Cooperatives are community-owned businesses. In the past 50 years, Seward Co-op has grown into a business with two grocery stores and a production facility serving over 23,000+ member-owners. We strive to be a place where everyone is welcome. Perhaps you are an occasional shopper who stops at the co-op for a specialty cut of meat or a natural wellness item you can’t find anywhere else. Maybe you shop here all the time and wonder, “why join?” A cashier or customer service staff member may have offered you a brochure with details, but you just have not taken the last step toward co-op ownership. Whatever your unique situation, let’s dig into the phrase “become an owner”!
Become an Owner of Seward Co-op
Why Join Seward Co-op?
When you become an owner of Seward Co-op, you become a cooperator on a deeper level. Not only do owners receive special pricing on some products, quarterly discounts, and occasional patronage refunds – they also have a say in who leads the co-op. Owners can vote and run as a candidate for the board of directors. More importantly, you’ll know that you are a co-owner and supporter of an independent, community-owned business supporting the local economy, ethical purchasing, and human cooperation for over 50 years.
In fact, Seward Community Co-op is the oldest co-op in the Twin Cities! In 1972, when Seward Co-op was founded, the world seemed increasingly fragile, alienating, and volatile. People responded by participating in grassroots organizing to build a better world. The idea behind the food co-op was to provide an antidote to corporate capitalism, to create a place where an alternative economic order could flourish and where the average person would have a voice. What formed is an extension of an anti-establishment ethos encompassing the environmental, civil rights, urban renewal, and anti-war movements of the time.
For the past half-century, Seward Co-op’s Ends Statement has led us to sustain a healthy community. The co-op could not do that without a thriving ecosystem of owners, shoppers, farmers, producers, staff, and community partners. Throughout our history, Seward Co-op has remained rooted in the cooperative values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity, and solidarity. Today our product selection and merchandising techniques may look different than the grain bins on the floor at the original storefront, but the need for cooperative organizing is stronger than ever.
Make the Investment!
We’ve made it easy for community members to join Seward Co-op! Choose from three payment options: paid-in-full, installments, or a needs-based option for those who qualify. A new ownership investment via any three payment options immediately qualifies you for owner benefits. When you become an owner, you purchase stock in Seward Co-op. Full owner equity at Seward Co-op is $75 of Class A stock.
Visit the Customer Service desk today to become an owner!
