Our Projects

SNAP Fund for the Iowa Food Coop

Want to make a tax exempt donation to our SNAP users fund? Donations to the SNAP fund allow us to support the Iowa Food Coop by waiving membership and consumer fees for SNAP users.

SNAP (EBT) Fund

Community Education & Personal Connections

Our current food system is built on convenience and competitive pricing. For the full value of local foods on our health, economy, communities and environment to be more well known and for new healthy behaviors to be adopted we must create personal connections & convenient pathways for people to source and consume local foods.
Awareness and education are important pieces of growing our local food system, as it not only creates more income for producers, but also builds a community of food citizens more deeply invested in supporting infrastructure and policies which benefit small scale, local producers.
We host events, workshops, and table events in order to spread the word about why supporting local producers is so important.
Do you have an idea for a partnership? Send us an email!

Convenient Pathways to Source Local Foods

Online Shopping Cart Software
Find all the details here.
One way we are working to improve markets that are efficient and profitable for producers is through online, year round sales of local food. We have developed an online shopping cart platform called Shop. Eat. Local. which is currently being piloted at the Iowa Food Cooperative. The platform offers a unique way to access locally produced goods from a wide range of local producers on a bi-weekly basis. For producers, it offers a simple and efficient market and for members, all their products are brought to one location for a convenient all in one pick up or home/satellite site delivery. We are working to test and tweak this software so that it can soon be offered as a free software option for other local food markets.

Access to local food

We are working to ensure the shopping cart platform will offer an efficient way for online local food markets to accept SNAP EBT and Double Up Food Bucks Dollars. And, we are working to spread the word about the variety of ways community members can access local food.
We are also creating tutorials and tailored supports for producers with a variety of backgrounds and languages to be able to sell through an online market.

Looking for a way to spruce up sweet potatoes this holiday season? Try this sweet potato casserole dish using local sweet potatoes.

Ingredients:
5 large sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or melted butter, plus more for drizzling
1&

Are you looking for a local turkey for Thanksgiving this year? Order from the @iowafoodcoop by November 20th to get yours on time!

#looklocalfirst #centraliowa #eatlocal #cultivatefoodconnections

There is an abundance of root vegetables to take advantage of this time of year! They work well roasted together for an easy, delicious, and colorful meal. Find turnips, beets, carrots, potatoes, and radishes at www.cultivatefoodconnections.org/learn

The Local Food for Schools program is coming to a close this December! Since 2022, over 100 schools across Iowa have received local produce & protein from four food hubs. Over $2M has been kept in the state because of this program. Way to go loca

Colby & Elijah have been an integral part of the Cultivate team for the past two years and while we are very sad to see them go, we are wishing them all the best in their new adventures in Duluth. We will miss all their energy, generosity, passio

The temperatures are dropping, but the availability of local foods is not! Broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, celery, collards, garlic, ,kale, kohlrabi, onions, pumpkins, parsnips, potatoes, snow peas, spinach, turnips, and winter squash ca

In the spirit of using the whole pumpkin, we had to include this warm pumpkin soup!

Ingredients:
1 (4-pound) pumpkin (kabocha squash is best)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 teaspoon s

If you carve pumpkins this year, don’t throw away one of the most delicious parts - the seeds! When you roast your pumpkin seeds they make a good base for any seasoning - sweet or savory!

Step 1: Remove the seeds
Step 2: Wash and dry the seeds

Are you enjoying the beauty and delicious flavor of all that fall has to offer? Here fun facts about the big orange fruit we call pumpkins.

Pumpkins are related to cucumbers, melons, and luffas.

Uncut pumpkins can be stored up to three months in a

Local food builds community! Each time we host an event, we are reminded how passionate both producers and food citizens are and how strong our community is. When you purchase local from a farmer, you're engaging with and supporting them directly. It

Preserve the taste of summer with this pickled hot pepper ring recipe! Find local hot peppers near you at www.cultivatefoodconnections/learnmore

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups red wine vinegar
1 1/2 cups filtered water
2 Tbsp. pickling salt
1 lb. mild hot

It's Indigenous People's Day! Read about indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge, and the teaching of plants in the book Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Though it was published in 2013, Braiding Sweetgrass remains an uplifting reflection

Let’s grow more local food connections in our community.

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