All posts by Gary Huber

2016 Annual Meeting Recap

The Iowa Food Cooperative’s 2016 annual meeting and potluck was held on Saturday, Dec. 3rd at Grace United Methodist Church in Des Moines. We had a great meeting with wonderful food. As we finished our meal, Gordon Graham of Novae Vitae farm shared pictures from a market in Peru his family visited – inspiring us with both the wonderful colors and the overwhelming amount of food.

Gary Huber, General Manager, shared some information regarding the evolution of the IFC since it started in 2008. Carrie Cook, IFC Treasurer, presented the financial picture of the organization. The fiscal year that ended on June 30, 2016 was a good year, ending well in the black. The fiscal year that we are currently in is not looking as good – we will need to cut some expenses from the budget and increase sales. Tony Thompson, outgoing board president, made special mention of the need for all of us to work together to help the IFC succeed by reaching out to new members. IFC business cards were shared with everyone so that they could be given to friends, family, and co-workers.

We talked about having been at the downtown (Des Moines) winter farmer’s market the weekend of Nov 18-19, and being there again Dec 16-17. Volunteers are still being recruited to staff the table (contact Lisa Bean if you would like to help out for a couple of hours). We are also starting a distribution site in Pleasant Hill on the east side of Des Moines, with the first distribution there being Dec 8th.

Board Election Results

New Producer Board Members
Ryan Marquart, Wild Rose Pastures
Andrew Joseph & Catherine Rihm, Meadow BlazingStar Honey

New Consumer Board Members
Kelly Bassett
Susan Ekstrom

Potluck Cooking Contest Winners

Most Iowa Ingredients
Brant Kassel (recipe here)
Norma Ames

Crowd Favorite
Linda Hanson (recipe at Iowa Girl Eats)

Golden Okra Award Winner

Kim Riemenschneider Jackson won the Golden Okra award for referring the most members to Iowa Food Cooperative. 24 members have joined because of Kim during the last five years. Thank you Kim!

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Special thanks to Iowa Orchard for donating cider for the meal.

Please read outgoing board president Tony Thompson’s comments here.

2016 Board President Remarks

Following are remarks from Tony Thompson, the IFC’s outgoing board president.

Thursday night I was at the annual dinner for the Sustainable Iowa Land Trust (SILT). Suzen Erem is one of the primary drivers behind the organization, and she says “No land for local food producers, no local food.” I’ve watched SILT grow over the past three years from an idea into a wonderfully viable organization. I didn’t come here tonight to talk about other organizations, however.

I came here because I’ve poured all of my spare time over the past year into the Iowa Food Coop. That spare time hasn’t been so easy to find – I’ve transitioned back from Sweden 4 years ago to last year running a 60-member CSA in my 2nd year of farming to now working full-time as a data analyst while still managing a local foods farm with 2 acres of vegetables, 100 laying hens, a couple dozen turkeys, and a few pigs. While I did the CSA on my own, my extended family has been very involved in doing most of the work for the eggs and turkeys.

Today, I put myself in a category I’m not so fond of: hobby farmer. I have access to a couple hundred of acres through my family’s century farm. I could have continued the CSA – struggled with a body that isn’t very cooperative – I have asthama and bad knees – and eeked out a very meager living. I’m still toying with ways to keep my hands in the soil.

I tell you this because there is a need for land for beginning and local foods farmers. That need is being address by other organizations. There is also a need – not being met by anyone else – that the IFC is perfectly positioned to meet. There is a need to CONNECT PRODUCERS with those who EAT.

There is a need – and it is our OPPORTUNITY and our RESPONSIBILITY – to rise to this challenge. Not to dwell on how hard it is or the reasons why we can’t do it – but rather to get on with doing it, together.

With that – there are 3 things that I want to share with you tonight:
1) The Genius of And.
2) It’s your Co-op (and you’re coop)
3) A call to action
First, the “Genius of And”
Work hard AND Work smart
Grass fed AND grain fed
Margin AND Mission
Consumers AND producers

“AND”s get harder the more ands there are. As a co-operative – with consumers, producers, volunteers, staff… it’s hard to keep us all happy. We must act with grace, and trust, and respect. We’re all in this, together, with different wants and needs. Producers need to survive. Consumers need to eat, and want to have a good experience. Volunteers want to contribute. Staff want to thrive. These aren’t either / or – these are “yes, and”, and in this is the essence of the nature of a co-op: the realization that we are not alone, and that others don’t have the exact same needs and wants as we do, and – in essence – we are stronger, together. And in a state where we export $8 billion a year on food – while we claim to feed the world – I have a dream of Making Iowa feed itself again. And I think we do that by working together with a spirit of cooperation.

2. It’s your co-op (and you’re coop)
First and foremost, we’re member-driven. Don’t the like the way it’s going? Step up and get involved. Trust me – you can become board president quickly! Or a board member. Or a distribution site volunteer. Or a marketing volunteer. Or… whatever you want to do to support the co-op volunteer.

The success of our co-op depends on us working together. Sharing responsibility. Doing our part. Contributing! The co-op is the fun part – co-operation, and sometimes friendly co-opetition – prices on products, or who can get products in their carts before they sell out.

But there is also a coop part. Envision the chicken coop – the work that has to be done. Collecting, washing, and packing the eggs. Feeding and watering the hens. Changing the bedding, scraping the floors. Keeping out the foxes. There’s hard, and not always the most fun, work that has to be done. But that is what makes us- this – work. That is what your 15% fee goes to. Instead of going into a banker’s pocket somewhere else… it goes into our small business. Please don’t forget that. Please don’t forget that at the end of the day – we are responsible for the financial success of this entity.

3. Returning to the wonderful vision of happy hens… here’s your call to action: What we really need your help with – well, the three marketing campaigns we established this year cover them well:

First: bring in new members. We’ve been working on this – we’ve had great support from visitors to our table at the Downtown Winter Farmers Market, and we will be tabling there again in two weeks. Norma has a sign up sheet if you are able to take a shift staffing the table. We are doing our first distribution in Pleasant Hill this week – and thanks to Courtney Long and Madeline Sturms for their work in getting things going – this is a wonderful partnership between the IFC, the City of Pleasant Hill, and Iowa State University! Still, personal connections from us as members are the best. Invite your friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers to experience the IFC. We have business cards that you can take as a reminders and hand out. You don’t have to go to Kim Jackson levels… but bringing in just 2 or 3 new members will go a long way!

Second: we want to increase the amount that each consumer is purchasing each cycle. We want you to be thinking about what more you want to see available for purchase on the IFC, and help us get it here. And be thinking about how you can buy more of what you eat through the IFC. Producers – my guess is that you don’t produce everything that you eat… you are encouraged to buy from other producers, too!

Finally: If you’re a member of the IFC, we want to see you every cycle. There is always something to buy that is sure to pleasure your palette– usually 1400 or more somethings. Not convenient? Pick up on Saturday morning at Franklin instead of your regular time. Try our home delivery service in the metro area. Strive to be a regular customer.

Could you – right now – pick one (or more!) of these 3 things that you will commit to doing over the next 2 months?

Thanks so much for being part of the Iowa Food Cooperative, and for talking time to join us here this evening!

IFC Distribution Today

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, and Ottumwa. 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. And if for some reason you need to call, use 515-450-6812.

IFC Pick-up is Thursday!

We had 182 members order 1,517 different items this cycle with total purchases at just under $1o,000. Given that ordering for this cycle was over the holidays, we aren’t surprised that the numbers are lower than normal.

If you are getting this as an email, you’ve placed an order. Thank you. 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, Jan. 7. 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.

2016 Holiday Gift Guide

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$10 or Less Gift Ideas

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Infused Oil & Vinegar Gift Sets from Pickle Creek Herbs
Our mouths are watering the flavor combinations Pickle Creek Herbs has put together for their gift sets. Basil Olive Oil and Strawberry Basil Vinegar would make a fantastic sweet salad dressing. For something more savory try Greek Basil & Garlic and Rosemary Vinegar. A fantastic gift for salad lovers, chefs, fitness gurus, or yourself! Browse their selection here!

Tea Towels from The Wooden Bakery
The Wooden Bakery has already wowed many IFC consumers with their delicious breads and granolas. We love their adorable tea towels with fun sayings and agrarian themes!

7 Pines Dip Mixes
Our eyes are on the Garlic Galore Dip Mix and the Sun Dried Tomato Basil Dip Mix. Order yours here.

Handmade Soaps
We have a wonderful selection of handmade from soaps that range in scent from plain lye to floral lavender and crunchy, earth mother soap! These are great for stocking stuffers, gifts for co-workers and friends, or just a fun pick-me up for yourself! Browse our selection here.

Handmade Candles from Elements of Rejuvenation
These handmade soy wax candles have amazingly strong scents that are not overpowering. This is an excellent way to introduce your friends and family to the unique products Iowa Food Cooperative offers! Browse the great list of scents here.

Jams and Jellies
Clear Creek Orchard and Iowa Orchard have a selection of locally made and grown jams and jellies for sale this cycle. These are great for taking or sending to family and friends in far-flung places our for your Aunt Sally who has toast for breakfast every morning. See your options here.

Lip Balm and Lotion
Several producers are selling lip balms made with environmentally conscious practices and lotions in unique scents. These are great stocking stuffers, gifts for co-workers, or just a fun treat for yourself! Browse our selection here.

$10-25 Gift Ideas

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Soap Gift Sets
Pickle Creek Herbs and has wonderful gift bags that include lip balm, bath salt, and soap in four unique scents. This is wonderful gift for a friend, co-worker, or loved one–and a fantastic deal at only $12!

Raccoon Forks Farm has egg soap made with non-edible eggs from their farm. This is a unique and sustainable product. Plus you can try multiple scents in their half-dozen sampler! Browse soap gift sets here.

T-Shirts
Iowa Food Cooperative and Lucky George Farm have t-shirts available for their die hard fans. Check out the selection here.

Fudge from Iowa Orchard
Everyone loves fudge! But not everyone has the time to make it themselves. Order an 8×8 dish of Iowa Orchard’s rich fudge for your holiday party, as a gift for a chocolate-loving friend, or to divide as small gifts for friends, family, or coworkers! Order yours here.

Iowa Roasted Coffee
Corazon Coffee Company and Greene Bean Coffee are favorite producers among our members and we are sure their friends and family will love these amazing coffee bean flavors as well! This is a great gift paired with a coffee mug for the coffee lover in your life! Order yours here.

Gift Cards
Let your gift recipient decide for themselves! IFC has gift certificates for sale in increments of $25 as well as gift memberships. This is a great gift for friends and family, but you’re also giving the gift of growth to IFC! As our way of saying thank you we do not charge a 15 percent fee on these products.

$25-50 Gift Ideas

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Gift Baskets from WW Homestead Dairy
WW Homestead Dairy has three fantastic gift baskets available for the dairy lover in your life! Choose from a Cheddar Cheese Sampler gift box, a Cheese Curd Sampler gift box, or our personal favorite, the Taste of WW Homestead Dairy gift box. Browse their selection here!

Gift Baskets from Rosebud Botanicals
Rosebud Botanicals has a Moisturizing Gift Basket, a Facial Gift Basket, and a Scrub Gift Basket available. This is a great gift for pampering a friend, family member, or significant other with amazing organic bath and beauty products. We know once they try these all-natural clean beauty products they will feel beautiful inside and out! Browse the selections here.

Limited Edition Prints
Iowa Food Cooperative has nifty limited edition prints available. Show visitors to your home or business how much you support your local cooperative! Order yours here.

Gifts Under $100

Chris’s Custom Bakery Afghans
Chris’s Custom Bakery has lovely handmade afghans that would brighten up any home. We’re sure the gift will be even more appreciated when paired with their pumpkin bread or cinnamon rolls!

Iowa Food Cooperative to Host Pilot Program in Pleasant Hill

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Pleasant Hill is partnering with the Iowa Food Cooperative to provide a new distribution site to bring local product purchasing opportunities to the community. The Iowa Food Cooperative hosts a unique platform for consumers to order local Iowa products online on a bi-weekly basis. The distribution site will be available as a pilot location in Pleasant Hill through February. Pleasant Hill could become a permanent distribution site for the Iowa Food Cooperative if the pilot period is successful.

“Pleasant Hill is excited to offer our community a convenient way to purchase products grown and made in Iowa” said Madeline Sturms, Senior Planner. “Many community members have expressed a desire to access local goods within our City. Having our City partner with the Iowa Food Cooperative has provided a unique opportunity to add additional value to the quality of life in our area by providing locally sourced products.”

Residents, employees, and organizations in Pleasant Hill will have the opportunity to order local products from Iowa farmers and artisans through the online farmers market. Orders will be available for pick-up bi-weekly at the Pleasant Hill Public Library, 5151 Maple Drive in Pleasant Hill. Anyone interested in purchasing products are encouraged to order online at iowafood.coop. The first shopping cart will open on Saturday, Nov. 26 and individuals can pick-up items on Thursday, Dec. 8 from 5:00 – 6:00 p.m.

Local access to the Iowa Food Cooperative is an outgrowth of an ongoing partnership between Pleasant Hill and Iowa State University. The City was awarded the Agricultural Urbanism Toolkit Program through a competitive program offered by the University as a joint partnership between the Community Economic Development and Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension. The Iowa Food Cooperative partnership was identified as a quick-win opportunity for collaboration between organizations. Throughout the rest of the year, there will be opportunities for the public to give feedback about additional projects and programs residents would like to see in Pleasant Hill.

For more information about the program including ordering, delivery dates, and products, visit pleasanthilliowa.org/iowafoodcoop.

IFC Pick-up is Thursday!

This cycle we had 228 members order 2,390 different items with total purchases at $17,336. Thank you for your orders. Now it’s time to come pick up your food.

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, Nov. 19. 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.

Turkey Maple Brine

14910435_1363655463675203_3970703632040360118_n-1Enjoy an amazing turkey fit for a culinary magazine this Thanksgiving! Thanks to Great River Maple for sharing this wonderful Thanksgiving recipe with the Iowa Food Cooperative! Great River Maple produces pure maple syrup from Iowa trees along the Mississippi River in eastern Iowa. Be sure to like them on Facebook for even more great recipes using their Iowa tapped maple syrup.

Large turkey 
6 cups apple cider
3 apples cut up
6 oz fresh cranberries
9 sprigs Rosemary
Medium handful of fresh thyme
8 bay leaves
5 oranges sliced
1 cup robust maple syrup
1 cup salt

Combine all the ingredients in a large pan (must be big enough to completely submerge turkey). Add water as necessary to ensure turkey is fully submerged. Let soak in Brine for 1 hour per pound of meat, but not much longer. After appropriate amount of time remove and cook to preference.

Want to learn more about Great River Maple? Check out this producer profile. 

Producer Profile: Great River Maple

Great River Maple produces pure maple syrup from Iowa trees along the Mississippi River in eastern Iowa. You can shop their products online here. Thanks Dan and Jeremy for sharing your story with us! 

What is the name of your farm and where are you located?

Great River Maple. We are located on the Mississippi River in eastern Iowa.

Tell us a little about the make-up of your farm.

We are a family farm on the bluffs of the Mississippi River in NE Iowa. We are providing organic pure maple syrup to the great state of Iowa. We have been in the business for about 8 years now, but our great grandfather made syrup back in the 1920s on this same land. We try to make the highest quality maple syrup that we can, and we know our customers can tell the difference. We are a family run operation, and in case you haven’t noticed we not in Vermont! Great maple syrup is coming out of Iowa!!

What does your farm specialize in?

Organic pure maple syrup and maple cream

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Can you tell us a few things that make your signature product(s) special?

We don’t cut corners. We work in some of the most difficult terrain with the steep hills and valleys of NE Iowa but we do not let that affect the quality of our product. We just work harder.

What is your farm’s biggest season?

We produce maple syrup from February to April and then we have maple syrup available all year round.

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Are there any special processes involved with harvesting or processing your products? Can you tell us about them?

We have thousands of trees connected with tubes to collect the maple sap and it flows down hill into collection tanks in the forest valleys. Then we pump the sap back up to the sugar shack at the farm and evaporate it with a wood fired evaporator. It takes between 40-50 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of maple syrup!

 

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What is the most important thing for consumers to know about your products?

Try it – You will taste the difference. We sample our products to everyone because that’s what convinces people.

Do you have a funny/interesting/surprising story about your business?

The forest where all of our trees are in slippery and steep. It very fun to take people on guided tours with our four wheelers because one of the most common questions is “how do you get down to where the trees are?”. The answer? We go right over the edge! Great River Maple purchase a bulldozer a few years back in order to make trails and allow tours to be more walking friendly, but steep hills and still going to be steep hills!

Anything else we should know?

We also have pure maple cream which is a spreadable maple syrup and bourbon aged maple syrup that is our maple syrup that has been aged in local bourbon barrels

Shop their products online here!

Producer Profile: Griffieon Family Farm

Griffieon Family Farm is a century farm North of Ankeny, they are long-time Iowa Food Cooperative member selling beef,  pork, chicken, turkey, lamb and handmade items. You can shop their products online here. Thanks LaVon for sharing your story with us! 

Tell us a little about the make-up of your farm.

Our family has been farming in the Ankeny area since 1871. Our farm was designated a Century Farm in 2002. My husband, Craig, farms conventionally. In 1996 my son, Nick, started raising pastured chickens. That project has grown into a family business that markets antibiotic-free, no-hormone-added meats, soaps, lotions and other farm products. Our four kids have all graduated from college with agriculture degrees and all live within a half mile of where they grew up. Nick and Phil farm with us.

Autumn is married and has a one year old daughter that we watch M-F while Mommy is at work. She has the flock of Katahdin sheep and makes soaps & lotions for us to sell. Nick has just started farming with us after five years of working on a farm near Dike as an agronomist. Phil has been farming with us for a few years and enjoys working with cattle. Our cows continue to have calves with one left to calve this year. Julia has an off-farm job. We have already finished two batches of 225 baby chicks and now have turkeys on pasture.

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Can you tell us a few things that make your signature product(s) special?

Our Limousin beef calves are born on our farm, raised on pasture until they are weaned and then are fed in a pen near our silos for about 9 months. They are fed non-GMO corn silage mixed with cracked corn, soybean meal and minerals. We grind and mix our own feed on the farm and the grain is non-GMO.

We also pasture our poultry and supplement it with ground corn and soybean meal that is GMO-free.

Our Katahdin lamb is 100% grass fed.

Chickens and turkeys are raised on pasture and fed non-GMO feed that we grind ourselves from grain we grow.

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What is your farm’s biggest season?

We have beef and pork processed year around. Chickens are processed May through October. Turkeys are processed in October. Lamb is usually ready during the winter.

What is the most important thing for consumers to know about your products?

You can tell the difference compared to grocery store fare.

Shop their products online here!