We had a great conversation at Brews & FAQs on June 3rd. Thanks to all who came out to join in the fun!

SAVE the DATE for our next Brews & FAQs on August 22nd at 9:00 a.m. Watch social media and the August Garlic Press for specific location. 

Marian Kuper, Board Treasurer

When you think about a start-up food co-operative that doesn’t yet have a storefront, the Rooted Carrot Co-operative Market certainly comes to mind. We’ve been working toward our vision for many years – fourteen, if you count from the moment the idea was hatched. Twelve, if you count from our incorporation year (2014). Lots of hiccups along the way, too.

Think that’s a long time to work and strive toward a fabulous idea before it bears fruit?

Ever hear of Wasatch Food Co-operative in Utah?

Seventeen years ago, the Wasatch Food Co-op’s initial, tiny group of members got together in a neighborhood in Salt Lake City and started to dream. Optimism and a can-do spirit helped drive them forward, but hard work, grit, know-how and determination proved especially essential. It shepherded them through COVID, money woes and more than one plan that ran aground against unanticipated roadblocks. Discouragement often reigned.

But the group kept its nose to the grindstone and its eyes on the future. Sound familiar?

Their vision persisted. Hard lessons got learned. Those members simply saw no reason why they couldn’t make a food-co-op storefront a reality in their community, and so they kept at it.

They found board members with business backgrounds, marketing expertise, financial chops and legal expertise. They recruited all kinds of volunteers. They developed relationships with local truck farmers, ranchers, politicians and public safety officials. They went to conferences and met like-minded individuals trying to do these very same things in their own communities – a goldmine of ideas and inspiration. They arranged marketing studies and hammered out business plans.

It still didn’t look feasible. It still wasn’t a ‘go.’

So they raised more money, worked even harder than before, kept their frustrations in check, crunched the numbers and consulted people who knew the community grocery business inside and out.

They also had a lucky break or two along the way.

One day, three years ago, an opportunity presented itself. The business sense they had mutually developed allowed them to see a potentially feasible path open up. But it was risky. Taking those risks into consideration, they jumped. They “went all in.” There was no going back, after that. It was now-or-never.

What they did three years ago was sign a lease on a building and then launch a major capital campaign. Their plan indicated that they’d need to raise – gulp – $2.8 million dollars.

That’s because leasehold improvements, refrigeration equipment, several months of pre- opening managerial and staff salaries, training for those hires, the initial stocking of the store and a big marketing plan were all going to be needed. It was the only way to ensure that the full-service grocery store they’d envisioned for so long would not only get established properly, but thrive, grow and become a fully sustainable business capable of operating on its own in years to come.

This $2.8 million dollar capital campaign was above and beyond the $300-per-person membership fee that many Wasatch Food Co-op members had already paid in.

But the Wasatch Co-op board took the gamble that they could raise the money. And that’s exactly what they did. They went out and raised it. And these dollars paved the way for the store to open.

The Wasatch Food Co-operative held its grand opening on May 20 of this year. It was a huge community event, and the co-op is off to a tremendous start. We’re cheering them on.

And we can hardly think of a better example to follow. Onward!

Stop by the booth to say hello and pick up a yard sign!

Stop by the booth to say hello and pick up a yard sign!

Iowa loves ranch dipping sauce! You’ll love it even more when it is made with fresh, local dill!

Ingredients

• ½ cup Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup milk
• ½ tsp dill* adjust according to taste, dried or fresh
• ½ tsp onion powder
• ½ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ tsp salt
• ⅛ tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Combine all the dry seasonings in a small bowl.
2. Combine the yogurt, milk, and Worcestershire sauce in a separate bowl.
3. Whisk together all the ingredients.
4. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour up to overnight before serving for the flavors to fuse.
5. Serve chilled and enjoy!

From our friends at Healthy Harvest of Northern Iowa. Be sure to check out all the recipes!  Shop local.

Recipe Link: https://www.healthyharvestni.com/homemade-ranch-dressing/

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 TOMORROW, June 3 at 5:30 p.m. 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!

Thank you to everyone who committed to supporting our local growers through this amazing opportunity!

• The first pickup date will be Wednesday, June 17. (Please note this date has been updated)
• Pickup location is again at ThreeHouse Collaborative Campus Ministries at 2422 College Street in Cedar Falls. 
• Pickup time is from 4:00 to 6:00 pm

This partnership and your support of it is another example of the impact we all have when we work together to fulfill the shared vision of the Rooted Carrot Co-op!

Mallory DeVries, Board Member

As I near the end of my time on the Rooted Carrot Co-op Market Board, I have been thinking a lot about what it takes to keep a project like this moving forward.

After more than a decade of searching for the right home for the co-op, it would be easy for the work to lose momentum. A long timeline can wear people down. It can make even a strong vision feel distant.

But that is not what I have seen.

What I have seen is a group of board members who continue to show up with dedication, patience, and a clear belief in what Rooted Carrot can become. Month after month, they bring their professional skills, community knowledge, thoughtful questions, and steady commitment to the work of building a cooperatively owned grocery store in Cedar Falls.

That dedication matters because this work is not only about opening a store. It is about creating a different kind of grocery model for our community.

Food co-ops are designed to keep more value local. They build stronger connections between shoppers, producers, and the local economy. Nationally, food co-ops purchase from local farms and producers at significantly higher rates than conventional grocery stores, with local purchasing estimated at about 2.5 times the conventional grocery rate.

For Rooted Carrot, that means the future store has the potential to create a meaningful new market channel for local farms, food businesses, and producers while giving Cedar Falls area shoppers more access to locally produced, nutrient-dense foods.

As the 2026 board election cycle approaches, we are beginning to look ahead to future board leadership.

The Co-op Board consists of seven members elected by the general membership. Board terms are three years. Board members help guide major decisions regarding the store site, store design, hiring of the general manager, and the continued development of the co-op as a cooperatively owned local business.

Our current board meets once a month on the third Wednesday, either online or in person. It is a dedicated group of people who enjoy working together and bring a wide range of expertise to the table.

If you are a Rooted Carrot member, I encourage you to consider your own skill set, passion, and capacity.

Do you have a vision for building and advancing a cooperatively owned local business? Do you want to help bring a unique grocery store stocked with locally produced products to Cedar Falls? Do you care about strengthening local farms, food businesses, and community ownership?

Board service is one way to help move that work forward.

The 2026 Candidate Application Packet will be available in August. In the meantime, I hope members will begin thinking about whether this may be the right time to get involved in a deeper way.

We look forward to meeting the next group of leaders who will help guide Rooted Carrot into its next chapter.

We will be at the Cedar Falls Farmers Market on Saturday, June 20 from 8:30 am to noon.

Stop by the booth to say hello and pick up a yard sign!

By:

https://www.grocery.coop/recipes/berry-shrub

Recipe Information

Total Time: 24 hours total; 30 minutes active

Servings: 10

You don’t have to ferment your own beverages to reap the benefits of probiotic drinks. In this easy shrub, active apple cider vinegar provides a bit of good bacterial culture as well as tartness to balance the sweet berries and sugar.

Ingredients

• 6 ounces fresh raspberries, blueberries or blackberries, washed
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup active apple cider vinegar
• Ice and club soda, to serve

Preparation

1. In a two-cup storage container with a lid, mash the berries with a wooden spoon. Stir in the sugar and vinegar, then cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
2. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl and strain the fruit, pressing with a spoon to extract all the liquids. Discard (or eat) the pulp.
3. Store the liquid in the refrigerator for up to a week, tightly covered, before serving. To serve, place two tablespoons of shrub in a glass, fill with ice, then add club soda to top it off. Stir and serve.

Serving Suggestion

Skewer fresh berries and freeze to make a fun stir-stick that can be enjoyed with the drink.

Nutritional Information

70 calories, 0 g. fat, 0 mg. cholesterol, 0 mg. sodium, 17 g. carbohydrate, 1 g. fiber, 0 g. protein