Food co-op set to begin in Cedar Rapids in August

CEDAR RAPIDS – Eastern Iowans will soon be able to order locally produced vegetables, meat, wine, cheese and more from an online co-op.

The Iowa Valley Food Co-op has chosen a downtown Cedar Rapids distribution site and will begin operating in August, said Jason Grimm, one of the co-op organizers.

“Things are really moving now,” said Grimm, food system planner for Iowa Valley Resource Conservation and Development.

The co-op chose First Presbyterian Church, 310 Fifth St. SE, from a number of potential sites because of its central location, he said.

Already, more than a dozen producers have signed up to participate, including vegetable farmers, bakers, a winery and three cheese producers.

Pork, beef and goat meat also will be available.

Grimm said organizers are looking for egg and chicken producers and others.

A producer recruitment open house will be 4-7 p.m. Saturday at First Presbyterian, where producers can learn more. On July 13, same time and place, a similar event will be held for consumers. Samples will be offered by the producers.

Grimm said an Iowa City distribution site or others may be added in the future, depending on the need.

Farmers will bring their fresh produce and other items to the site on the pickup date, where it will be sorted by volunteers and readied for customers who have placed orders.

The first distribution day will be Aug. 17. Others are planned monthly through November.

At that point, Grimm said organizers will decide if the co-op will continue through the winter or wait until spring.

The co-op, just the second of its kind in Iowa, is the culmination of three years of work by a variety of groups concerned about obesity rates, fuel prices and food security.

A Des Moines co-op, launched in 2008, has more than 400 members and sells thousands of dollars of locally produced meat, vegetables, fruit, honey, baked goods and other items monthly. Iowa Valley Food Co-op members pay $25 to join as a consumer and $75 for producers.

Grimm said restaurants looking for local foods can also join, at a higher rate.

The producers will set their own prices, which will be listed online, along with the available items. Grimm said the “virtual shopping cart” will open Aug. 1, at which time consumers can begin their selections.

Members pay online or at the pickup site. The co-op pays the farmers.

The co-op charges the producers 10 percent of their sales and another 10 percent from customers to cover the cost of utilities, staff and equipment.

Grimm said members help increase the resiliency of Eastern Iowa's local food system by supporting local farmers.

“You're working toward a common goal,” he said.