Iowa Food Cooperative Marketing Coordinator Zoe Hermsen, left, and board member Lisa Bean show off some of their best recommendations during a recent trip to the shop. (Photo: Wini Moranville)
By Wini Moranville
The Iowa Food Cooperative can be a bit of a mystery to the uninitiated. Yes, it’s a member-based system where dues-payers can order directly from local farmers. But you don’t need to be a member to shop the storefront at 4944 Franklin Ave. Open three days a week — 1-6 p.m. Monday and Friday, plus 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday — the shop offers a curated selection of fresh produce, meat, dairy products, pantry staples, baked treats and more, all sourced from Iowa growers and makers.
We asked longtime board member Lisa Bean and marketing coordinator Zoe Hermsen for $100 worth of what they’re most excited about right now, at the height of the growing season. Their picks offer a snapshot of the shop’s ever-changing bounty.
Lisa, who bakes weekly, swears by RC Farm’s whole wheat flour ($11.50/4 pounds), ideal for hearty loaves. She also enjoys the farm’s grass-fed beef. Zoe recommends rolled Kernza ($7.50/12 ounces), a perennial grain that’s high in protein and fiber and can be used as a hot cereal, in granola and in baking.
Lisa’s freezer always includes Scream Ice Cream from Fairfield ($11/pint), which uses dairy sourced from sustainable, organic and grass-fed Iowa farms. Pleasant Grove Homestead provides her with pasture-raised eggs ($7.50/dozen) and young chicken drumsticks ($16/1.25 pounds), which her grandkids love.
Cheese lovers shouldn’t miss Frisian Farms aged Gouda ($9.20/half pound), which is perfect for grating, like Parmesan, but even better since it’s made in Iowa. “If I can picture the person who produced the food, it just makes eating a different experience,” Lisa said.
Knob Hill’s Berkshire Pork Chorizo ($12/pound) from pasture-raised animals adds a spicy kick to tacos or scrambled eggs. Maple Syrup from Great River ($11.50/8 ounces) brings a sweet Iowa touch to breakfast, while DSM Pasta Co.’s bronze-cut semolina pasta ($9.20/pound) adds artisanal flair to dinner. Finally, don’t skip the seasonal produce: On my visit last week, that meant Iowa-grown fennel, carrots, greens, and beets (prices vary), among many other fresh and colorful choices.
While you’d expect great produce right now and for the next couple months, Zoe reminded me the coop sells fresh produce year-round thanks to greenhouse growers like Lee’s Greens — think herbs, winter spinach and fresh lettuce, even in the cold months. Not everything is certified organic, but all producers are vetted for responsible, thoughtful growing practices—so you can feel good about what you’re bringing home.
Wini Moranville has been covering the Des Moines food and dining scene since 1997. You can read her other recent shopping recommendations for AllSpice Culinarium, The Cheese Shop, Gateway Market and Purveyor, and her weekly dining newsletter at winimoranville.substack.com.
