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)!

Wow, there is a lot of food system news since our last newsletter—even just a month ago! Here’s a quick recap of what’s happening across Iowa:

• Federal Funding Cuts: Critical programs like Local Food for Schools (LFS) and Local Food Purchasing Assistance (LFPA) have lost federal support. That means Iowa farms will be getting $11 million less than they had planned for, making it tougher to bring fresh, local food to our schools and communities.

• Frozen Funds: Some federal funds remain frozen, putting certain farms’ projects at a stand-still and further straining their ability to innovate.

• Advocacy for State Support: In response, advocates are pushing hard for state funding of the Choose Iowa Purchasing Program. This investment is key to keeping fresh, local food flowing to schools, food banks, and families.

Your support as a consumer is vital—backing local food initiatives means keeping Iowa farms strong and ensuring our communities have access to nutritious, affordable food. Make a commitment today to shop and eat locally. Our food farms depend on it! Find a Cedar Valley farmer here.

Mallory DeVries, Board Member & Communications Committee; local producer

The Rooted Carrot Co-op Membership Committee is seeking member-owner input!

You will receive an email with details about WeArose and a potential partnership with WeArose to deliver CSA shares for Rooted Carrot Member/Owners. Please take the time to read the information and complete the very brief survey. This will let the committee gauge the level of interest in this opportunity so they can respond accordingly. 

THANK YOU SO MUCH for participating.

The Rooted Carrot Co-op continues to grow! We now have 1210 member-owners. Will you be the 1211th? Join today at: https://rootedcarrot.coop/join-today/

The communication committee participated in a tabling event to share information about RCCM at the Cedar Falls BPW event. They will be attending a health fair event at Aldrich Elementary. Thank you to our volunteers for helping with these events. 

Board members attend a monthly Peer Review call with other Co-ops in the same stage of development as we are. We will have several members attending Professional Development seminars in March and April. 

If you have expertise in finance or grants, we are looking for additional members to join our finance and grant committees. Please contact us at info@rootedcarrot.coop. This is another way for you to be an active member of our co-op process. 

Mindy Doyle, Board Member

By: Co+op

Honey and mustard combine to make a tangy, sticky glaze for these chicken thighs. You’ll brown the thighs in batches on the stovetop before covering them with a warm sauce to bake to tender perfection.

Roast new potatoes at the same time for a crowd-pleasing meal.

Ingredients

• 12 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin on
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 large shallot, chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Have a large roasting pan or 9-by-13-inch baking pan ready. Place the chicken in a large bowl, sprinkle it with salt and pepper, and toss it to mix.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the honey, mustards, and Worcestershire sauce, stir to mix, and reserve.
3. Place a large saute pan over medium-high heat and heat for a minute, then drizzle with oil. Arrange the chicken pieces in the pan and brown for 2 to 3 minutes per side — you’ll have to do this in batches. Use tongs to transfer the chicken to the baking pan.
4. Add the shallots to the pan juices and stir. Reduce to low heat. Stir until the shallots are softened and the browned bits have loosened. Pour in the honey mixture and stir just until hot.
5. Pour the honey mixture over the chicken and turn to coat. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the pieces and bake for 15 minutes longer until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the meat reads 165 F.
6. Transfer the chicken to a platter and keep warm. Scrape the contents of the baking pan into a small pot, place over high heat, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to boil without boiling over, and cook, stirring frequently, until the juices have thickened to a pourable sauce, about 4 minutes.
7. Pour the juices over the chicken, sprinkle with parsley, and serve.

Serving Suggestion: Serve with roasted new potatoes and a green salad or slaw.

Nutritional Information

340 calories, 22 g. fat, 105 mg. cholesterol, 390 mg. sodium, 16 g. carbohydrate, 0 g. fiber, 22 g. protein

Rooted Carrot had 12 people volunteer at the Northeast Iowa Food Bank on April 22.

We put bulk Cheerios into 1lb bags and packed almost four pallets for a total of 1200 lbs! While part of the crew scoped and bagged, others put boxes together, and others put labels on the bags. We worked alongside two other volunteer groups from Ferguson Distribution Center and St Edwards Church. What a great day fulfilling our Co-op Principle #7 – Concern for Community!

If you are interested in helping out at the Food Bank, please contact them at 319.235.0507.