can also get great deals by taking advantage of your membership benefits.

You could celebrate Father’s Day with a meal at Mulligan’s, La Calle Latin American Bistro or SingleSpeed Brewing Co.  For the avid coffee drinker, enjoy a visit to Sidecar Coffee Cafe, Cup of Joe or Cottonwood Canyon.  Batteries + Bulbs offers 15% off of your entire purchase if Dad is in need of smartphone accessories and of course, batteries and light bulbs!  If Dad is a running enthusiast, check out the Runner’s Flat for shoes and accessories and save $10 off of a $100 or more purchase.  

Overall, there are great opportunities with your Cedar Falls Food Co-op membership.  Be sure to keep these business partners in mind when planning and shopping for this Father’s Day.

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.

457003_243316285775655_484575231_o

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.

Screen Shot 2016-05-28 at 12.08.46 PM

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!

12694666_596663070485086_919144301384376933_o

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.

Continue reading→

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.