Hello. We had 99 members order 937 different items this order cycle. That’s down nine members and 125 products from last cycle – perhaps not surprising given that a new Whole Foods store opened since our last order cycle. We went to thank those of you who ordered through your Iowa Food Cooperative. We really appreciate that you use your cooperative for your food needs. We’ll see you on Thursday when you come get all those great products from our producers.
All posts by Gary Huber
Comparison Shopping Whole Foods and The Iowa Food Cooperative
David and Gary went comparison shopping to see how Whole Foods offerings compare to similar products available from Iowa producers accessible to members of The Iowa Food Coop
The opening of the new Whole Foods store in Des Moines has generated a lot of interest. Rekha Basu wrote a piece in the Des Moines Register recently titled “Opening of Whole Foods shows D.M. has arrived”. (Seems like some kind of inferior complex going on there.)
Having more shopping options is usually better, but we think the Iowa Food Cooperative has some benefits that Whole Foods doesn’t, such as:
- Price. A check on 28 comparable products at Whole Food found that their prices were on average 22% higher than the Iowa Food Cooperative.
- 90% of what you pay for food bought through the Iowa Food Cooperative goes straight to its farmer-owners (the other 10% helps run the business). Whole Foods can’t do the same.
- 100% of our products are locally-grown or produced. Their goal is 20% (yes, only 20%).
- 100% of your money stays local (as opposed to being shipped off to Texas). Every dollar you spend helps build our local economy (one of the most direct things you can do to make our communities better).
- Finally, our producer and consumer members own the Iowa Food Cooperative. Ownership is ours. It’s our business to hold, cherish, patronize, and promote.
If you haven’t already joined, please become a member and help us build our commuities from the inside out. We’ve got incredible products (nearly 9oo different items are available at the moment from our on-line store) from truly amazing local farmers.
Whole Foods and the Iowa Food Cooperative
There’s been some new products added (see below), but this message is mostly about the new Whole Foods store. Its opening in Des Moines has generated a lot of interest, and having more shopping options is usually better, but we hope you don’t abandon the IFC in exchange for the glitz and glamour of the new store.
There are good reasons to stick with your cooperative when shopping for food.
- One is price. A price check on 28 comparable products found Whole Food prices were on average 22% higher than the IFC.
- 90% of what you pay for food bought through the IFC goes straight to its farmer-owners (the other 10% helps run the business). Whole Foods can’t do the same.
- 100% of our products are locally-grown or produced. Their goal is 20% (yes, only 20%).
- 100% of your money stays local (as opposed to being shipped off to Texas). Every dollar you spend helps build our local economy (one of the most direct things you can do to make our communities).
- Finally, you own the IFC. It is yours to hold, cherish, patronize, and promote.
We hope you will continue to do so. The shopping cart will be open until midnight tomorrow (Sunday), with delivery this coming Thursday (Aug. 12th).
New products:
1) apples from Huber Family Farm; 2) comb honey from Ebert Honey Company; 3) sweet corn from the Threshing Floor; 4) whole chickens from Raccoon Forks Farm, and 5) heritage breed natural beef hotdogs from Crooked Gap Farm.
IFC Shopping Cart is Open! July 31, 2012
Shop now for your August 9th pick-up!Shop until midnight this coming Sunday (the 5th) with delivery on Thurs., Aug. 9th. See below for updates. 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 |
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Updates #1:Sunrise added certified organic Highlander peppers (the premiere roasting, green chili, and stuffing pepper – very mild heat ). Grinnnell Heritage Farm added certified organic green and purple bell peppers. Early Morning Harvest added purple basil (deep purple and green leaves, but same great basil flavor; will definately add color to your cooking) and cherry tomatoes (unbelievable sweet taste). From LaVon with Griffieon Family Farm: Craig is slashing prices and wants the freezers emptied of cured hams! We are offering $.50/lb off on our smoked ham slices (usually $4.70/lb, but now $4.20). These are great for breakfast (then use the leftovers in scalloped potatoes for dinner). Also good on the grill. We are also marking down our smoked hams by $.30/lb, and our minute steaks by $.50/lb (stock up–the weather won’t be hot forever and chicken fried steak will taste great). Huber Family Farm added LaRatte fingerling potatoes (unique nutty flavor and smooth, buttery texture). |
Updates #2:From Lori with Iowa Orchard: Our Jonagold apples, banana bits, and strawberry apple rings are temporarily unavailable, but we now have apple cider available in all flavors (cherry, cinnamon, cranberry, peach, raspberry). Pure Native added Grain-free Peanut Butter Cup Mini-Biscotti that are topped with a dark chocolate drizzle (like heaven with your morning coffee or tea!). From Becky with The Threshing Floor: The heat took care of my garden, so I’m not going to be able to list fresh produce. Sorry. Let’s hope August is cooler and wetter. From Kristen (and her son Chess) with Live Now Rest Later: We are taking a break. Farming is harder than we thought. The squash bugs have taken over the swiss chard and the sun baked the basil. There isn’t a day in the garden that I don’t think about Little House on the Prairie and what a challenge it must have been to rely on their harvest for survival. It has been fun and rewarding though. Thanks for your support.
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IFC Distribution is Today Thursday, July 26th
A quick reminder that distribution of ordered product is today, July 26th. Don’t forget, and please pay special attention so you get everything you ordered. Thanks.
Pick up your order this Thursday, July 26th!
Hello. We had 108 members order 1,062 different items this order cycle. That’s down ten members and 56 products from last cycle – perhaps not surprising because of things like RAGBRAI and other summer stuff. But we really appreciate that you have used your Iowa Food Cooperative for your food needs. We’ll see you on Thursday when you come get all those great products from our producers.
Shopping Cart to Close at Midnight Tonight – New Products Added!
Still Time to Shop; Volunteers Needed for Distribution!The shopping cart will close tonight (Sunday) at midnight. There’ve been some new products added this week (see below). Also, we are a few people short on the help we need this coming Thursday for distribution, especially the morning to for checking in producers and the 4-7 shift when people pick up their orders. If you can help out (it’s fun, and there’s free products from our producers), send an email to volunteer@iowafood.coop. 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 |
Updates:Lee from The Berry Patch writes: I added add field grown cucumbers and sweet corn in a half dozen and a dozen bags. I am giving my best guess at how much sweet corn I will have ready by next thursday. I tried an ear today and it was a little young yet but very tasty. Lorna from Wildwood Farms writes: I have added just a few eggplants (Ping Tung variety, which are long, slender Japanese-type eggplants) and Pepperoncini peppers (small, mild pickling type pepper which can also be used on salads and in sandwiches). Valley View has added boneless skinless chicken breasts, and Iowa Heritage Foods has added beef short ribs, cube steak, beef arm roast, and beef brisket. Denise from Two Rivers Honey writes: I’ve added a few new products to my listing – 32 oz. glass jar of Wildflower honey and a natural wood finish/treatment (perfect for cutting boards as it’s all natural ingredients are food grade, and if it’s a slide-out board it will slide much easier! Made with our beeswax, walnut oil, and a touch of Vitamin E as a preservative). Jeff from Early Morning Harvest writes: We added Buckwheat cereal and flour. The Buckwheat cereal, which comes in two sizes, has the consistency of grits or “cream of wheat”. The Buckwheat Whole Dark Flour is made from unhulled buckwheat and is an excellent natural source of fiber. It is a great product if you are in the mood for hearty buckwheat pancakes. |
IFC Shopping Cart is Open! July 17, 2012
Shop now, buy lots, keep cool!Shop until midnight this coming Sunday (the 22nd), with delivery on Thurs., July 26th. Choose from almost 850 products from over 40 producers (see below updates). 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 |
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Updates #1:Pure Native added chocolate zucchini muffins (made with local zucchini, honey, and free-range eggs). Weisshaar Family Farm processed two beef recently, so they’ve added T bones and porter house steaks as well as prime rib roast to their line up. The Homestead added Rose Finn Apple Fingerling and Yellow Finn potatoes. Huber Family Farm added Purple Viking potatoes and three kinds of french filet green beans: Maxibel (green), Concador (yellow), and Velour (purple). The Berry Patch added yellow summer squash. Early Morning Harvest added Nasturtium leaves, fresh basil, and Malabar spinach (not actually a spinach, but with thick, juicy, crisp leaves that taste of citrus and pepper, it holds up better in soups and stir-fries). Sunrise added three pound bags of Cortland and Red Zepplin onions to go along with their garlic. |
Updates #2:White Stock and Produce, a new producer-owner operated by brothers Dylan and Aaron White, listed Edamame, an edible soybean that is good as a snack, appetizer, in a salad, or with a stir fry. Reichert’s Dairy Air listed three new goat cheese products: basil feta (classic feta with fresh basil! Our best selling cheese); pesto chevre (plain chevre with a fresh pesto mixed in); and Sun dried tomato and basil chevre (plain chevre flavored with fresh garlic, sun dried tomatoes, and fresh basil!). Wildwood Farms is back this cycle and has added a larger (12 oz) size of their fresh salsa. Crooked Gap Farm is back this cycle after taking off the last two because of low inventories. Threshing Floor added two new kinds of whole wheat bread that use certified organic wheat from Early Morning Harvest. Becky grinds the wheat herself for her Whole Wheat Bread, but she uses the stone ground wheat processed by Early Morning Harvest for her the Stone Ground Whole Wheat Bread. |
Shopping Cycle Changed: New Cart Open and Close Times!
After careful thought, we decided to shift the shopping cycle by a day. This means the cart will open tomorrow (Monday) at midnight rather than tonight. It’ll stay open until midnight on Sunday, July 22nd. Distribution will stay the same, meaning it will happen on Thursday, July 26th.
There are three reasons for this shift:
1) it gives producers another day to get ready (ie changing inventories, adding products, etc.) for when the cart opens. This is really helpful for producers who participate in Saturday farmers markets, which are very time consuming. Changing the cart opening time from Sunday at midnight to Monday at midnight means they can relax a bit more on Sunday.
2) it gives producers another day at the end of the shopping cycle to add fresh fruits vegetables, getting one day closer to distribution can help them better anticipate how much product they will have available;
3) it gives consumers one more weekend day (Sunday) for them to buy, which (given how Saturdays tend to be busy) we hope will lead to more shopping.
Thanks.
Time to shop at the Iowa Food Cooperative! July 3, 2012
The shopping cart is open! Summer is here, and so are fresh veggies!Shop until midnight this coming Sat. (the 7th), with delivery on Thurs., July 12th. Choose from over 750 products from over 40 producers (see below updates). Check out the offerings, buy products directly from local farmers, and help build of a durable local food system in our part of the universe! 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 |
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Updates #1:Grinnell Heritage Farm added carrots, potatoes, collard greens, white onions, and grass-fed beef. Huber Family Farm added Desiree potatoes (pinkish skin with gourmet quality creamy-yellow flesh). The Berry Patch added zucchini (8-10″ long, .5+ lb each) to go along with their blueberries, green beans, and tomatoes. 7 Pines Farm added fresh basil and green onions to go along with their jars of hot & medium salsa and green jalepenos (you got to check these out!) Early Morning Harvest added lettuce bouquets (an edible bouquet with one red romaine, one green romaine, and one butterhead plant) to go along with their 1/2 lb bags of lettuce mix and milled grain products. Sunrise added two new garlic varieties – Asian Tempest and Chesnok Red – to go along with their Elephant and German German Xtra-Hardy varieties. Live Now Rest Later is now offering fresh basil to go along with their swiss chard. |
Updates #2:Reichert’s Dairy Air listed a new goat cheese product – Robiola di mia Nonna (a European-style cheese made in like an Italian robiola from the Piedmont region) to go along with their award-winning feta and chevre cheeses. Yoke S Ranch added hamburger (the product consists of 10 one lb bags @ $4.50/lb) from their Corriente beef herd. Phil of Ebert Honey writes: “I added a new product – a 55# bucket of honey with dispensing spout. I had a request for one of these so I put it in.” Audubon County Family Farms is back with eggs this cycle (we have eggs listed by seven producers). Pure Native added grain-free blueberry muffins (light and moist, a perfect addition to breakfast) and grain-free rosemary & fig crackers (wonderful, sweet, savory crackers perfect with Frisian Farms Gouda!). Grandma’s Soap added Lavender and Citrus Blend Liquid Laundry Soap for the summer months for $6.75 per gallon. Becca of Crooked Gap Farm writes: “We are low on product right now and will be taking this cycle off. Hope to be back next.” Country Lighthouse Bakery is also taking this cycle off. |