Category: Special Announcements

RSS Mailchimp Campaign for non-standard announcements such as mid-cycle updates, staff introductions, special events, etc.

Cart to Close Tonight, Software Glitch Update

September 30, 2012
by Gary Huber

Still Time to Shop!

The shopping cart will close tonight (Sunday, Sept. 30th) at midnight with pick-up happening on Thursday, Oct. 4th at our Des Moines area locations and Friday, Oct. 5th in Ames. Below are a few 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.

Also, we think we figured out what was happening with the shopping cart system (we sent an email on this yesterday afternoon). It seems to only happen with the Internet Explorer 9.0 browser software. If you’ve been having this problem, please send an email to problems@iowafood.coop so we can dig a bit deeper.
 
The Berry Patch (from near Nevada) has added salad mix, arugula, red kale, baby green kale, and spinach from their greenhouse. 

Huber Family Farm (from near Maxwell) has added Ozette fingerling potatoes and parsnips.

Ali Family Garden (from Des Moines) added white potatoes.

Iowa Heritage Foods (from near Bloomfield) added prime rib roasts.

 

Cart to Close Tonight, Two New Producers

September 16, 2012
by Gary Huber

Still Time to Shop!

The shopping cart will close tonight (Sunday, Sept. 16th) at midnight with pick-up happening on Thursday, Sept. 20th. There are two new producers who have come on board in the last couple of days (see below). 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
 
Corazon Coffee Roasters is a new West Des Moines business (operated by Scott Warner & Laura Coco) offering certified organic coffee blends. “Corazon” means heart in Spanish, and the tag line for their business is “Coffee With a Heart.” Scott writes: “We have spent countless hours roasting beans at various temperatures and getting to know the characteristics of quality coffee beans from around the world. After months of experimentation, we’ve finally gotten to the point of understanding coffee and the roasting process well enough to develop products we’re proud to put our name on. Each coffee has a distinct flavor profile dependent on soil, weather conditions, processing and brewing method.” 

Gardner’s Harvest is a Des Moines-based bakery that is starting out offering whole wheat bread and fudgy brownies. Owner-operator Lisa Gardner writes: “I have always had a love of baking and learned to bake with my mother when I was younger. Some of my recipes are old family favorites, and almost all I have put my own twist on. I started my bread business in 2009 selling bread to my friends and neighbors as a way to earn a little cash on the side. I got my Home Food License in 2011 so I could sell bread and cookies in a couple small stores in the Des Moines area. It has been a fun journey, and I have to say that I am super excited about this. I have been wanting to be part of the coop for a while.”

 

Products Added; Meet Loulou Dickey, IFC Marketing Intern

September 2, 2012
by Gary Huber

Shopping cart still open!

Shop until midnight tonight (Sunday, Sept. 2nd) with delivery on Thursday, Sept. 6th. 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. [Note: some email systems apparently display these messages in long, narrow columns. If that happens, choose the option to view it using your browser.]

Product Updates:

Ebersole Cattle Company (from near Mount Ayr in Ringgold County) sent this note: “We just listed lots of extra Pastured Beef Cuts!! Thank you all for supporting us during this trying time @ the ranch.”

Note: On Sunday, Aug. 19 the Ebersole’s house burned to the ground. They and their three children were uninjured, but they lost everything. The IFC responded by collecting a wide range of foods from our producers, which were delivered to the Ebersoles along with a refrigerator (http://via.me/-4e2flqi).

The Homestead added Certified Naturally Grown Arugula.

Hedgeapple Farm added Grass-Fed Beef Stew Meat.

Crooked Gap Farm added more inventory to some items that had been sold out, and they also added Butterfly Pork Chops.

Huber Family Farm added more inventory to their sold out sweet potatoes, and they also added Baby Bolero Carrots.

Meet Loulou Dickey:


Loulou Dickey is the Iowa Food Cooperative’s new marketing intern. She came to us unexpectedly, but her arrival has given our marketing plans some new energy.

From Loulou’s email asking about the possibilty of an internship: “My interest in local and sustainable food sourcing began while I was attending the University of Iowa. I started there as a Biology major, but eventually ended up majoring in Geography with an emphasis on Sustainability. I did not complete my degree because I was unsure of what direction I wanted to take in terms of a career path. I plan on attending Iowa State next year and want to find a way to learn more about sustainable food sources so that I may choose what I would like to study. I am leaning towards Agricultural Engineering at this point, but still feel that I have a lot to learn before I go back to school.”

Loulou’s work is starting with upgrading our use of social media platforms to increase our visibility. She’s also working at developing materials that we can use at events, and she’ll also be helping us re-institute a regular newsletter.

 

Shopping Cart Closes at Midnight Tonight!

August 19, 2012
by Gary Huber

Still Time to Shop!

The shopping cart will close tonight (Sunday) at midnight. There’ve been some new products added (see below) to bring the total offerngs to just over 900 different items.

Also, we are a few people short on the help we need this coming Thursday for the 4-7 shift when people pick up their orders. If you can help (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
The Homestead added Japanese and Italian Eggplant (ready for the oven in Eggplant Parmesaen, the grill for a roasted eggplant, or with Reichert’s Dairy Air Chevre for a tasty salad).

Wildwood Farms added “Black Cherry” Tomatoes (dark purple cherry tomatoes, very sweet and mild).

SalAmander Farms added heirlooom red onions (Russian variety Danilovskiy 301) and heirloom yellow onions (Australian Brown, Ailsa Craig or Strighovskiy), both from seed grown on their farm.

From Becca of Crooked Gap Farm: We just got back from the Downtown Market and have added to sold out inventories, plus a few new products: # 2501 Jowl Bacon; # 1692 Bacon; # 1693 Cottage Bacon; # 3215 Cottage Bacon: Thick Cut. Also, if you order, you can get a free sample of rendered leaf lard with each product ordered. Just add product # 1708 (Free Leaf Lard Sample) to your cart to indicate you would like the sample.

 

A Loss So Deep

August 13, 2012
by Gary Huber

To all of our IFC members:

Over the years we’ve become connected to each other’s lives. That can have good parts, but hard as well, some so much so that it pains deeply. On August 6th the family of Mabel Chupp (Country Lighthouse Bakery) experienced a tragedy in the loss of Mabel’s three-day-old granddaughter, Aubrelyn Rene Chupp.

Our deepest condolences go out to Aubrelyn’s parents, Michelle and Levi Chupp, and to Don, Mabel and the rest of the family. Memorial contributions for Aubrelyn may be made in Michelle and Levi’s names to City State Bank, 105 East 2nd Street, Madrid, IA, 50156.

Whole Foods and the Iowa Food Cooperative

August 4, 2012
by Gary Huber

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.

 

Shopping Cart to Close at Midnight Tonight – New Products Added!

July 22, 2012
by Gary Huber

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.

 

Shopping Cycle Changed: New Cart Open and Close Times!

July 15, 2012
by Gary Huber

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.

Products Added; Time Left to Shop!

June 8, 2012
by Gary Huber

Shopping cart still open (get your tomatoes, lettuce, garlic, chard, kale, cheese, eggs, chicken, heritage beef and pork, etc!)

Shop until midnight on Sat., June 9th, with delivery on Thursday, June 14th. Please check us out! 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

Also, we could really use some additional help during distribution. If you have some time this coming Wednesday afternoon or evening (the 13th) or during the day on Thursday, please send an email to volunteer@iowafood.coop.

Product Updates:

Garlic season is starting, and we have several options. Sunrise listed Young German Extra-Hardy Garlic in half pound bags. Grinnell Heritage Farm listed garlic scapes and green garlic. And if you want to stock up and dig in the soil, we suggest Tesdell Farm Fresh Produce’s “Harvest-Your-Own” garlic product. Their farm is just a few miles north of Ankeny.

The Berry Patch still has peanut transplants, raspberry plants, swiss chard, and red kale, but they’ve also added greenhouse tomatoes in 2+ lb quart boxes.

New IFC producer-owner Good Shepard Grass Farms has expanded its product selection by adding chicken backs, wings and legs along with a wide selection of grass-fed beef (roasts, steaks, brisket, stew meat).

Producer Updates:

7 Pines Farm from near Maxwell (operated by Dan and Julie Beougher) is a new IFC producer-owner that has come on board since the cart opened. They’ve only listed eggs from free range hormone & antibiotic free chickens right now (mostly to test the process for listing products, but they add salsa and other products for the next cycle.

The Berry Patch won’t be listing strawberries this year. The record warm spring (and hard freezes in April) led to an early and extremely short season. Let’s hope the rest of the fruit season isn’t going to be problematic (although we know the apple crop has been compromised for those April freezes).

 

Products Added; Time Left to Shop!

May 18, 2012
by Gary Huber

Shopping cart still open (get your gooseberries, garlic scapes, lettuce, beef, chicken, eggs, garden transplants, etc!)

Shop until midnight on Sat., May 19th, with delivery on Thursday, May 24th. Please check us out! 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

Also, we depend on volunteer to help during distributions, so if you have some time this coming Wednesday afternoon or evening (the 23rd) or during the day on Thursday, please send an email to volunteer@iowafood.coop.

Product Updates:

Wagner Enterprises added $4 pint jars of fresh home-grown gooseberries to go along with a wide range of pies, cakes, cookies, and cheesecake.

The Berry Patch added peanut transplants (yes we can grow peanuts in Iowa) and they still have zucchini, fresh cut sweet basil, and parsley, chive, basil, blueberry, and raspberry plants available.

Wildwood Farms added 8 oz bags of red & green spring lettuce mix and 6″ potted strawberry transplants to go along with her salsa, granolas, baking mixes, and roasted nuts.

Raccoon Forks Farm and Sunrise both have garlic scapes still available (great chopped into salads or for pesto, grilling, or simply saute).

SalAmander Farms added fresh dill and a new tomato transplant variety (orange-1, a Russian heirloom with 4-6 oz. light orange fruit with rosy-orange interior).

Producer Updates:

The move by the Chupp family/Country Lighthouse Bakery to near Atlantic, IA, has been delayed, so Mabel’s offering her baked goods again (try her Cappuccino Chip Muffins) along with fresh rhubarb from her garden (or get some already made in her fresh rhubarb crisp).

Anna’s Place hasn’t been able to offer chicken for quite some time because of the loss of the processing plant in Kimballton, but Ron Bartelt came back this week with three sizes of whole chicken, plus half, cut-up, hindquarters, and breast meat with wings attached.