Celebrating Women-Led Businesses at the Co-op

International Women’s Day is March 8, and we are excited to highlight some of the amazing women-led businesses that we support on the shelves of New Pi. We are very fortunate that many of these businesses are local. Join us in empowering these enterprising individuals!

Acure

Kristy Guerra’s skin and hair care line is designed to boost your natural assets with healthy nutrients. Acure products are free of parabens, formaldehyde, sulfates, paraffin, and mineral oils, and are never tested on animals.
 

Agri-Cultured

Waukee, Iowa
Sarah Underberg and her husband Eric started making fermented foods to address health problems like joint pain. Today Agri-Cultured makes raw sauerkrauts, pickles, and kimchi. "We’re changing lives one gut at a time,” Sarah says.
 

Alaffia

Washington native Prairie Rose Hyde and her husband Olowo-n’djo Tchala, from Togo, West Africa, founded Alaffia in 2003. Alaffia makes skin and hair care products that are Fair for Life-certified, and uses a portion of their proceeds to support Empowerment Projects in West Africa.
 

Cado

Fairfield, IA
Meghan Dowd, her brother Jack, and her mother Deb, created Cado in 2015. They make non-dairy frozen desserts with an avocado base in a range of sweet, ice cream-y flavors.
 

Dirty Face Creek Farm

Hills, IA
Jessica Stutsman uses her background in watershed restoration to care for the organic farm she began with her late husband, Mike. She grows organic herbs and vegetables at Dirty Face Creek Farm with her daughter, Sophie.
 

Evan Healy

Evan Healy, a holistic aesthetician, founded the cult favorite skin care line that shares her name back in 1999. Her simple product formulas are made from organic, plant-based ingredients from small farms around the world.
 

Galassi Foods

Coralville, IA
Lisa and Anne Galassi started bottling their Italian grandmother’s recipe to “make the taste of homemade a reality for busy families.” Galassi partners with Bring Change 2 Mind to fight the stigma of mental illness.
 

Herbivorous Butcher

Minneapolis, MN
Aubry Walch and her brother Kale founded their vegan “butcher shop” in Minneapolis to tremendous success. Herbivorous Butcher’s delightful, meat-free, plant-based products include deli slices, cheeses, and bacon.
 

Jezebel Wines

Pam Walden is the owner and winemaker at Jezebel (and Willful Wines). She makes her critically acclaimed, fruit-forward wines at Southeast Wine Collective in Portland, Oregon.
 

La Casa

Iowa City, IA
Growing up in Texas, Mercy Sueppel learned to cook at a young age. Now Mercy works with her children Laurie and Bart to make preservative-free, authentic Mexican sauces and spices with fresh ingredients under the La Casa label.
 

La Reyna

Vinton, IA
Carmen and Carlos Legaspi and their family are behind La Reyna, the brand that is proud to be “Hecho en Iowa” since 1991. They are known for their excellent fresh pico de gallo, guacamole, queso sauce, and more.
 

Leaf Kitchen

Iowa City, Iowa
Harriet Woodford and Masae Judge have grown their business from the farmer’s market to their lovely café. We enjoy Leaf Kitchen’s famous butter cookies year-round at New Pi.
 

Mariposa Farms

Grinnell, Iowa
Mariposa Farms is devoted to growing delicious herbs in their state-of-the-art hydroponics system. You’ll find their famous “Herbs from the Heartland” at the Co-op all year long.
 

Marmalade Sky

Fairfield, Iowa
Marmalade Sky is a local artisanal bakery specializing in gluten-free treats. Founder Malak Nour uses fresh, organic ingredients to create divine desserts like brownies, macaroon bars, and mini cakes.
 

Motherlove

Kathryn Higgins built Motherlove out of her interest in using wild plants for food and medicine. Her company uses certified organic herbs and pure ingredients to create their beloved herbal remedies.
 

patti z

Iowa City, Iowa
New Pi staffer patti zwick (known for her beautiful quiltz) makes one-of-a-kind watercolor and quiltz-inspired cards by hand. Patti’s eye pillows, filled with organic flax and organic lavender, are also available at the Co-op, where she has worked for over 30 years.
 

Rare Bird Soap Shop

Kalona, Iowa
Wende Fugate hand-makes her small-batch vegan soaps, skincare, and home products with organic and local ingredients. Rare Bird offerings are free from sulfates, parabens, and preservatives, and made with pure essential oils.
 

Seed Savers Exchange

Decorah, Iowa
Diane Ott Whealy and Kent Whealy founded Seed Savers in 1975 with two sets of family heirloom seeds from the 1870s. Today the organization promotes biodiversity by preserving heirlooms and sharing seeds from more than 20,000 plant varieties.
 

Mystic Chocolate & Sweet Raw Joy

Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Under the Sweet Raw Joy label, Laurie Moritz makes raw, vegan, wheat-free desserts (delicious even for people not following those diets!) from scratch with organic, plant-based ingredients like nuts, dates, cacao powder and fresh fruits. At Mystic Chocolate, Laurie makes raw tempered chocolates from a recipe of just three (organic!) ingredients.
 

Triple Creek Dairy

Long Grove, Iowa
Brendia Kempf makes award-winning cheeses (in an array of flavors) from the milk of her award-winning goats. Triple Creek takes pride in creating products that can be enjoyed by people who can’t have cow’s milk – and everyone else, too!
 

Wild Culture Kombucha

Iowa City, IA
Rachelle Schmidt and Tim Roed began Wild Culture in 2015. They brew raw, live, and unfiltered kombucha from fresh produce they juice themselves.
 

Zaza’s Pastas

Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Julie Parisi learned to make pasta for her family at her Italian grandmother’s side as a child. At Zaza’s Pastas, she handcrafts her own high-quality pastas in small batches for all of us, using local, organic flour.
 

Zoe’s Deli

Mount Vernon, Iowa
Diana named Zoe’s Pet Deli after her beloved dog Zoe. They believe in holistic and natural pet nutrition, and their carefully crafted dog treats have a happy following at the Co-op.