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.

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.
4. Discover the Unique: Beyond fruits and vegetables, farmers markets showcase a diverse array of artisanal products. From farm-fresh eggs to handmade jams and baked goods, these markets offer a treasure trove of distinctive items you won’t find in conventional stores. Explore the stalls, and you may uncover hidden gems that add a touch of local flair to your daily life.
5. Empower Producers: For many farmers and artisans, farmers markets are where it all begins. Your support helps them build confidence, grow their businesses, and turn their passion into a sustainable livelihood..

The Last Bite: Make farmers markets a regular part of your week and watch your meals–and community–thrive! 

Source: Mallory Devries, Board Member and Communications Staff for Healthy Harvest of North Iowa and Iowa Food System Coalition, consultant for the UNI Local Food Program.

What happens when Iowans shift just a little more of their food spending locally? It adds up.

This season, we’re joining the Iowa Food System Coalition and partners across the state to take on the Iowa Local Food Challenge!

Pick a goal that works for you, whether it’s one meal a week or a portion of your grocery budget, and start building the habit. You’ll get recipes, seasonal ideas, and simple ways to find local food along the way.

Join us! iowafoodsystemcoalition.org/challenge

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 about the co-op.

Member-owners and friends are invited to Urban Pie at 5:30 p.m. on June 3 for some brews (or any beverage of your choice, of course). Board members look forward to connecting with you and answering any questions (FAQs) you may have!

The Co-op Exists Now

Lisa Nelson, Board President

Have you heard or read something that unexpectedly shifts your perspective, then, over time, other pieces fall into place? 

I’m one of the people often seen at events, at the Rooted Carrot Co-op table – sharing my enthusiasm for the co-op, answering questions, and handing out bookmarks with information. I enjoy meeting new people, and many people are unaware the co-op exists. They are excited at the prospect of greater access to local foods, and of having the power to give input on what is on the shelves of their own grocery. 

Other people have heard of the co-op and have questions about why we don’t have a store, what’s taking so long, and “Aren’t you going to build at 7th and Main St.?” All legitimate questions. 

As a part of the membership team, I’ve described the RCCM as a group of people who are working together to own a local grocery, listing all of the underlying positive impacts that it will have on the well-being of myself, my neighbors, and the Cedar Valley, almost always speaking in future-tense. 

Last month, I heard something at an online co-op leaders’ training that caused a shift. All of the things I’ve shared at tabling events are still true, AND the co-op exists now. We are that group of member-owners, and are having a positive impact on our community even without a brick and mortar store. 

Don’t misunderstand, I share the dream of owning a local grocery. That has not diminished. What has fallen into place for me is a deep appreciation for all that the RCCM has accomplished over the years to educate people about the value of locally grown produce, to build bridges between local farmers and customers, and to support leaders along the way. To partner with the Iowa Local Food System, UNI Local Food Program, Waterloo Urban Farm Tour, We Arose and others to do what we can to expand access. 

As we enter the farmer’s market season, stop by the RCCM table and share how you see the co-op alive and active in the local food community, share any new ideas you have, and pick up a member-owner yard sign to start a conversation with your neighbors. 

No brick and mortar doesn’t mean we, the people, aren’t a co-op. People power!

Our Cedar Valley Pickup Site pilot for the Iowa Food Hub Online Market is coming to a close, and we want to take a moment to celebrate what this community made possible.

Because of this pilot, new connections were formed, including a meaningful partnership between the Iowa Food Hub and Hansen’s Dairy. This kind of relationship-building is exactly what co-ops are meant to do. We bring people together, test new ideas, and lay the groundwork for something stronger. A special thank you to Hansen’s Dairy for opening up their space and helping make this pilot possible.

While this chapter is wrapping up, the momentum is real. There are a lot of exciting things happening around food access and local supply chains in the Cedar Valley, and we’re actively exploring what’s next.

We don’t need to wait for a physical store to start showing up for local food. We are a co-op, and we’re already doing the work. #DontWaitCooperate

In the meantime, there are still plenty of ways to stay connected to local food. Farmers market season is right around the corner. CSA shares with WeArose are still available (link here). You can also look for local products at area grocery stores. And the 2026 Cedar Valley Local Food Guide is a great place to start exploring.

Thank you for being part of this pilot, for your curiosity, and for showing up for local food in a real, tangible way. This is what cooperation looks like.

By:

Total Time: 10 minutes

Servings: 4-6

Avocados are the star of this colorful salad. With black beans and queso fresco, the salad is perfect for a side and has enough heft to serve as a light lunch.

Ingredients

• 1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup slivered red onions
• 4 ounces queso fresco, crumbled
• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 large avocados, diced

Preparation

1. In a large bowl, combine the black beans, grape tomatoes, red onions and queso fresco. Toss to mix.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the garlic, lime juice, olive oil and salt and whisk to combine.
3. Add the diced avocado to the black bean mixture, then pour the lime juice mixture over it. Toss to mix and serve.

Serving Suggestion

Serve alongside tacos or atop a bed of lettuce with a side of tortilla chips

Nutritional Information

290 calories, 20 g. fat, 15 mg. cholesterol, 350 mg. sodium, 19 g. carbohydrate, 7 g. fiber, 9 g. Protein

Link: https://www.grocery.coop/recipes/avocado-and-black-bean-salad

The Rooted Carrot Co-op continues to find ways to build up the local food economy in the Cedar Valley. We are so fortunate to have many strong farmer’s markets opening very soon! What a great opportunity to meet the people growing and making things in our region and to support their efforts. But, not everyone who values local products attends farmer’s markets, and there may be local items that just aren’t available at the farmer’s market.  

To expand on our local markets and give people more opportunity to access local goods, the  membership team is working with WeArose to offer a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) delivery in Cedar Falls. People who invest in a CSA support farmers by purchasing produce in advance and receiving in-season fresh produce each week. This provides important guaranteed capital and a consistent market for the farmer while building connections with customers. Click Here to read more!

The Rooted Carrot Co-op has also partnered with the Iowa Food Hub to manage a weekly delivery in Cedar Falls. This provides another access point for us all to access local, fresh products year round. Beyond building connections between producers and consumers, another goal of this partnership is that, as the food hub becomes more present in the Cedar Valley, more producers in our community may begin to sell their items through the Iowa Food Hub. As more markets open to offer local produce, we strengthen the local food economy and build a strong foundation for a locally-owned cooperative grocery store. Click Here to read more!

This is just a taste of what the Rooted Carrot Co-op board and committees are doing to build and support networks centered around local food access within our community. If you want to be an active part of this movement, email info@rootedcarrot.coop today! 

Lisa Nelson
Board President

We’re partnering with the Iowa Food Hub to bring their online farmers market to the Cedar Valley—with a weekly pick-up site at Hansen’s Dairy Store 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 in the off-season, the market features 150+ items, including fresh and frozen vegetables, meat, flour, spices, tea, and more. As the growing season begins, many more items will be added. 

To keep our partnership with Hansen’s Dairy Store strong, we ask that you do not order the following items through the online hub:

• Dairy, Beef, Eggs, or Sourdough

Instead, please purchase these directly from Hansen’s when you arrive for pick-up. It’s a win-win for local business! Using the site-specific Cedar Falls Dropsite Market Storefront created within the Iowa Food Hub will help shoppers stay within these guidelines. 

How it works:

• Shop online Monday–Wednesday
• Pick up the following Monday at Hansen’s Dairy Store
• No minimum order, and no need to order every week

For specific details and to access the link for the Cedar Falls Dropsite Store, go to the Rooted Carrot Co-op/IFH partnership page.

Saturday, April 11, 2:00-3:00 at the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective, 218 W. 4th St., Waterloo

Introduction to Bicycle Maintenance

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!

As of this writing, there is still room for 6 more people and only 2 more 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. 

Thank you, Adam, from

We now have 22 Worm Farms in a 5-gallon food-grade bucket, and 10 people learning about worms and composting.

Did you know you can reduce the amount of organic matter taken to the landfill? At our event, we learned how to turn food scraps into garden gold with the help of red wigglers. 30/40% of food is thrown away from home and grocery stores. You also use cardboard and paper in the bins. You can use the worm castings in your garden, house plants, and make a compost tea for your plants.

Adam has great knowledge, as we learned more about worm composting, vermicomposting, soil health, reducing waste, and sustainable living.