"We had a lot of space to fill in when we opened on December 6!" That is how Carla Gornall described TakeRoot Farm Stop's first day on Underwood Avenue in an August 2026 interview with the National Farm Stop Conference. The shop opened in December, and its first produce was potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, winter squash and garlic. This winter will be its second. For the first time, Dundee heads into the off-season with an indoor farmers market that has already been through a full year of seasons.
That changes what the end of market season means here. When the outdoor tents come down, Dundee still has a local food market. What changes is what's on its shelves.
Two Weekends Left, Then the Tents Come Down
The metro's outdoor market calendar is almost over. Several markets have already closed, and the two biggest finish next weekend.
| Market | Day | Final 2026 Date | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bellevue Farmers Market | Saturday | September 19 | 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. |
| Heartwood Preserve Beats & Bites | Friday | September 25 | 5:00 to 8:30 p.m. |
| Florence Mill Country Market | Sunday | September 27 | 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. |
| Omaha Farmers Market, Old Market | Saturday | October 10 | 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. |
| Omaha Farmers Market, Aksarben Village | Sunday | October 11 | 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. |
Starting October 12, the closest place to buy from a large group of Nebraska and Iowa growers is a 2,500-square-foot former furniture showroom on Underwood. TakeRoot Farm Stop at 5018 Underwood Ave. is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Dundee Merchants Association describes it as a market meant to complement the city's outdoor markets, not replace them.
How a Market Works When No Farmer Works a Booth
Outdoor markets close in fall partly because each one depends on growers standing at a table every weekend. TakeRoot runs on a consignment model adapted from Argus Farm Stop in Ann Arbor, Michigan, so farmers don't have to be there. It works like this:
- Each farmer or rancher owns the product on the shelf and sets its price.
- When an item sells, the producer keeps 70% of the sale price.
- Producers log into an online portal to see what sold and what needs restocking.
The Dundee Merchants Association reports that the model lets growers sell all week while spending their time farming instead of staffing extra booths. The network has grown quickly. Gornall said the store opened with about 25 farms. By August 2026 it had nearly 50 farmers and ranchers and just over 100 consignors in total. In late July, the merchants association reported an average of two new vendors a week, according to Visit Dundee.
The ownership explains how the sourcing works. Of TakeRoot's three owners, two farm: Gordon Miller runs Grandview Farm in Fremont, and Matt Johnson runs Long Walk Farm in Council Bluffs. Gornall manages the store day to day. About 90% of the store's products come from Nebraska or Iowa. When something can't be found in either state, the team looks to neighboring states. Eastwind Nut Butters from Missouri is the example the merchants association cites.
Last December Is the Best Preview of This Winter
TakeRoot hasn't announced a winter inventory plan for 2026. The clearest preview is what happened last time. The store opened with plenty of storage crops, and its produce deck wasn't delivered for a few months. When supplies ran low, Gornall ordered from Iowa's network of five food hubs, which move produce and products around that state.
The sales mix suggests how much the store's character changes with the weather. In early June 2026, pantry goods made up 23% of sales, meat 15% and produce 13%. Gornall said meat and produce had recently been closer to 30% each, and she expected them to rise again as summer produce came in and grilling season picked up. She also expected locally made pantry items to remain among the largest categories. Granola, snacks, honey and jams are the top pantry sellers.
The meat case doesn't depend on the growing season the way the produce deck does. Fresh chicken arrives once a week and sells out nearly every week. One vendor's chicken is now also sold thawed, and the store carries thawed aged beef, mostly steaks, that Gornall said rarely lasts more than a week or two.
Some of the producers on the store's current list sell things that don't depend on a field in July: All in Thyme's focaccia and English muffins, Archetype Coffee, Artemis Tea and Big Prana Microgreens. Other farms on the list include A+ Berry, Back to Nature Farms, Benson Bounty, Barn Girls Farms, Bridgewater Farm and Brun Ko Farm. Fruit is the long-term gap. Gornall said two farms are planting more strawberries, and the store is working with the Horticulture Department at Metropolitan Community College.
A Coffee Counter Without Chairs
One change since last winter is coffee. TakeRoot started selling to-go coffee on August 1, using equipment it had bought before opening but only put into service around its nine-month mark. Gornall said she hadn't been sure it would sell, with several cafes close by, but she has been surprised by how many people grab a cup. So far, most orders are iced lattes to go. As the weather cools, it will be the first season that order gets tested.
There's still nowhere to sit. Under county rules, cafe seating would require a third bathroom, and the building has no room for one. The owners hope the City will grant a waiver, since the business is primarily a grocery store. The certified kitchen can host programs and meetings. The store's education page lists those programs as "coming soon," with possible topics including seasonal cooking, preserving and canning, fermentation, composting and farm tours. No dates have been posted yet.
The Rest of Underwood in October
The farm stop sits in the middle of a short stretch of Underwood with a full calendar this month. Most of these events are within a few doors of 5018:
- Thursday, October 8, 6 to 7 p.m. Connor Luedtke plays instrumental guitar at Duck Duck Bottle Shop, 4917 Underwood Ave.
- Tuesday, October 13, 7 to 8 p.m. The Dundee-Memorial Park Association meets in the Brownell Talbot cafeteria at 400 N. Happy Hollow Blvd. Buey Ray Tut of Spark Development will speak about a proposed project to improve access to the upper level on the west side of Memorial Park.
- Saturday, October 17, 6 to 7 p.m. Third Saturday Music in Dundee at 50th and Underwood, with Tim Howard on the association newsletter's listing.
- Sunday, October 18, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Dundee Vintage Market brings 13-plus local vintage vendors to Albany & Avers, 5011 Underwood Ave.
- Thursday, October 22, 6 to 8 p.m. A Death Cafe Workshop at Albany & Avers.
- Saturday, October 24, 2 to 5 p.m. The Dundee Merchants Association hosts Treats on the Street, with trick-or-treating at participating Dundee businesses. The list of participating merchants was still marked "coming soon" at last check.
eCreamery, across the street at 5001 Underwood Ave., has Pumpkin Spice in its flavor case and a fall shake lineup that includes a Pumpkin Spiced Latte and Toasted S'mores. Seasonal hours run until 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
In October's newsletter, association president Adrienne Perry wrote that Dundee has "an extraordinary amount of social infrastructure" and that "none of it happens by accident." She named the business district, the community garden, the parks, the library and the community center. A market that stays open seven days a week through winter is a new addition to that list. In Gornall's words: "Our neighbors enjoy having a store within walking and biking distance of their homes."
December 6 Comes Around Again
The holidays were where TakeRoot first proved itself. Gornall said the first month brought "tremendous sales" from holiday gift-buying. It took a few months to get back to that level, and summer sales then pushed past it. The gift shelves carry hand-loomed kitchen dish towels, local pottery, wood cutting boards, handwoven willow baskets, candles and body care products.
No anniversary event has been announced. The date itself is set: TakeRoot Farm Stop turns one on Sunday, December 6, 2026, eight weeks after the last outdoor market at Aksarben Village closes.
Places like TakeRoot are a big part of how Sheila Ost describes Dundee to clients: a street where dinner, a vintage market and a winter grocery run are all within a few doors of each other. If you're thinking about what your Dundee home is worth, or which nearby blocks fit the way you want to live, Sheila Ost offers a free consultation and home valuation, built on the same block-by-block knowledge.
