The Iowa Food Cooperative now has more than fifteen years of enhancing access to local food year round by connecting farmers and artisan producers to the community. As members of the IFC, we are all stewards of a movement to rethink how we eat and how we spend our money. We are custodians of a vision of a food system rooted in community, sustainability, and equity. It’s a vision that only thrives when we as consumer members choose to invest our dollars in the cooperative and when we as producer members offer high quality products through the IFC.

As I think about how the IFC can thrive into the future, I am drawn back to two of the seven principles that guide cooperatives: Democratic Member Control and Member Economic Participation. According to the Universtiy of Wisconsin’s Center for Cooperatives, members “actively participate in setting policies and making decisions” and “contribute equally to, and democratically control, the capital of the cooperative.”

Our commitment to Democratic Member Control means that each voice within our cooperative holds weight. Your ideas, concerns, and aspirations shape the trajectory of our organization. Likewise, our dedication to Member Economic Participation underscores the need for all of us to purchase through the IFC. Every purchase made through the IFC is not just a transaction; it’s an investment in our shared values and the prosperity of our local food system.

As we look to the future, we need to embrace the responsibility that comes with our principles. We need to engage, advocate, and innovate to ensure that the IFC remains viable and relevant. Together, we have the power to shape a more resilient, equitable, and delicious future—one where producer businesses thrive and consumer members have access to fresh, local food year-round.

Thank you for your dedication to the Iowa Food Cooperative and for being an integral part of our journey.

In cooperation,

Daniel Bowser