- The Cedar Falls Food Co-op is officially a partner organization as a part of Future Forward, Cedar Falls latest strategic plan.
- Melanie Drake, Outreach Coordinator extraordinaire, will be conducting regular member orientations. Be sure to check the newsletter and follow us on Facebook to see when the next one will be.
- The Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center is partnering with us for an awesome incentive this month. Check out the article in this month’s newsletter to find out more!
Category Archives: From the Board
Posts that are generated by the board
Special Member Offer: Cuisine & Confessions at Gallagher
The Gallagher Bluedorn Performing Arts Center and The Cedar Falls Food Co-op are teaming up to give our members a chance to see Cuisine & Confessions on Thursday, March 9th at 7pm. Cuisine & Confessions is a unique show that combines cirque, live cooking, and deep communal connections. This exciting show is the perfect evening out for the whole family.
Gallagher Bluedorn has not one but TWO generous offers for co-op members. Existing members are eligible to get 50% off their tickets using a special code. Postcards were mailed out to all our members containing your discount code. Please email us at info@cedarfallsfood.coop if you did not receive the mailing, and we can get the code to you.
If you haven’t joined yet, now would be the perfect time as we’ll be giving away tickets to new members! Be one of the first five people to join between now and March 8th to win a pair of tickets. If you are one of the winners you will be notified and your tickets will be available to be picked up at the Co-op’s booth during the pre-show event, starting at 5:30pm.
http://www.gbpac.com/upcoming-events/e-721/cuisine–confessions.aspx
From the Board President: We Will Survive
Shortly after the new year began, the Co-op board received some sad news: The Dubuque Food Co-op, after almost 3 years of being open, was closing. (They officially closed on Jan. 22.) I will admit that this news took a bit of the wind out of our sail. When other co-ops struggle, or fold, it is natural to wonder about the likelihood of being successful here.
It’s important to note, however, that most co-ops that have opened within the last 10 years are still open. In fact, many are thriving. In addition, the board of the Cedar Falls Food Co-op is learning some important lessons from Dubuque, lessons, (including the importance of following the advice of your market survey!), that will help us ensure being successful for years to come.
Let’s be inspired by some other food co-op’s successes!Continue reading
February is Love Your Co-op Month!
How much do you love your Cedar Falls Food Co-op? Enough to talk with others who would benefit from owning a member share? Enough to share our Facebook posts? Enough to host a co-op event such as a house party? The more new member-owners who join, the sooner we will have our brick and mortar store. And member-owners have a say in what our Co-op will look like, so why wait? Join today. Thanks to all of you for helping bring this community-grown grocery store to the Cedar Valley!
February is a great month to participate in Co-op activities to show your love for the Co-op while also beating those winter blues.
Here’s how:
Board Happenings: January 2017
– We’ve hit 500 members! This is a huge milestone and we have some great momentum going. Keep up the good work and we’ll be at 1000 in no time!Continue reading
Board Happenings: December 2016
Take a minute and see what your Board has been working on!
- If you missed the Annual Member Meeting, don’t despair! We’ll be posting our notes and updates to the website soon.
- Board and Committee members will once again attending the annual Up and Coming Conference in Milwaukee this year. If you haven’t heard of this conference, it’s an annual conference put together by the Indiana Cooperative Development Center and the Food Co-op Initiative to provide resources and networking for start up food co-ops. The Cedar Falls Food Co-op has been in attendance the past 3 years and we’re happy to keep expanding our knowledge to best serve our members.
- Our Annual Member Mixer will be held on January 29th at Bryan’s on 4th, in Waterloo. Stop by and bring a friend for what’s sure to be a fun evening of food and co-op camaraderie.
Everybody Gets One and We Get. This. Done.
As I write this, your co-op is less than ten members away from reaching a huge milestone: 500 member-owners. Each of those member-owners is the result of grassroots communication, continued education, and the genuine commitment of member-owners sharing your co-op stories with your friends, colleagues, and neighbors.
2017 will be a huge year for our co-op. We’ll embark on our capital campaign. We’ll continue to grow our presence in community organizations. And if we all commit to it, we can reach our 1,000 member mark this year.
From the Board President: Looking Ahead to 2017
Happy New Year! I’m very excited as to what 2017 will bring for the Co-op. This year will mark some major milestones in our development. I’m so proud of our committees and the board and all the groundwork they’ve done in the last two years to help prepare for some exciting steps in 2017. As a result, we’re poised to accomplish the following this year:
Fully Elected Board
This year marks the end of the transition from a steering committee to a fully elected Board of Directors. Over the summer, the final three seats on the Board will be up for interested candidates, and once the final votes are tabulated, each of the nine-member Board will have been elected by the Co-op’s membership. This is important to us, as we value the second of the 7 Cooperative Principles: Democratic Governance.
Welcome Renewed Health in the New Year
For many of us, the New Year is a time of reflection, hope, and renewal. Last year’s resolutions might have fizzled out a long time ago, but it’s never too late to recommit to better health and fuller living for the coming year. The Cedar Falls Food Co-op Business Partner program has much to offer member owners ready to make 2017 their best year yet! Many of our business partners focus on healthy lifestyles through the products and services they offer, all while saving you money! Don’t forget to take advantage of these incredible deals that are only offered to Co-op member owners!Continue reading
From the Board President: Year End Updates: A Holiday Potpourri
Each month I struggle to decide what to write about in this column. There are so many wonderful things going on with the Co-op’s effort that selecting one topic or one activity is a regular challenge. So, in the spirit of giving oneself a holiday during the holidays, this month I’ll change things up a bit with a report on many details. That makes it easy on me!
The Co-op Branding 2.0
Our Communications Team is hard at work in refining the Co-op’s messaging and visual identity. We understand the importance of having a good brand, and while the Cedar Falls Food Co-op continues to get high marks from co-op consultants and other co-ops across the country, there’s always room for improvement. Don’t worry…The iconic carrot logo won’t change. But some of the visuals and messages will be tightened up and improved as we enter 2017. (If things like tag lines and style guides are fascinating to you, consider lending a hand with our dynamic volunteer team. These are some amazing people from around the Cedar Valley, and we’d love to have your talents included!)