All posts by Gary Huber

Why does the Leopold Center matter?

April 17, 2017
by Gary Huber

Ryan awaits speaking at the budget hearing on Monday, April 17th, 2017

By Ryan Marquardt, farmer at Wild Rose Pastures and Iowa Food Cooperative Board President

The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture is very near and dear to me as the Board President of the Iowa Food Cooperative, as a farmer, and to my past and future education.

The Iowa Food Cooperative is an on-line retailer that sells almost exclusively Iowa grown and made products. The Cooperative grew out of a feasibility study funded by the Leopold Center ten years ago. The Iowa Food Cooperative is now a twelve hundred member strong and growing organization. We have members in nearly half of the states counties and distribution sites in seven counties: Story, Polk, Guthrie, Warren, Monroe, Mahaska, and Clarke counties. The Cooperative has sold nearly $1.8 million dollars in Iowa made and grown products since its humble beginnings as a Leopold Center funded study.

As a farmer and member of the cooperative, my little meat farm alone has done over $37 thousand dollars in sales through the Cooperative since I joined. My farm has benefited from using the enterprise budgeting and planning tools developed by the Leopold Center and available free on their website. As I look ahead at being the future manager and 5th generation running our 800 acre family farm, I consider the Leopold Center a valuable resource and ally in improving water quality, economical animal housing, ecological services, and foster local food systems.

Ryan speaks at the budget hearing, Monday, April 17th, 2017

I owe a great dept to the Leopold Center, for helping to get my graduate research started in grazing systems and grassland birds, in laying the foundation for the Iowa Food Cooperative’s very existence, and in informing me as a constantly learning farmer who hopes to pass the sweat equity of five generations farming onto my children. The work of the Leopold Center is not done.  Thirty-years of progress is just the beginning. I would strongly encourage you to support the Leopold Center as a valuable contributor to developing Iowa grown solutions for a brighter future Iowa.

 

Get involved by signing this petition and contacting your lawmakers today–before it’s too late!

IFC Distribution is Today!

April 13, 2017
by Gary Huber

This is being sent via email to everyone who ordered this cycle.

Today is distribution at our Des Moines area sites (including Pleasant Hill, West Des Moines, Ankeny) as well as Albia, Indianola, Osceola, Ottumwa, and Panora. Tomorrow is distribution in Ames.

Our alternative pick up time is Saturday from 10:30 am to noon at our Franklin Plaza site. No need to give us a heads up if you want to come Saturday.

If for some reason you need to call, use 515-450-6812.

NOTE: Samples today will include Pickle Creek Herb infused oils and vinaigrettes, which we’ll be paring for your enjoyment with Rustic Italian Bread from Sweet to Eat Bakery and sliced turnips from Lee’s Greens. We’ll also be combining 7 Pines Farm Veggie Dip Mix with Greek yogurt from Country View Dairy for an additional option. We aren’t sure what’s going where, so it’ll be a surprise!

Thanks for your orders. See you later today or Saturday.

IFC Pick-up is Thursday!

April 11, 2017
by Gary Huber

We had 244 members order 2,118 different items this cycle, with total purchases a bit over $15,000, which is about $2,000 more than same cycle sales from last year. Nice. Thank you for your orders. It may not seem important, but it’s a tangible way to help build our capacity to feed ourselves.

Anyway, we’ll have it ready for you to come pick up this week during our distributions. Here’s your instructions:

1. If you are picking up at Franklin Plaza, be sure to check out products available for purchase in our Retail Center. There are lots of good stuff you can add to your online orders.

2. Specifics on times and locations for all our sites are available with this link and to the left.

NOTE: IF YOU ARRIVE BEFORE THE SCHEDULED START TIME, OUR VOLUNTEERS WON’T BE READY. PLEASE PLAN ACCORDINGLY AND BE PATIENT.

3. Our alternative pick up time will be from 10:30 to noon on Saturday, April 15. If we don’t see you Thursday, we’ll assume you are coming Saturday.

4. We accept EBT cards for payment ONLY AT OUR Franklin Plaza site. If you are an EBT member and are picking up at another location, please send an email to distribution@iowafood.coop so we can arrange for processing your payment

5. It’s a good idea to check to be sure your pick-up site is correct. You can access your invoice by logging in, going to the shopping tab, and click “view in-process invoice”. If it’s not right, send an email to distribution@iowafood.coop.

IFC Distribution Today; Corazon Coffee to Sample at Franklin Site!

March 30, 2017
by Gary Huber

This is being sent via email to everyone who ordered this cycle.

Today is distribution at our Des Moines area sites (including Pleasant Hill, West Des Moines, Ankeny) as well as Albia, Indianola, Osceola, Ottumwa, and Panora. Tomorrow is distribution in Ames.

Our alternative pick up time is Saturday from 10:30 am to noon at our Franklin Plaza site. No need to give us a heads up if you want to come Saturday.

If for some reason you need to call, use 515-450-6812.

NOTE: Corazon Coffee will sample their coffee products during pick-up at Franklin Avenue today. For our drop off sites, we’ll be sending chocolate freeze dried Aronia berries from Boone County Organics (and perhaps more).

Thanks for your orders. See you later today or Saturday.

IFC Pick-up is Thursday!

March 27, 2017
by Gary Huber

We had 268 members order 2,150 different items this cycle, with total purchases a bit under $15,000.

The 268 members number is impressive because we’ve been running in the low 200 for some time now. And the $15K amount is about $1,300 more than same cycle sales from last year. Nice. Thank you for your orders. It may not seem important, but it’s a tangible way to help build our capacity to feed ourselves.

Anyway, we’ll have it ready for you to come pick up this week during our distributions. Here’s your instructions:

1. If you are picking up at Franklin Plaza, be sure to check out products available for purchase in our Retail Center. There are lots of good stuff you can add to your online orders.

2. Specifics on times and locations for all our sites are available with this link and to the left.

NOTE: IF YOU ARRIVE BEFORE THE SCHEDULED START TIME, OUR VOLUNTEERS WON’T BE READY. PLEASE PLAN ACCORDINGLY AND BE PATIENT.

3. Our alternative pick up time will be from 10:30 to noon on Saturday, April 1. If we don’t see you Thursday, we’ll assume you are coming Saturday.

4. We accept EBT cards for payment ONLY AT OUR Franklin Plaza site. If you are an EBT member and are picking up at another location, please send an email to distribution@iowafood.coop so we can arrange for processing your payment

5. It’s a good idea to check to be sure your pick-up site is correct. You can access your invoice by logging in, going to the shopping tab, and click “view in-process invoice”. If it’s not right, send an email to distribution@iowafood.coop.

IFC Distribution Today!

March 16, 2017
by Gary Huber

This is being sent via email to everyone who ordered this cycle.

Today is distribution at our Des Moines area sites (including Pleasant Hill, West Des Moines, Ankeny) as well as Albia, Indianola, Osceola, Ottumwa, and Panora. Tomorrow is distribution in Ames.

Our alternative pick up time is Saturday from 10:30 am to noon at our Franklin Plaza site. No need to give us a heads up if you want to come Saturday.

If for some reason you need to call, use 515-450-6812.

IFC Pick-up is Thursday!

March 14, 2017
by Gary Huber

We had 213 members order 1,697 different items this cycle with total purchases right at $12,000. That’s just a bit above same cycle sales last year.

Thank you for buying your foods through your cooperative. It may not seem important, but it’s a tangible way to help build our capacity to feed ourselves.

If you are getting this as an email, you’ve placed an order. We’ll have it ready for you to come pick up this week during our distributions. Here’s your instructions:

1. If you are picking up at Franklin Plaza, be sure to check out products available for purchase in our Retail Center. There are lots of good stuff you can add to your online orders.

2. Specifics on times and locations for all our sites are available with this link and to the left.

NOTE: IF YOU ARRIVE BEFORE THE SCHEDULED START TIME, OUR VOLUNTEERS WON’T BE READY. PLEASE PLAN ACCORDINGLY AND BE PATIENT.

3. Our alternative pick up time will be from 10:30 to noon on Saturday, March 18. If we don’t see you Thursday, we’ll assume you are coming Saturday.

4. We accept EBT cards for payment ONLY AT OUR Franklin Plaza site. If you are an EBT member and are picking up at another location, please send an email to distribution@iowafood.coop so we can arrange for processing your payment

5. It’s a good idea to check to be sure your pick-up site is correct. You can access your invoice by logging in, going to the shopping tab, and click “view in-process invoice”. If it’s not right, send an email to distribution@iowafood.coop.

Nutella Babka Bread Pudding

March 11, 2017
by Gary Huber

Check out this member recipe!

Shopping list:

Other items that can be purchased through the co-op:

 

Nutella Babka Bread Pudding
Recipe Type: Dessert
Author: Member Robin W.
‘Absolute perfection!’
Ingredients
  • Half loaf of Nutella babka from The Wooden Bakery
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/2-3/4 cup milk from WW Homestead Dairy
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
  1. For the bread pudding, cube half a loaf of babka.
  2. In a mixing bowl, whisk 2 eggs, about 1/3 cup of milk, about 1 1/2 TB of sugar, and about 1/2 tsp of vanilla. Add in the bread cubes and gently stir to coat everything. Add a splash of milk if it’s not enough to coat everything with a little extra to soak. Let it rest for about 30 minutes to absorb the liquid.
  3. Grease a 6″ springform pan, pour the mixture in and gently press to compact it a little. Wrap the pan with foil along the bottom and up the sides to keep water out. Immerse it in a bain marie of hot water.
  4. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 35-40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Take it out of the water bath and allow to cool for at least 20 minutes. Pop the spring to take it out of the pan and serve. The 6″ size will yield 2-3 servings.

Robin highly recommends serving it with this hard sauce recipe.

 

 

IFC Distribution Today!

March 2, 2017
by Gary Huber

This is being sent via email to everyone who ordered this cycle.

Today is distribution at our Des Moines area sites (including Pleasant Hill, West Des Moines, Ankeny) as well as Albia, Indianola, Osceola, Ottumwa, and Panora. Tomorrow is distribution in Ames.

Our alternative pick up time is Saturday from 10:30 am to noon at our Franklin Plaza site. No need to give us a heads up if you want to come Saturday.

If for some reason you need to call, use 515-450-6812.

IFC Pick-up is Thursday!

February 28, 2017
by Gary Huber

We had 227 members order 1,916 different items this cycle. Total purchases were $13,333, which is just a bit under same cycle sales last year. Thank you for buying your foods through your cooperative. It may not seem important, but it’s a tangible way to help build our capacity to feed ourselves.

If you are getting this as an email, you’ve placed an order. We’ll have it ready for you to come pick up this week during our distributions. Here’s your instructions:

1. If you are picking up at Franklin Plaza, be sure to check out products available for purchase in our Retail Center. There are lots of good stuff you can add to your online orders.

2. Specifics on times and locations for all our sites are available with this link and to the left.

NOTE: IF YOU ARRIVE BEFORE THE SCHEDULED START TIME, OUR VOLUNTEERS WON’T BE READY. PLEASE PLAN ACCORDINGLY AND BE PATIENT.

3. Our alternative pick up time will be from 10:30 to noon on Saturday, March 4. If we don’t see you Thursday, we’ll assume you are coming Saturday.

4. We accept EBT cards for payment ONLY AT OUR Franklin Plaza site. If you are an EBT member and are picking up at another location, please send an email to distribution@iowafood.coop so we can arrange for processing your payment

5. It’s a good idea to check to be sure your pick-up site is correct. You can access your invoice by logging in, going to the shopping tab, and click “view in-process invoice”. If it’s not right, send an email to distribution@iowafood.coop.