Several Co-op members and friends, had the privilege of hanging out with owner Lindsay Kaiser of Kaiser Farm at her garden in Waverly last month.  Kaiser Farm is a Certified Organic grower with goals of protecting the fertile Iowa soils and providing their customers with the best produce possible. Lindsay is also a co-op member-owner and huge supporter. Having offered a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) program in the past, with the addition of a second little one to the family last year, Kaiser Farm has decided to focus exclusively on the Cedar Falls Farmer’s Market this season.  Continue reading→

When I think summer, I think of food my mother made from scratch: the pies, the jellies, and the freezer full of vegetables and fruit she preserved. My favorite summer vegetable is that grand globe of red goodness called a tomato. We had tomato sandwiches, tomato and cucumber salad, sliced tomatoes and fried green tomatoes. My favorite of those of course were the fried green tomatoes. My mother was a master at making them. I imagine you might like this recipe to use some of those garden tomatoes if you are willing to pick them green.Continue reading→

The Co-op is pleased to announce the appointments of two new members to serve on the board of directors.Continue reading→

We have great news for those who enjoyed last month’s Potluck in the Park as well as anyone who was sad to miss it:  We are having this popular event at Washington Park in Cedar Falls (located at the end of east 9^th Street) again this month! Please mark your calendars for Tuesday, August 13th, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and join us.Continue reading→

In cooperation with the Hearst Center for the Arts, your co-op will be hosting journalist and author Jon Steinman this fall. Jon, who wrote the fascinating new book, Grocery Story: The Promise of Food Co-ops in the Age of Grocery Giants will be making the only Iowa stop during his book tour across the United States.Continue reading→

Travis and Lindsay are excited to host a group of co-op volunteers on their certified organic farm on Tuesday, July 16, from 4-6:30 p.m. Volunteers will have an opportunity to get their hands dirty while learning about the work that goes on during the summer months on the farm. The group will help with some farm tasks and will be treated to a tour of the farm. Plus, there will be some yummy food samples to round out the evening. This is a unique opportunity to connect with the land and support the organic and sustainable food movement in our own community. Space is limited, so sign up if you would like to volunteer and learn more about one of our local farms owned by fellow co-op member-owners.

This is coming up next week – Tuesday, July 16 from 4 – 6:30 p.m. Space is limited, so sign up soon at the link below.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080F4EA8AD2DA6F94-kaiser

Carpooling is encouraged – please plan accordingly to arrive by 4 p.m. If you wish to carpool but don’t know others on the list, please email outreach@cedarfallsfood.coop.

The evening was perfect on Monday for our outdoor potluck at Washington Park in Cedar Falls. Co-op friends of all ages joined together for food, friendship and fun. Guests arrived by bicycle and car, bringing delicious dishes to share including homemade chocolates, freshly squeezed juice, and a variety of refreshing salads among other delectable delights.Continue reading→

Sometimes pictures say more than words, so this month’s column will be shorter than usual. Instead, I’ve put my thoughts in the video below.

Bottom line: This Co-op is not going to open itself. We all need to pitch in to do our share to help launch the Cedar Valley’s only community-owned and community-built grocery store.

All kinds of volunteers are needed, but we’re in particular need for people who are good with finances and communications. If you are interested in joining the growing number of volunteers who are pitching in to build the Co-op, please contact me (tomwick@sbcglobal.net) today.

In cooperation,
Tom Wickersham

June was another great month for your Co-op! We ended the month numbering 967 member-owners getting us even closer to 1000!!! Thanks to all who joined – you are investing to support this community-owned cooperative business.

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We are ready to hit quadruple digits in our member growth and thank all of you who are supporting your Cedar Falls Food Co-op. With almost 950 member-owners, we need just over 50 more to get to this goal. During the month of June, your Co-op is doing another fabulous membership giveaway: a current or new member could soon be paddling around in a new Heron 9XT kayak courtesy of the Co-op. New members who join the Co-op in June (and current members whose name is written on the membership form as the referrer) will be entered into the drawing at the month’s end. Special thanks to business partner, Crawdaddy Outdoors in Waverly for providing a great deal on this sweet ride. And if you want to see the kayak, you’ll find it hanging up in Second State Brewing – stop by, grab a brew (use your Co-op discount if you are a member-owner) and check out what you could win – help us float past 1000 member-owners soon!