At a recent house party hosted by our October Member Mavens, Jen Christiason and Sarah Frederick (plus their spouses, Kyle and Bob), a neighbor lamented the closing of Roots Market several years ago and how much she missed the local produce. As the conversation turned to the Cedar Falls Food Co-op and what it would provide, this same neighbor joined on the spot. In fact, five neighbors became co-op owners that night while they dined together over homemade soup and local bread. “I learned that many folks walking their dogs past our home every day have proud agricultural roots,” mused Jen. “It was delightful to hear the stories of their grandparents’ gardens and the canned goods that came from those efforts.” After the event, neighbors talked about how thrilled they were to gather together and connect with one another while learning about the efforts to bring a community-owned grocery store to the Cedar Valley.

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How many Thanksgiving meals have you heard this? This November we are living this mantra, because if you join the Co-op as a new member-owner, you will definitely have to save room. That’s because there is a homemade pie for each person who becomes a member-owner between November 1 – 20*. And the giving doesn’t stop there – our business partner, Fosters Mattress has generously agreed to match each new member-owner share purchase with a $10 donation to the Northeast Iowa Food Bank.

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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!

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. 

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.

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!

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!

Become a Membership Maven for a month

The CFFC Membership Committee has used monthly projections to determine that in order to open the store in 2018, we need to incur 370 members per year (which averages out to about 30 new members per month). To reach this goal, we need the enthusiastic support of active member-owners.  It takes the initiative of all owners to make the store a reality.  So, would you consider a one-month volunteer role as Membership Maven?

As a Membership Maven, what will you do?

It’s simple…you agree to help the Co-op reach its monthly membership goal. A membership committee member or our outreach coordinator will meet with you before your month begins to help you brainstorm a plan that will be effective. Then, during your assigned month, you (or your Maven team if you choose to work with a friend or several) commit to doing the best you can to reach our goal. This may include the following:

• Hosting a house party
• Asking friends to host a house party
• Making phone calls to people you know who aren’t yet members
• Plugging the Co-op on social media
• Talking about the Co-op and benefits of member-ownership in the community

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The Co-op Carrot and friends proudly marched in this year’s Sturgis Falls Parade. The brand new bicycle from Bike Tech was on display, too. New members who joined by the end of June were entered in a chance to win a sweet ride!

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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!

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.