Tag: local food

Happy New Year (almost)!

Nearly 1,100 different products listed; check out what’s new for 2015.

We are back to our winter schedule of three-week shopping cycles. Given there will be an extra week between distributions, remember to to stock up!  Our 2015 calendar is now available in a PDF (click to view).

Welcome Albia!

Thanks to IFC member Stacie Gibler, we now have a drop-off site on the square in Albia (about 65 miles SE of Des Moines). Plans are to do distributions there every other cycle, with Stacie coming up to get the orders. Thank you, Stacie!!!

Farewell to Fieldstone Farms!

Eli Kalke and Dale Fields recently moved to Minnesota to be closer to daughters and grandkids. Eli, who served on our board, said they are grateful for the many wonderful relationships they established with our members over the years. Their bees are now in California (helping pollinate the almond crop), but they’ll come back in the spring. Eli and Dale will continue to sell their fine products and plan to have their website operational this winter. To wish them well, send an email to fieldstonefarmsbiz@gmail.com.

Note: the online shopping cart is open and will close Sunday, Jan. 4th at midnight. Distribution is Thurs., Jan. 8th at our Osceola, Albia, and Des Moines area sites and Friday Jan. 9th in Ames. If you can’t make those times, our alternative pick up is Saturday Jan. 10th from 10:30 am to noon at our Franklin Avenue location.

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.

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New Producers this cycle!

Farm Baby Foods (Des Moines) is an all-natural baby food company. Owner Julie Burroughs began making baby food in 2010 as a way to offer her little one a hearty, all-natural alternative to commercial baby food. Absolutely nothing is added other than the produce listed… no salt, sugar, fillers or preservatives. Check out their selection of on-the-go pouches and 4-oz containers.

From Angela Johnson of Lucky George Farm (Derby): “We’ve reclaimed a 20-acre forgotten farm in the SW corner of Lucas County (just outside of Derby, IA) where we raise Large Black hogs, which is a critically-endangered breed.” They’re starting with rabbit and a selection of pork cuts from their Large Black herd; they’ll add handmade soaps in the near future.

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IFC producers have listed a wide selection of products such as cheese, milk, yogurt, meats, chicken, eggs, dry beans, apples, potatoes, winter squash, salsa, sauerkraut, olive oil, pasta, and sweet corn. Here’s a few new items:

Heart of Iowa Soapworks (Gilbert) is back with a soap making class! To be held Sat. Jan. 17 at our Franklin location, Karla will lead participants in creating their soap (you will go home with approximately 3/4#). A slew of reference handouts will be provided. Sign up through the shopping system; read more here.

Herbal Blis Soaps (Boone) listed a new shampoo bar and a bar soap called ‘Earthmother’ with cinnamon, patchouli, and ylang ylang essential oils.

Calanne of Purrfect Muttchies (Truro) notes, “We added Peppermint and Carob to the Pawrty Peppermint Carob Paws so they now have a breath freshener at playtime.”

Glenwood Century Farm (Albion) is offering popcorn that is a blend of four colored hybrids (makes for an attractive package). They all pop white and fluffy – a perfect snack for a cold winter day!

Griffieon Family Farm (Ankeny) added two new items: handmade rope baskets and peppermint lip balm. The baskets are a reuse of a heeling or heading rope that has been used on real horses and cattle by real cowboys!

The Kiowa House of Herbs (Searsboro) added two new soups (Cheesy Asparagus and Vegetarian Asparagus) plus a variety of dried herbs. Check out their listings here.

From Bob with Country View Dairy (Hawkeye): “We ended our Blackberry Custard Greek yogurt and have totally switched that flavor to Aronia Blackberry Custard Greek. We are excited to work with fellow IFC producer Harvest Moon Farms to use their aronia concentrate to make this yogurt not only delicious, but also with the added benefits of the aronia berry super-fruit. Thanks & looking forward to another exciting year in 2015 being part of the IFC!”

Happy December!

1,296 different products listed; Give local this holiday season (it’s our last cycle before Christmas)!

Finish up your holiday shopping for gifts and special holiday meals this cycle. In January we will return to 3-week cycles, so this is your chance to stock up! Our 2015 calendar is now available in a PDF (click to view).

Note: the online shopping cart is open and will close Sunday, Dec. 14th at midnight. Distribution is Thurs., Dec. 18th at our Des Moines area and Osceola sites and Friday Dec. 19th in Ames. If you can’t make those times, our alternative pick up is Saturday Dec. 20th from 10:30 am to noon at our Franklin Avenue location.

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.

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Some items to add to your shopping list:

From Becky with Threshing Floor (from Dallas Center): “I would like to encourage people to relax with some of Threshing Floor sticky pecan rolls or cinnamon rolls.” Sounds like they’d be perfect with some hot coffee or tea.

From Cindy with Audubon County Family Farms (from Audubon): “This will be the last cycle to order aronia berries and spare ribs for a while. I’ll be taking January and February off, but will return in March with the berries and other products.”

Wildwood Farms (from Wellsburg) added some new gifts including beautiful handmade wooden pens, rolling pins, wine stoppers, and letter openers. Lorna also listed two gift boxes (Holiday Breakfast and Soup & Bread), and she’s got holiday specials on nuts, trail mixes, and baking mixes.

Chris’ Custom Bakery (from Ankeny) listed incredibly detailed decorated holiday sugar cookies and a new DIY sugar cookie kit w/ cookies and frosting–a perfect holiday activity for kids!

Salama Greenhouse, Inc. (from Boone) has large red Poinsettia’s as well as potted orchids, spinach, and Swiss chard. 

Great River Maple (from Garnavillo) has their maple syrup gift baskets back in stock!

From Donna with Wagner Enterprises (from Dallas Center): “Hi. I am back online and am offering pies for Christmas: Apple, Cherry, Peach, Pecan, or Pumpkin made with fruit from this year harvest. You can freeze the pie for Christmas or for New Years. Thanks, Donna.”

Lee’s Greens (from Nevada) has salad greens, lettuce mix, spinach, red and green kale, arugula, radishes, sweet baby white turnips, and potatoes along with potted herbs this cycle. NOTE: They also listed 10″x21″ flats of 4-6″ tall wheat and rye grass: great for chickens and other animals that like grass greens!

From Jocelyn with Pickle Creek Herbal (from Brighton): “I’m excited to list for the first time what has been a pet project of mine for a long time: Herb-infused fruit vinegars; specifically, Strawberry Basil Balsamic and Blueberry Lemon Thyme Balsamic. Also, I added a Candy Cane (Peppermint) gift bag to go along with our other bath salt/soap/lip balm gift bags, and I’ve listed the Frog’s Legs Shallots again this cycle—but once these are gone, we’ll be sold out until next season. Thanks and Happy Holidays!”

WW Homestead Dairy (from Waukon) has listed three holiday gift boxes: Cheedar Cheese Sampler, Cheese Curd Sampler, and Taste of WW Homestead Dairy. As of this morning (Wednesday), they still have butter available as well!

Herbal Bliss Soaps (from Boone) is a new IFC producer, making their debut with healing hand salve and ‘Lemonchello’ bar soap–both make perfect gifts.

Kiowa House of Herbs (from Searsboro) added many, many new cakes (twelve, to be exact), from angel food to German chocolate to devil’s food. And don’t miss their new almond pastries!

Al Dente Toffee (from Adel) listed new toffee flavors–double dark chocolate and ginger snap. The ginger snap is made with molasses and has crushed ginger snap cookies on top.

Heritage Hill Farm (from Ames) introduced a new bar soap, ‘Sweet Citrus Goats Milk Bar Soap with Orange Peel & Essential Oils’, a nice scent for the holidays.

Happy Thanksgiving!

1,076 Different Products Listed; Shop “Small” (and from the comfort of your home) this Saturday!

Two more shopping cycles before the holidays–shop unique gifts and gift collections from your favorite local farmers and artisans. Following Thanksgiving and ‘Black Friday’ is ‘Small Business Saturday‘, a campaign to increase business for local vendors. Skip the Friday crowds and shop from home this Saturday!

Note: the online shopping cart is open and will close Sunday, Nov. 30th at midnight. Distribution is Thurs., Dec. 4th at our Des Moines area and Osceola sites and Friday Dec. 5th in Ames. If you can’t make those times, our alternative pick up is Saturday Dec. 6th from 10:30 am to noon at our Franklin Avenue location.

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.

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New items to add to your shopping list:

Salama Greenhouse, Inc. (from Boone) added Large and XL Red Poinsettias (find them in the Live Plants Subcategory of the Non-Food Category). These classic holiday plants are large, bushy with plenty of blooms. Includes pot cover and bow.

Iowa Choice Harvest, LLC (from Ames) now carries frozen bags of locally harvested aronia berries–perfect for smoothies.

Good Shepherd Grass Farms (from Monroe) is pleased to offer their new beef Italian sausage–with just enough spice for Italian pasta dishes and sandwiches. 

WW Homestead Dairy (from Waukon) added three gift box options: the Cheese Curd Sampler Box (featuring their cheese curds); the Cheddar Cheese Sampler Box (featuring several types of their cheddar cheese); and the Taste of WW Homestead Gift Box (featuring their cheddar cheese curds, cheddar cheeses, and salted butter).

Kiowa House of Herbs (from Searsboro) is now serving a multitude of muffins–from Banana Walnut to Double Cherry to Parsnip (!)–using Iowa-milled flour from Early Morning Harvest. Also check out their new chocolate herbal teas.

Broadhorn Farm (from Truro) has some exciting new items: quick cooking beef cubes and 7-bone chuck steak. They are also having a sale on short ribs this cycle.

Grimm Family Farm (from Williamsburg) listed red storage beets and red cabbage in addition to several potato varieties.

Elements of Rejuvenation (from Leon) introduced a new soy wax candle called ‘Campfire’ and will be at our Franklin space on the next two distributions to sell their products. Perfect last-minute gift!

Zaza’s Pasta (from North Liberty) added a Herbed Linguine and Whole Wheat Linguine to their inventory. Handmade pasta makes a superb gift!

Heritage Hill Farm (from Ames) has a new soap – Lavender Goat’s Milk – that features dried lavender grown on their farm. It comes packaged to give as a gift. They’ve also listed winter squash (and welcome to Jessica from Heritage Hill as a new producer board member!).

From Country View Yogurt (from Hawkeye): “We are partnering with another IFC producer – Harvest Moon Farms – to create a unique healthy treat: Aronia Blackberry Custard Greek Yogurt. Our trial run last cycle went well, so we’ve made more 3 lb tubs available AND we’ll include one 6 oz cup in each Greek Variety pack. We also have cases of 12-6 oz cups available in limited quantity. Give it a try this cycle!”

Audubon County Family Farms (from Audubon) has restocked their pork spare ribs and are including their recipe for preparing them in the oven. Another good holiday option!

Yoke S. Ranch (from Russell) added Corriente beef summer sausage–a must have for holiday cheese plates.

Griffieon Family Farm (from Ankeny) has lowered the price of their beef loin tenderloin by $1 and their country-style pork ribs by 75 cents.

Purrfect Muttchies (from Truro) added Banana Mini Muffins with homemade dehydrated banana chips and updated their Clever Pooch Pineapple Coconut Kisses. Treat your pets!

From Lee of Lee’s Greens (from Nevada): “We have our nice selection of greens (lettuce, spinach, Swiss chard, arugula, baby red kale, baby green kale) as well as potatoes, radishes, turnips, and potted herbs.”

1,237 Different Products Listed; The Thanksgiving Pledge!

This is THE last cycle before Thanksgiving, meaning your last chance to buy the finest IFC foods for your family feast! We’ve even made a handy shopping list you can view by clicking here.

***WEST DES MOINES SHOPPERS, WELCOME BACK!***

Our pick-up at Valley Church has resumed! If you are a West Des Moines customer, please remember to switch your pick-up location back to WDM!

Note: the online shopping cart is open and will close Sunday, Nov. 16th at midnight. Distribution is Thurs., Nov. 20th at our Des Moines area and Osceola sites and Friday Nov. 21st in Ames. If you can’t make those times, our alternative pick up is Saturday November 22nd from 10:30 am to noon at our Franklin Avenue location.

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.

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New items to add to your shopping list:

Get your turkey from these IFC producers: Hickory Hills Farm (from Bloomfield), Griffieon Family Farm (from Ankeny), Yoder’s Natural Farm (from Bloomfield), or Wild Rose Pastures (from Reasnor).

Des Moines Bacon Company (from Des Moines) listed three ham products (got to have ham!): Nitrate/Nitrite Free Applewood Smoked Holiday Spiral Ham, Uncured Applewoood Boneless Pit Ham, and Uncured Black Forest Boneless Pit Ham.

New Family Farm (from Elkhart) listed potatoes, onions, and various winter squash – all great for Thanksgiving meals.

From Becky with Threshing Floor (from Dallas Center): “I would like to encourage folks to try our dinner rolls with their Thanksgiving dinners. They freeze well. Also, we offer the Iowa whole wheat dinner roll with wheat grown by IFC producer Early Morning Harvest.”

From Bob with Country View Dairy (from Hawkeye): “I’m working with IFC producer Harvest Moon Farms on a new yogurt that uses their Aronia Concentrate. It’s Greek Aronia Berry Blackberry Custard. We made a small batch (16 three lb tubs). If it goes quick, we can always do batch at end of week.”

From Lee with Lee’s Green’s (from Nevada): “We have a nice selection of greens – lettuce, spinach, arugula, baby red and green kale, and Swiss chard – plus winter squash, radishes, sweet baby white turnips, sweet potatoes, red and white potatoes, and potted herbs.” Check out their assortment here.

7 Pines Farm (from Maxwell) added certified organic Hakurei Salad Turnips (enjoy in fresh salads or thinly sliced and sautéed with other vegetables), certified organic Lettuce/Spinach/Arugula Mix (a beautiful tasty blend of 6 different lettuces, spinach and arugula), and free-range Cornish-Cross broilers. Check out their products here.

Wilted Leaf Farm (from Des Moines) added spinach and some new carrot varieties.

From Jocelyn with Pickle Creek Herbal (from Brighton): “We have new items for the holidays. We have some nice 2″ certified organic hard-necked garlic heads for sale, and we are listing certified organic shallots. Christmas Thyme soap and lip balm are back, plus our herb jellies (including the ever-popular Lavender Jelly). We also listed (for the first time) certified organic dried basil, plus some new gift items (cute little gift bags containing various oils, vingars, soaps, bath salts, and lip balms).” Check out their assortment here.

Yoke S. Ranch (from Russell) put their sirloin roast on sale. A good turkey alternative!

Chris’ Custom Bakery (from Ankeny) has Thanksgiving shapes for their cut-out sugar cookies. Don’t forget to add a loaf of pumpkin or cranberry bread too!

Special K Ranch (from Chariton) listed a few new Texas Longhorn roasts and fillets in time for special holiday dinners.

From Amber with Good Shepard Grass Farms (from Monroe): We are offering a new product sale on our grass-fed beef breakfast
sausage this cycle for $7.95 (that’s $1.00 off the regular price!).”

Wagner Enterprises (from Dallas Center) listed a new kind of gluten-free bread along with their usual array of Iowa baked goods (from angel food cake to fruit pies).

Great River Maple (from Garnavillo) has some special gift items (it’s not too early to start shopping) including a gift basket and maple syrup in decorative maple leaf bottles.

Purrfect Muttchies (from Truro) added a new pet treat: Tasty BFF Peanut Butter and Jelly Bones.

1,281 Different Products Listed; Taste of Fall continues!

Many excellent choices for your food shopping needs this cycle, including holiday gifts, milk, meats, eggs, yogurt (check out the sale below), and the freshest greens available anywhere!

***WEST DES MOINES SHOPPERS, PLEASE NOTE:

Valley Church can’t accommodate us again this cycle. Members who usually pick up there need to choose another location. Sorry. We’ll be back in our space there for the distribution that happens the Thursday before Thanksgiving. If it helps, our alternative pick-up is 10:30 am to noon on Saturday Nov. 8th at our Franklin Plaza site. If you decide to order and pick up on Saturday, let us know with an email to info@iowafood.coop.***

Note: the online shopping cart is open and will close Sunday, Nov. 2nd at midnight. Distribution is Thurs., Nov. 6th at our Des Moines area and Osceola sites and Friday Nov. 7th in Ames.

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.

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New items to add to your shopping list:

The Kiowa House of Herbs (from Searsboro) added some new soups (think warm as it gets cold) to go along with their wide variety of jam/jellies, breads, pies, and teas.

From Amber with Good Shepard Grass Farms (from Monroe): “We added “Beef Breakfast Sausage” for the first time.  It is free of nitrates/nitrates and preservatives.  It’s $8.95/lb. From our 100% grass fed cattle.”

Griffieon Farm (from Ankeny) added two new holiday-table-worthy roasts – Boneless Beef Rib Roast and Beef Standing Rib Roast (which LaVon says are “tasty high-end roasts”).

From Bob of Country View Dairy (from Hawkeye):  MEMBER SPECIAL: ALL GREEK YOGURT ON SALE THROUGH NOVEMBER, TIME TO STOCK UP!

From Julie of Zaza’s Pasta (from IA City): “Just added Butternut Squash & Sage Fettuccine, which is my all-time favorite pasta. Pumpkin Fettuccine is still available for a short while yet, too.”

Heritage Hill Farm (from Ames) added bags of mixed gourds ‘perfect for your Fall tablescapes or decorating.‘

Raccoon Forks Farm (from Redfield) added arugula and onions and New Pioneer Farm (from Carlisle) added Braeburn, Fuji, and Red Delicious apples by the half bushel.

Yoke S. Ranch (from Russell) has a sale on Corriente stew meat at $5/lb–perfect timing for soup and stew season is here.

Chris’ Custom Bakery (from Ankeny) has Thanksgiving shapes for their cut-out sugar cookies; don’t forget to add a loaf of pumpkin or cranberry bread too!

Special K Ranch (from Chariton) listed a few new Texas Longhorn roasts and fillets in time for special holiday dinners.

Wilted Leaf Farm (from Des Moines) added red butterhead lettuce, green buttercrunch lettuce, and mustard greens to go with their other assortment of veggies including bunched carrots.

Wagner Enterprises (from Dallas Center) listed a new kind of gluten-free bread along with their usual array of Iowa baked goods (from angel food cake to fruit pies).

Great River Maple (from Garnavillo) has some special gift items (it’s not too early to start shopping) including a gift basket and maple syrup in decorative maple leaf bottles.

Broadhorn Farm (from near Truro) is back! Julie says, ‘After a good farmer’s market season, we are back and have (NEW) Tri-tip steak, Flanken style ribs and Petite Shoulder Tenders. We’re looking forward to working with you all again.’

Lee’s Green’s (from Nevada): “We’ve listed leaf lettuce mix, spinach, arugula, Swiss chard, baby green and red kale, mixed red and white potatoes, sweet potatoes, radishes, sweet baby white turnips, acorn squash, butternut squash, giant pink banana squash…….(the list goes on) – Check out their assortment here.

7 Pines Farm (from Maxwell) listed a wide array of Certified Organic produce including lettuce mixes, mesclun salad mix, spinach, and radishes.

Purrfect Muttchies (from Truro) continues to amaze with their pet treats; new flavors include: Moochin’ Mutt Macaroon, Rompin’ Rascal Pumpkin Rounds, and Scentsurrific Ginger Smackin’ Snaps.