Local Sale!
Save on Everything Iowa!
Members! Shop your Co-op on Saturday, July 25 to save 15% on local products around the Co-op (that’s over 1,000 products!).
From 11am-1pm – Enjoy local samples, co-op explorers local scavenger hunt for the kiddos, wellness diy and sign up to win our local product giveaway!
Wheatsfield defines local as grown or produced within the state of Iowa. No further discounts. Non-members save 5%.
Fresh Deals, July 15 – July 21
Everyone Saves!
Co+op Deals, Jul 14-Aug 4
Everyone Saves!
Preorder sale cases by 12pm, July 30.
Member-Owner Extras, Jul 14-Aug 4
Extra deals just for member-owners!
Preorder sale cases by 12pm, July 30.
July Wellness Savings
Everyone Saves!
July 2026 Change for Community: Iowa Wildlife Center
Iowa Wildlife Center
The Iowa Wildlife Center provides professional wildlife rescue, medical treatment and rehabilitation of native wildlife in central Iowa; teaches about wildlife and habitat stewardship; and provides wildlife assistance skills training.
Eat Lunch With us on the 4th!
Eat lunch with us on the 4th of July!
Stop by for house-made pork brats, hot dogs, and veggie dogs. Plus all the fixins!
Grab them in co-op off our hot bar. Grab chips, cold drinks, cookies and more to round out your lunch! Cool off after the parade with your co-op.
July 4th STORE HOURS: 8am-6pm
LUNCH: 11am-3pm
While supplies last. No evening hot bar available. Deli Department closes at 4pm.
June 2026 Produce Parable
Nam Doc Mai Mango
June 2026 Produce Parable
By Adam Calder, Wheatsfield Produce Manager
Summer is upon us, and that means it is the time for tropical fruit! Making a return appearance in our produce department is a real star, the Nam Doc Mai mango.
It is difficult to articulate just how good these mangoes are. The Produce Department Assistant Manager, Devin, said “they taste like what people always say good tropical fruit eaten in its setting tastes like.” That is a succinct way of saying these mangoes taste like a tropical sunset, with your feet in the sand at a beach, after a day of swimming in the ocean. If such things could have a flavor, they would taste like the Nam Doc Mai mango. Our Center Store Manager, Jane, said she and her children bonded over their surprise and delight in the sublime taste of this wonderful fruit.
The lemon-yellow flesh is succulent, sweet and syrupy in a most decadent way. The fruit itself has a unique, pointed shape with a greenish-yellow to gold-colored peel. These mangos also have a pleasant, heady scent that matches the sweetness of the fruit’s flavor. They originated in Thailand, and are the key ingredient in the delicious Thai Mango Sticky Rice dessert. Once confined only to Thailand, they are now grown in tropical and sub-tropical locations all over the world.
The plant itself has an interesting property, in that the seed exhibits polyembryony, which means the seed contains more than one embryo. In most circumstances, when a plant forms a seed there is one embryo in it, with a genetic composition unique compared to that of the parent plant. In polyembryony, there is more than one embryo in the seed. These embryo “siblings” have identical genes to one another, but different genes than the parent plant. The same thing happens in humans when identical twins are born from one initial embryo.
The season on these delicacies is only from June through July, so grab some the next time you are in the co-op if you want a tropical treat in the middle of our land-locked ocean of corn and soy.
June 2026 Word From the Board
Why I Chose to Become a Wheatsfield Member-Owner
Deb Russell, Wheatsfield Board of Directors
As a member of the Wheatsfield Board of Directors, I’m often asked why membership matters. After all, anyone can shop at the Co-op, so why become a Member-Owner?
For me, the answer is about more than discounts or sales. Membership is a way to invest in a business that reflects the kind of community I want to help build.
Wheatsfield began as a buying club in 1974, built on a simple idea: neighbors can do more together than alone. More than 50 years later, that idea still defines the Co-op. As a Member-Owner, I’m more than a customer, I help shape a community-owned grocery store that serves local people rather than outside shareholders.
Of course, membership also comes with practical benefits. Member-Owners receive appreciation discounts throughout the year, special pricing, savings on pre-ordered cases, wellness discounts, and reduced rates for classes and events. For many members, those perks help offset the one-time, fully refundable $100 equity investment.
The value of ownership reaches beyond any one member. Co-ops keep more money in the local economy, create more opportunities for locally produced food, and support business practices that are good for people and the planet. By supporting Wheatsfield, Member-Owners help strengthen a food system built on relationships with local farmers, providing local jobs, and promoting a healthier community.
What I appreciate most, though, is having a voice. Member-Owners elect the Board of Directors and help shape the future of the Co-op. In a cooperative, every Member-Owner has an equal vote. Whether you’ve been a member for decades or just joined this year, your voice matters.
As a board member, I have the privilege of seeing the care and commitment that go into keeping Wheatsfield financially strong, responsive to its members, and true to its mission. And speaking of being a board member, this year’s board election cycle is underway! Give it some thought and if you believe this is something you would like to do, check out the candidate packet and start filling out that application! The Nominations and Recruitment Committee will be accepting applications for new board members through August 10.
When you become a Member-Owner, you’re doing more than supporting a grocery store. You’re helping sustain a community institution and taking part in a business model that puts people before profits.
That’s why I’m a Member-Owner, and I hope you’ll consider becoming one too.
COOKING CLASS: The Mighty Chickpea
Discover the versatility of the humble garbanzo bean (chickpea) in this demonstration-style vegetarian cooking class. Join us as we showcase the transformative power of this pantry staple, turning it into 3 delicious, flavor-packed dishes that are easy enough for weeknight meals yet impressive enough to wow your guests at any gathering.
If you have specific dietary restrictions, please reach out to us in advance before signing up for the class at [email protected] or by calling the co-op at 515-232-4094 and speaking with Sheba Wright, Education Coordinator.
Limited substitutions can be made during the class.
Meet the Instructor!
Rama Sridhar is an expert chef in vegetarian cooking and has dedicated more than 40 years to communicating the benefits of vegetarian nutrition. Rama's cooking is based on two fundamental principles: (a) develop recipes that excel in both nutrition and taste and (b) draw and use ideas from all over the globe to develop creative fusion foods. She is a guest Chef at a local restaurant – Lockwood Café – where she offers Indian and International foods. Rama has a close connection to Ames. She has lived here for 35 plus years and received a Dietetics degree from Iowa State University. She is a diehard Cyclones fan.
Date & Time
Tuesday, September 29, 2026 | 5:30-7PM
Class Location
Community Room
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