Life is like a jar of miso.

This month, I opened a jar that had been tucked away on a shelf in my basement for a full year — soybeans, rice, koji, and a whole lot of microbiology. The jar was from last year’s Rooted Carrot Miso Workshop led by Tomie Sasaki-Hesselink, the owner of Iowa Miso. We sampled over a dozen misos from different regions of Japan and I wondered if my first attempt would turn out. Lucky for me, I was only a small part of the recipe. 

Fermentation is patient work. Tiny microorganisms are at work, even though we can’t see them. They don’t rush. They trust the process. Over time, something extraordinary emerges.

The Rooted Carrot Co-op is a lot like that jar of miso!

Every month, volunteers on committees and the board are meeting. Partnerships are forming. Events are filling with neighbors who care about building something together.

Transformation is underway, even if you can’t always see it.

I joined Rooted Carrot the first week I moved to the Cedar Valley five years ago because I believe we need organizations like this that don’t shy away from the hard, sometimes grinding work of building community based on the values of shared ownership, local commitment, and creating a healthier future. After serving two years on the Membership Committee, I’m honored to now serve on the board with a group of people who keep showing up for this shared vision.

You can be part of this brew, too! Join us at an upcoming event our Membership Team is planning — from Worm Bin to Bike Maintenance classes. Each gathering is another reminder that this community is active, engaged, and growing.

Thank you for being part of the fermentation.

Kathryn Gilbery
Board Vice-President

Building community, connections, and understanding is vital to the co-op moving forward. Brews and FAQs is the perfect opportunity to connect, learn, and ask any questions you may have about the co-op. 

Member-owners are invited to come to Jesse’s Java House, 419 Main St, Cedar Falls, at 9:00 a.m. THIS SATURDAY, March 7, to enjoy your favorite brew (or any beverage of your choice, of course). Board members will be present to connect with fellow member-owners and answer any questions (FAQs) that may come up. Bring a friend! 

Join Iowa Worm Farm for a hands-on vermicomposting workshop! Learn how to turn food scraps into garden gold with the help of red wigglers. Each participant will build and take home a complete 5-gallon worm bin, perfect for indoor or garage use. We’ll cover bin design, feeding routines, troubleshooting, and seasonal tips. No experience necessary — just curiosity and a willingness to get your hands dirty! 

Here is Adam, with an invitation just for you! 

Saturday, March 28 from 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. at College Hill Lutheran Church, 2322 Olive Street, Cedar Falls.

Come just to hang out and learn, or to make a bin to use at home! Either way, please register at the Iowa Worm Farm website so that we can plan accordingly. Space is limited.

Please register by March 21 so that Adam has time to prepare. 

EXCITING NEWS! We’re partnering with the Iowa Food Hub to bring their online farmers market to the Cedar Valley—with a weekly pick-up site in Cedar Falls.

Since 2012, Iowa Food Hub, based in Decorah, Iowa, has been connecting individuals, schools, colleges, restaurants, and grocery stores to healthy, locally grown food. Their year-round online market purchases from dozens of producers in Iowa and adjacent communities in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Even now, in the dead of winter, the market features 150+ items, including fresh and frozen vegetables, meat, flour, spices, tea, and more.

Before we can launch this publicly, we need a smaller group of beta shoppers who are willing to use the online site and make purchases. Over the next few months, we will be working on developing and streamlining ordering and pickup logistics, acquiring supplies and equipment for the pickup site like refrigeration and shelving for orders, and building a volunteer base to assist with management and implementation of this project.

How it works:

• Shop online Monday–Wednesday
• Place orders by Wednesday at 5 PM
• Pick up the following Monday at our Cedar Valley site
• No minimum order, and no need to order every week
• Share your feedback by completing an occasional survey or participating in an Online Market Task Force meeting
• May include volunteering for a pick up shift or other project tasks, if interested

Sound like fun? Email us at info@rootedcarrot.coop to opt in to be a beta shopper or let us know if you have any questions.

A huge shoutout to our fantastic volunteers, Maggie and Marci! They represented us at the Cedar Falls Business and Professional Women – Salute to Women Event last Thursday, sharing exciting details about our co-op and upcoming events.

Thank you, ladies!

On Saturday, February 21, ten RCCM volunteers and friends worked a two-hour shift with other community members at the Northeast Iowa Food Bank.

It was a cold day outside and inside! We packed bulk sausage patties into 90 boxes totaling 1,296 pounds – enough to feed 1,080 people in the Cedar Valley. All together, we packed a total of 17,280 patties!

If you missed out but want to help, consider volunteering! Sign up here: https://www.neifb.org/get-involved/volunteer. They have shifts available throughout the week and on Saturdays. Let’s make a difference together!

Northeast Iowa Food Bank

Empty Bowls 2026

Ticket Link:  https://events.handbid.com/auctions/empty-bowls-2026

Friday, March 27 | 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at Bien VenU, Cedar Falls

A night that helps fight food insecurity across our 16-county service area, featuring a soup buffet, silent auction, live auction, and new this year: the NEIFB Dessert Auction! 

This year’s theme is Bloom with Purpose: Growing Young Leaders. Fighting Food Insecurity. Hear from young leaders of all ages about their commitment to volunteering and making our community a better place.

Friends of the Family 

Chefs Take a Stand 2026

Ticket Link: https://secure.qgiv.com/event/chefstakeastand-2026/

Thursday, April 2 | 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. at Hilton Garden Inn, Cedar Falls

The money raised from this event helps families throughout the 25 counties we serve by funding Friends of the Family programs dedicated to helping individuals in crisis due to domestic violence, sexual assault, and homelessness. 

This is our 12th annual Chefs Take a Stand fundraiser. We’ll have the area’s hottest Chefs and Beverage Makers in one place for one great cause. Guests will sample bites and sips from each participant and vote on their favorite.

We are partnering with the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective to offer a FREE bicycle maintenance workshop for Rooted Carrot member-owners and friends this spring!

Saturday, April 11 from 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. at the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective, Waterloo

Learn how to keep your bike running smoothly in this workshop that will cover the nuts and bolts of bicycle components, tips and tricks for cleaning, applying lube, and setting tire pressure, how to make small adjustments in brake and shifting performance, and the best tools and products to keep your bike in tip top shape. The instructor, Mark Stevenson, has over 30 years of bicycle maintenance experience and is sure to teach new and experienced cyclists something new! Bring your bike if you would like to apply these concepts specifically to your bike. Everyone should bring their questions!

Space is limited to 10 people and 6 bikes. If this session fills up, we will start a wait list and work to schedule another. Use this form to sign up! Youth may attend if accompanied by an adult.

Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective is a non-profit organization that builds community through bicycling. We increase access to affordable bicycles and bike safety by refurbishing used bicycles, providing education and advocacy, and hosting events and education.

African American Museum of Iowa

Rooted: Labor, Land, & Legacy

Website: https://blackiowa.org/collections-exhibits/rooted/

October 17, 2025 – August 8, 2026 at the African American Museum of Iowa, Cedar Rapids

This exhibit celebrates the role farming plays in Black resiliency and activism. Farming has played a significant role in Black communities’ struggles and triumphs for economic independence, cultural preservation, and self-determination. Visitors will learn how Black farmers, nationwide and in Iowa, are turning to agriculture as a way to reclaim land, promote sustainability, and address environmental and economic inequalities.

The African American Museum of Iowa is a statewide museum dedicated to preserving, exhibiting, and teaching Iowa’s African American history.