Cafe del Sol
With a passion for great coffee and sustainability, Stephen Dunham developed a line of coffees with a clean flavor and footprint.
Iowa City, IA
Garden Oasis Farm
Type: Farm
Produces: Vegetables
Location: Coggon, IA
Miles from Coop: 24
T.D. and Sarah Holub founded Garden Oasis in 2013, on just half an acre of land. By a stroke of luck, they were able to buy a farm in the rolling hills just a stone’s throw from where T.D. grew up in Coggon, Iowa.
Their farm now consists of 10 acres of sustainably raised, pesticide-free vegetables, grown in the field and in 3 hoop houses that T.D. built by hand.
T.D. says,
“I think that our role in the larger community is to educate about the healthy food that we grow, and why it makes a difference to purchase locally. Growing up on a family farm, we were always very close to our food sources, but as time went on less of the food we ate came from our own farm.”
"Having no connection or idea where your food comes from is sad. I get to see the joy of my CSA members and farmers market customers, when they get to choose the perfect head of lettuce and tomato to make their BLTs that night. I don’t think you get that excitement when you purchase food at a large grocery store. That is something I really appreciate about New Pioneer – the identification of where the food is coming from. Seeing the pictures of local growers’ in the stores and realizing how many of the products are coming from fellow farmers makes shopping at the Co-op fun and interesting!
Someday I hope we can look back and say that we have made an impact on our community by growing great food for those who need it.”
We love growing great-tasting food and the lifestyle that only being a farmer can bring. It’s the appreciation for each day and what it offers."
It’s not always easy, and it’s not always fun, but it is always fulfilling and worth the time and effort."
New Pi's produce department recently visited Garden Oasis Farm again and were happy to see the progress of their expanding farm operation and family.
Visiting our local producers gives a chance to connect even more to the food we stock on our shelves. After 10 years of running Garden Oasis, TD has made many changes to grow and pivot to meet the market demands, adding more hoophouses and expanding in the field as well.
Other Local Producers
Be sure to check out these others great local producers!
Frontier Co-op
Founded in 1976, Iowa based Frontier Co-op is a leader in branded organic and natural herbs, spices, and essential oils. As a co-operative owned by wholesale customers that buy and sell its products, Frontier sources hundreds of different botanicals and oils from over 175 suppliers in 50 countries.
Norway, IA
Early Morning Harvest
Earl, Ronda (above), & son Jeff Haffner grow organic grains and stone grind them whole – germ intact (unlike commercial flour). Their organic grains are in many of New Pi’s breads, prepared foods, and on New Pi shelves
Panora, IA
Scream Frozen Desserts
When the pandemic had everyday life restricted, Kate Vigmostad began envisioning an ice cream brand to spark joy and humor while keeping a small carbon footprint with local ingredients.
Fairfield, IA
Cortado
People would say, ‘Show me what you can do,’ and I would make them a Cortado. The balance of it is great.
Iowa City, IA
Organic Greens
For James Nisly, growing organic vegetables is about fulfilling a vision of producing healthy food for a healthy community and building well balanced soil for sustainable food production.
Kalona, IA
Seed Savers Exchange
Seed Savers formed a network of gardeners interested in preserving heirloom varieties and sharing seeds.
Decorah, IA
Oasis Street Food
When owners Naftaly and Ofer were unable to find the Mediterranean food they craved and grew up with, they decided to use their own family recipes to bring authentic falafel and hummus to Iowa City.
Iowa City, IA