One of our board members recently moved out of the area leaving a seat on the board open. After some targeted recruiting, an interested community member volunteered to fill the seat after attending a board meeting in February. The board is very excited to report that at the March meeting, the Board voted in favor of appointing Allie Hartz to the open seat. Welcome, Allie!  

Over the past month, the Board continued its exploration of potential sites for the grocery. Simultaneously, the Board is looking to create related value-added community experiences that are aligned with the ultimate goal of enhancing the health and well-being of the greater Cedar Valley. Through the work of the Membership Committee and the new Community Relations Committee, the Board has a full calendar of events and meetings that keep the co-op goal’s front and center.  Supporting the work ahead of securing a site, the Grant Committee submitted a proposal to assist with marketing and public relations efforts.

Committees are always looking for help! If you want to support the co-op but do not have time to volunteer to be on the Board, helping a committee is a great idea. There are many specific tasks that require a variety of different time commitments and skills. There is something for everyone! Would you be interested? Or know someone who is interested in any of these positions? If yes, please reach out to us at info@rootedcarrot.coop.

We look forward to connecting at our upcoming events! Keep an eye on our calendar here: Coming Events – Rooted Carrot Co-op 

Theresa Westbrock

Secretary, Operations Committee

As spring dawns upon us and many of us eagerly plant seeds, hoping for a bountiful harvest, let us remember: gardening is hope. Just as a gardener tends to the soil, sows the seed, and patiently waits for a carrot to grow, so too are we nurturing our community and the seeds of our co-op market. In the world of gardening, patience is paramount. We face challenges—the rocky soil, the unpredictable weather—but we persist, knowing that our efforts will yield results in due time.

Like a carrot seed, our co-op vision has been planted. It takes time to take root and grow. We must embrace the imperfections of our journey, just as a gardener does with their garden. We are learning, adapting, and growing together, fostering sustainability and nourishing our collective spirit.

With each new member, we add nutrients to the soil of our vision. Together, we are cultivating not just a market, but a movement—a movement that celebrates local agriculture, fosters connections, and sustains us all.

As we tend to our metaphorical garden, let us remember the lessons of patience and perseverance that nature teaches us. Let us nurture our community like a gardener nurtures their crops, with care, dedication, and a belief in the power of growth.

Thank you for being a part of our journey. Together, we will grow our community, just like we grow a carrot—slowly, steadily, and with unwavering determination.

Join us in spreading the seeds of our co-op market’s growth! Share our mission with friends, family, and neighbors, and invite them to become members of our vibrant community. Together, we will grow a carrot—and so much more.

Yours in growth,

Mallory DeVries

Board Member

The Rooted Carrot Co-Op Market

Join us for an event focused on recycling and sustainability!

When: Saturday, April 20, 9:00 a.m.

Where: First floor of the Center for Energy and Environmental Education building: 8106 Jennings Dr., Cedar Falls

• Learn! John Foster, Director of Black Hawk County Solid Waste Commission, will share his expertise about recycling and waste management and answer YOUR questions on this topic
• Win a Compost Bin! We will have an opportunity for you to win a Compost Bin 
• Donuts and Coffee! Please bring your reusable coffee cup and/or reusable water bottle
• Recycle! We will have a  Zero Waste™  Box from Terracycle on site. Bring your flexible plastic packaging and rigid plastic packaging to recycle. Please make sure it is clean of food residue. More details here  

Check out our Facebook Event Page for more info and to RSVP.Sustainability is one of the core values of the Rooted Carrot Co-op and we are excited to host this event for our community!

What a great way to celebrate Earth Day! The City of Cedar Falls is inviting organizations, businesses, and citizens to make a difference through clean-up events, plantings, and education during the entire week of April 21–27. Learn more here!

The co-op was invited to be part of the Cedar Falls Business & Professional Women’s “Salute to Women” event. This fundraiser for their scholarship program featured a vendor fair, and the RCCM membership team was there, telling the co-op story. Many people had questions, and there was a lot of enthusiasm for the co-op. Thank you to CFBPW for the invitation, and for your support of the co-op.

The co-op will also be at the upcoming Aldrich Elementary Wellness Fair on the evening of April 26th. Rooty, Marci, and the prize wheel will be there to engage families and share the co-op story. 

If you are part of a business or organization hosting a wellness or vendor fair, please let us know! The membership team is eager to reach out to new people, to tell the co-op story! 

The RCCM Communications team was given the opportunity to consult with a marketing professional, provided by the Cedar Valley Regional Food & Farm Network. The CVRFFN received a grant to offer this consulting to farms and local food supporters in their service area, and the RCCM is so grateful to be included. The Communication team is excited to continue to grow and learn about new opportunities and more effective ways to support local producers and growers, and to connect them with co-op member-owners. 

We focused on our social media presence, looking for ways to better connect the co-op with current and future member-owners. We also discussed ways to lift up other organizations and agencies that are working to support local growers and increase access to local, healthy food options in the Cedar Valley. When we co-operate, we can achieve great things!!

Sustainability is one of the core values of the Rooted Carrot Co-op. Mark your calendars for April 20th for an event focused on recycling and sustainability in Black Hawk County. 

“This pizza box LOOKS clean….surely it won’t hurt to toss it in the cardboard recycling bin!”  “This take-out container says it’s compostable…can I toss it in my backyard compost pile?” 

Have you had similar thoughts? This event is for YOU!!  John Foster, the Solid Waste & Resource Recovery Administrator at the Black Hawk County Solid Waste Management Commission will be joining us to share important information about recycling and waste management and answer YOUR questions on this topic. 

Additional experts and resources in sustainability may be added to the event, as it is still in the planning stages.

Mark your calendars for April 20th at 9:00 a.m. and stay tuned to the Rooted Carrot on social media and the April Garlic Press for final details on location and more! 

And remember, as part of this event, the membership team has purchased a Zero Waste™  Box from Terracycle for recycling plastic packaging. We will have this available for those who attend the event to recycle “flexible plastic packaging & rigid plastic packaging.” – (from Terracycle website; details here.) The box will not accept biodegradable plastics or “foamed plastics.” 

The membership team encourages you to collect any flexible or rigid plastics that can not be recycled through your community recycling program and bring them to this event. Please make sure they are clean of any food residue. 

If there is a positive response, we will consider expanding these opportunities in the future. 

Rooted Carrot Market Co-op member-owners volunteered on Saturday, February 24th at the Northeast Iowa Food Bank. 

Co-op member-owners were part of a team of 30 volunteers who folded boxes, affixed labels to zip close bags, filled the bags with rolled oats and boxed them for storage and distribution. 

Together, we bagged about 1 ¾ tons of oats in a 2-hour shift, proving that when we cooperate, we can accomplish great things for our community!  

If you were unable to attend and would like to support the Northeast Iowa Food Bank, or if you are in need of food assistance, visit  https://www.neifb.org/ for information. 

The Rooted Carrot Co-op will continue to seek opportunities to partner with organizations in our area that share our values and work to positively impact the well being of all those living in the Cedar Valley. 

The Board is working on a community assessment tool that was presented at a Food Co-op Initiative (FCI) webinar in February. It asks some good questions that lead to great discussion. It gives old and new board members a chance to learn from each other. Rooted Carrot also presented at one of the webinars. Thank you to Tom Wickersham and Chris Rouw (app developer) for presenting about our member-owner app. FCI gives co-ops a chance to learn from each other! Are you using the app to locate our Community Partner Discounts and enjoy additional perks for being a member-owner?

Speaking of Community Partners, we are looking for a volunteer to join our Operations Committee and help us support our community partners. We are also looking for someone to become the Site Project Director or join our finance team. Would you be interested? Or know someone who is interested in any of these positions? If yes, please reach out to us at info@rootedcarrot.coop.

Jodie Huegerich, 

President, Board of Directors 

In support of the Northeast Iowa Food Bank, co-op member-owners and friends are invited to spend time volunteering at the Food Bank. We plan for a group volunteer event on Saturday, February 24 from 9:00-11:00 a.m. at 1605 Lafayette St., Waterloo. Please note, space is limited.

To join us, please visit the NEIFB Volunteer page at https://www.neifb.org/get-involved/volunteer/group-volunteering.

You will need an account in order to participate. 

Start by scrolling through the schedule on the page. When you reach “Feb. 24,” click the 9-11 time slot. You will be prompted to sign-in, or create an account.  Follow the steps until you see the “Registration complete” page. 

Registration must be completed by Feb. 17th. 

If the time slot is full or this time does not work for you, PLEASE select a different time! Bring a friend!! When we cooperate, co-op members and friends can have a big impact on our community! AND we’d love to know how many people and hours are invested through the co-op. Please use the email below to let us know if you volunteer at a different time. Thanks! 

If you have questions or difficulty registering, or to log your hours, please email info@rootedcarrot.coop.