It may have been another year of cloudy weather for the 2024 Seward Co-op CSA Fair, but the atmosphere under the tent was bright, warm, and full of excitement to support a thriving local food system. Well over a dozen farms and producers attended the 23rd annual fair, where they chatted with community members about their CSA share options, offered samples, and showcased the vibrancy of our local grower and maker landscape. As the afternoon went on, visitors to the fair learned about available produce, meat, eggs, cheese, coffee, bread, and other shares, and signed up to have boxes of delicious goodies delivered to a nearby drop-off location. Some collected information to decide which shares best suited their families. Seward Co-op is dedicated to helping build a food system that values inclusivity, environmental responsibility, equity, and access, and this year’s CSA Fair was a prime example of these values in action.
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This year, several of the 2024 SEED recipients joined us under the tent to chat with visitors about their organizations, how they plan to use SEED funds, and remind them to round up when they visit Seward Co-op. Tamales y Bicicletas (May), RECLAIM (June), and Roosevelt Culinary Arts (September) were among the attending SEED recipients, all of whom helped further solidify the CSA Fair as a community-centered event. 2024 was also the first year we welcomed new fair sponsor Minnesota Grown, who offered stickers, temporary tattoos, and information on their own local CSA database.
Once again, we were joined by Midwest Food Connection (MFC) to offer activities for visiting kids, including making seed balls from clay, soil, and a few different flower seeds. Our community partner at past fairs, MFC is a local education non-profit founded by local food co-ops, including Seward Co-op. MFC provides lessons in cooking, gardening, and eating healthy food to elementary school students. Young cooperators at the fair were also treated to Microgreens bingo, which invited them to learn more about the attending farms for a chance to win a sticker, and colorful face painting by Madeleine Asher, including adorable, sparkly doodles of produce, flowers, and pollinators.
