All posts by Gary Huber

IFC Shopping Cart is Open – 985 Products Listed!

November 7, 2012
by Gary Huber

Time to Go Shopping!

Shop until midnight on Sunday, Nov. 11th, with delivery on Thurs., Nov. 15th at our Des Moines area locations and Friday Nov. 16th at our Ames location. See below for updates on new stuff. To shop go to https://iowafood.coop and log in. If you need help with your username or password, send an email to info@iowafood.coop.

 
Fieldstone Farms (from near Clemons) is a new IFC producer-owner that’s listed various sizes of honey, comb honey, bee pollen (for sprinkling on toast or English muffins, or for stirring into yogurts of cold cereals), honey straws (cut off one end to dispense, great as a snack or in hot tea), and candles. Welcome aboard! 

LaVentosa Ranch (from near Clemons) returned with pork, goat, beef, chicken and duck products, plus a limited number of heritage turkeys. Carrie notes: “I may be able to add more turkeys but will not know until Wednesday. I will update our availability as soon as I can.”

The Berry Patch (from Nevada) wrote: “We have fresh arugula, spinach, lettuce, swiss chard, potted herbs (sweet basil, chives, plain and curled parsley), mixed potatoes and acorn squash.”

Rosebud Botanicals (from near Afton) wrote: “I am so glad to list again after a few months of not being able to make deliveries. We’ve added two new products: Mineral Foundation (in Ivory, Light Beige or Medium Beige skin tones) and Organic Lotion Making Kit.”

Ebersole Cattle Company (from near Kellerton) added Jalepeno & Cheddar Beef Sticks (“Don’t worry, they aren’t too spicy. Add cheese from Reicherts or Frisian Farms for a great cheese plate for game day.”) Their tallow products are back (“If you enjoy watching birds, hang our grassfed Suet Cakes to a tree outside your window”). They also have Pot Pies FOR Chickens (“these will keep your chickens laying during the cold.”)

The Threshing Floor (from near Dallas Center) added dinner rolls in two sizes made from fresh ground organic wheat flour from IFC member Early Morning Harvest.

Pure Native (from Des Moines) added grain-free biscuits (the perfect partner for breakfast, lunch or dinner).

Wildwood Farms (from Hubbard) added two cocoa mixes (chocolate and spiced). Lorna also lowered the price on her frozen lasagna, and she added two gift baskets: 1) a Soup and Bread Gift Box and 2) a Holiday Gift Basket (includes two pancake mixes, Lemon Poppy Seed and Pumpkin Bread and Muffin mixes, Spiced Cocoa and Chocolate Cocoa mixes, and 4 energy bars). These gift products will be shipped directly to you (or the lucky person getting the gift) just in time for Christmas.

Gardner’s Harvest (from Des Moines) added fresh-baked gingerbread house kits in two sizes. What fun you and your kids will have building these edible treats!

Glenwood Century Farm (from near Albion) is back with squirrel corn and acorn squash.

Holdeman ABF Poultry (from near Riceville) is again offering pre-orders on five capon products for the Dec. 20th delivery so they’ll be sure to have enough in stock.

Wild Rose Pastures (from near Pella) added stewing hens (these will work well in a crock pot, brazed, or boiled for chicken noodle soup).

 

IFC Shopping Cart is Open; Small Software Glitch

October 23, 2012
by Gary Huber

Shop now. Choose from 891 products.

Shop until midnight on Sunday, Oct. 28th, with delivery on Thurs., Nov. 1st at our Des Moines area locations and Friday Nov. 2nd at our Ames location. See below for updates on new stuff. To shop go to https://iowafood.coop and log in. If you need help with your username or password, send an email to info@iowafood.coop.

Also, there’s a glitch in the software. Members who’ve placed orders can’t see their shopping cart when they click the “view my cart” link. This means that while you can view your invoice to see what you’ve ordered, you can’t modify your orders without being able to view your cart. We know what happened to cause this problem, and we are working to get it fixed.
Krieger Greenhouses is back after being gone since this past spring. They’ve got fresh beet bunches, baby carrot bunches, two kinds of winter squash, and a wide range of herb products (fresh savory, oregano, parsley, sage, rosemary, basil, chives and cilantro, plus four types of “herb gardens”, which are live herbs in 4″ pots perfect for in your kitchen window). 

Timber Ridge Cattle Company (from near Osceola) is back as well with their flax-fed beef sticks and flax-fed summer sausages.

Foxhollow Farm (from near Elkhart) and Valley View Poultry (from near Bloomfield) are offering pre-orders this cycle for Thanksgiving turkeys. You might want to take advantage of this opportunity because the extreme heat this past summer caused problems for many of our turkey producers.

Holdeman ABF Poultry (from near Riceville) is also offering pre-orders on five capon products for the Dec. 20th delivery in order to be sure they have enough of each in stock. Also, Matt Holdeman advises that their capons make a great turkey substitute for holiday meals.

Pure Native (from Des Moines) added grain-free sugarsnap cookies and Gardner’s Harvest (from Des Moines) added pumpkin walnut bread.

Good Shepard Grass Farms (from near Monroe) added beef bologna and beef sticks made with 100% all-natural ingredients.

7 Pines Farm (from near Maxwell) added homemade maple walnut granola and two types of dipping mix (garlic butter and Sicilian).

The Homestead (from Pleasant Hill) added two types of onions to go along with their potatoes, lettuce mix, and sage, and The Berry Patch (from near Nevada) added spinach to go along with their red & green kale, arugula, salad greens, and swiss chard.

Huber Family Farm (from near Maxwell) added Vardaman sweet potatoes to go along with their other sweet potatoes, carrots, potatoes, rutabagas, and parsnips.
 

 

Thanksgiving Turkey Orders at the IFC

October 22, 2012
by Gary Huber

Can you believe the holidays are almost upon us again? Holidays often mean turkey for family meals, and in the past a lot of turkeys were sold through the IFC. But the extreme heat this summer posed challenges for our growers.

For example, LaVon at Griffieon Family Farm said they lost quite a few birds due to the heat, and Ryan and Janice at Wild Rose Pastures ran into the same problems. Neither of them will have turkeys to offer through the IFC this season.

Knowing that a lot of you were probably planning on getting your turkeys throught the IFC, we asked around to find out what was going to be available.  Here’s what we found out:

Tai with Foxhollow Farm speaks on her own behalf as well as for one of our Amish producers, Valley View Poultry. Together they will have around 60 turkeys to offer IFC members. There will be both heritage breed birds and white birds to choose from. All birds are raised according to Animal Welfare Approved standards, but only the heritage breeds are considered certified. They are not treated with antibiotics, and all are raised outside with access to shade during the day and shelter at night. The two producers both process their birds in Bloomfield at Valley View Processing, where they are air-chilled and not injected with any substances such as brine or water. The birds will range from 5 to 16 pounds in weight, depending on the breed.

Carrie with LaVentosa Ranch also had good news for us regarding her turkeys. She will be able to offer 25 heritage breed birds to IFC members. There will be several breeds available including: Black Spanish, Narragansett, Royal Palm and Chocolate breed turkeys. Carrie says her turkeys have been happily roaming the farm all summer, and while the summer heat posed some difficulty, the flock did well overall. All of the birds are free of antibiotics and hormones, and will weigh between 10 and 15 pounds on average.

In addition to turkeys, this year we will also have some Capon whole chickens to offer for the holidays. Holdeman ABF Poultry produces Capons, a type of chicken, which is considered an old-fashioned delicacy. These birds make a great alternative to turkey due to their large size and tender, juicy meat. All birds are free range and fed a vegetarian diet, and not treated with antibiotics. Holdeman ABF’s producer profile states: “Most people say this is the best chicken they have ever had.”

We are pleased to be able to offer you a great selection for your Thanksgiving meal this year. Be sure to add a turkey or Capon to your next order, as well as all the other holiday dinner ingredients to make a delicious meal for your friends and family. The IFC wishes everyone a HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

IFC Annual Potluck and Meeting Is Set For November 3rd!

October 18, 2012
by Gary Huber

IFC members and producers, MARK YOUR CALENDARS! We will be conducting our annual meeting on the 3rd of November, a Saturday, at the Mickle Neighborhood Resource Center in Sherman Hill from 5-7. All members and producers are encouraged to attend! There will also be a tour of the Mickle Center’s kitchen facilities beginning at 4, highlighting the kitchen’s progress to become a licensed facility.

At the meeting we will discuss our struggles and successes over the past year, and where we will go in the coming year. We will also elect new board members. This meeting will be fun and informal, and children are welcome to attend.

Please bring along a main or side dish for the potluck if you can. IFC will provide drinks. Table service is requested as well, we will need some people to bring silverware and plates.

The address of the Mickle Center is:

1620 Pleasant Street
Des Moines, IA  50314

Please contact us at info@iowafood.coop  if you have any questions regarding the meeting. We look forward to seeing you there!


Cart to Close Tonight

October 14, 2012
by Gary Huber

Still Time to Shop!

The shopping cart will close tonight (Sunday, Oct. 14th) at midnight with pick-up happening on Thurs., Oct. 18th at our Des Moines area locations and Friday, Oct. 19th in Ames. Below are a couple of updates on products added during the week. To shop go to https://iowafood.coop and log in. If you need help with your username and password, please send an email to info@iowafood.coop.
 
Wild Rose Pastures (from near Pella) added pullet eggs (the breed is Buff Orbington, and they are delicious!). Huber Family Farm (from near Maxwell) added rutabagas (Laurentian variety; pale yellow flesh, sweet mild flavor).

 

IFC Shopping Cart is Open!

October 10, 2012
by Gary Huber

Shop now. Choose from 896 different products.

Shop until midnight on Sunday, Oct. 14th, with delivery on Thurs., Oct. 18th at our Des Moines area locations and Friday Oct. 19th at our Ames location. See below updates. To shop go to https://iowafood.coop and log in. If you need help with your username or password, send an email to info@iowafood.coop
From Karla at Heart of Iowa Soapworks (from near Gilbert): I’ve added a new Peppermint Tea tree & oatmeal soap. Pine tar soap is back in stock, as are my nylon crocheted scrubbies.  

From Julie at 7 Pines Farm (from near Maxwell): We have added the following new products: certified organic cherry belle radishes (a favorite for salads or relish trays), homemade maple walnut granola, and two types of dipping mix (garlic butter and Sicilian).

From Mary at Cory Family Farm (from near Elkhart): We are now offering products from “this season’s” beef. We also have available for the first time all-grass fed & finished lamb. For this cycle we would like folks who place an order to designate in the comment section if they would like the 100% grass lamb.

From Becca at Crooked Gap Farm (from near Knoxville): We are taking this cycle off because we are out of meat.  We hope to be back next cycle!

From Lori at Iowa Orchard (from Urbandale): Apple cider is now available (although we have had to increase prices this season due to the limited amounts of apples because of that April freeze). We have six flavors to choose from in pint, half gallon, and gallon sizes.