If you have a CFU email and your account holder’s last name begins with A – G, your email service ends July 1, 2025. CFU has information available to migrate your email.

We don’t want you to miss your Garlic Press or important Member-Owner information!  Please let us know if you have a new email address, and we will get it updated for you. Just shoot us a note at info@rootedcarrot.coop.

We need YOU! We need member-owners to run for the board. The term would start in November and be for three years. 

We also need finance committee members and governance committee members. Do you enjoy numbers? Writing grants? Writing policies? 

Please consider volunteering with us and reach out to info@rootedcarrot.coop and let us know what you are interested in! Or reach out and let us know if you want to meet a board member for coffee to chat more. 

In case you missed it, check out our board message from last month. CSA shares are still available from We Arose. The deadline has been extended to June 4th. Sign up today and support local farmers! 

Jodie Huegerich, 

President, Board of Directors 

Continue reading→

Hot Honey Bell Peppers
By: Co+op

Honey is delicious, but chili-infused hot honey is something special. Gently heating honey with chili peppers gives it a warm, smoky flavor that complements these colorful peppers perfectly.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup honey
• 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 red bell peppers
• 1 orange bell pepper
• 1 jalapeño pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

1. Pour the honey in a small microwaveable bowl and add the red pepper flakes. Heat until the honey starts to bubble.
2. Remove from heat and let stand for 15 minutes, then strain to remove the pepper flakes. Stir in the vinegar.
3. Remove the stems and seeds, then slice the bell and jalapeño peppers in thin, vertical slices. Place a large saute pan over medium-high heat and let heat for a minute, then drizzle in the olive oil.
4. Add the peppers and saute, stirring frequently, until soft and lightly browned in spots, about 7 minutes. Drizzle half the honey over the peppers and serve the remaining honey on the side.

Article Link: Hot Honey Bell Peppers 

Every spring in the Cedar Valley, there’s a quiet frenzy that begins the moment the ground thaws and the lilacs bloom. People disappear into ditches and wooded edges, ducking under branches and scanning the soil. They’re not lost — they’re looking. For mushrooms.

Morel mushrooms are a Midwest obsession. They’re delicious, hard to find, and wildly expensive if you try to buy them. But around here, we don’t usually buy them. We hunt. On public land. With neighbors, kids, cousins. There’s no admission fee, no password, no receipt. Just a deep knowing that the land can still feed us.

It’s one of the last ways regular people gather high-value food for themselves. No middleman. No branding. Just trust in the process and a little local knowledge.

That same spirit lives in the Rooted Carrot Co-op.

We call it grocery democracy: the idea that communities should have a say in what shows up on their shelves, where it comes from, and who benefits from it.Continue reading→

The Rooted Carrot Co-op is partnering with We Arose to provide up to 30 people the opportunity to access local produce through a produce share! 

Shares are still available! 

Order Now! 

This is a great opportunity to support a network of beginning and small-scale farmers while accessing locally grown, fresh, and healthy food. Each box is curated with 6 to 8 of your favorite in-season vegetables.

This program is open to the public and offers convenient mid-week delivery to the ThreeHouse Campus Ministry building at 2422 College Street in Cedar Falls. 

COST:

The season is June 15-October 29.  

Full Season Share: 20 weeks offered every week for $600

Half Season Share: 10 weeks offered every-other week for $300. 

There will be 30 shares available for Cedar Falls Delivery. If a minimum number is not met, We Arose reserves the right to cancel the partnership and will issue refunds. Continue reading→

Farmers markets are more than a shopping destination—they’re vibrant hubs of flavor, connection, and community. Every visit supports the hardworking producers and celebrates the unique food culture of your region. You can find a farmers market during the week or weekend here.

As we navigate the choices for our culinary experiences, here are five compelling reasons why you should make visiting your local farmers market a priority. 

1. Taste the Difference

Local produce at farmers markets is fresh, seasonal, and bursting with flavor. These ingredients elevate your meals while celebrating the hard work of your region’s farmers.

2. Support Your Neighbors

Shopping at farmers markets directly supports local farmers, artisans, and small businesses, keeping dollars in your community and strengthening its economy.

3. Build Connections

Farmers markets bring people together. Chat with growers, share recipes with fellow shoppers, and be part of a community that values good food and shared experiences. In fact, sociologists estimate people have 10 times more conversations at farmers’ markets than supermarkets.Continue reading→

If you do any traveling around the state or around the country, plan to stop and visit the cooperative grocery stores you pass along your journey! What a great way to support the cooperative movement, access healthy foods, and to experience the vast variety in co-operative markets. Take notes, snap photos, and share your hopes and dreams for our own Rooted Carrot Co-op. 

Visit Food Co-op Finder to view a searchable map of co-ops across the country and plot your route accordingly! Author Jon Steinman has also created the Food Co-op Finder app for use on the go. Download it using the QR code at Food Co-op Finder, or find it in the App Store or Google Play. 

The Rooted Carrot Co-op values include Local Commitment and Sustainability.

Local Commitment: We strengthen our community’s economic and quality of life by investing in local producers, area businesses, civic engagement, and our employees. 

We have chosen to partner with We Arose to offer Rooted Carrot members and community members another location to pick up their We Arose CSA produce share in Cedar Falls. 

The CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) model is important for small scale vegetable farmers. A CSA is a way for consumers to buy local, seasonally fresh food directly from a farmer. When you invest in a CSA by paying your subscription fee in advance you are investing in the farmer and your community. You benefit from healthy, fresh, produce on a weekly basis. 

Now it is more important than ever to support our local producers and small scale farmers. Many of them have been affected by the USDA cancelling LFPA (Local Food Purchasing Assistance) and LFS (Local Food For Schools) as well as other federal programs. We have a chance to make a difference by supporting them with our local food dollars. 

If you can’t participate in a CSA we encourage you to visit We Arose and other local producers at a farmers market near you. If you can’t attend farmers markets regularly we encourage you to take this opportunity to purchase a CSA. 

Sustainability: We cultivate a healthy community and world by choosing sustainable products and practices built on long-term outcomes. Continue reading→

Great recipe to use local fresh ingredients – Rhubarb, Honey and Mint!

Rhubarb Lemonade

One of the guiding values of the Rooted Carrot Co-op is “Local Commitment: We strengthen our community’s economy and quality of life by investing in local producers, area businesses, civic engagement, and our employees.” 

Let’s join together in Cedar Falls’ City-Wide Clean-Up! 

When: Thursday, April 17 at 5:15

Where: Gateway Park, on the corner of Lincoln & N. Main St.

What: Work together to clean up the area

Bring: Gloves, any tools you might find helpful… and a friend!

The Membership Team will pick up bags from the city and arrange disposal. We hope to see you there!! Many hands make light work (and it’s more fun, too)!