This Halloween, shop your values without sacrificing fun.

At Seward Co-op, we go beyond raisins, dental floss and toothbrushes (though we have those, too!) and carry treats from organic, allergy-friendly companies like YumEarth and cooperatives that care about fair trade like Equal Exchange.

Candy corn, candles, spooky reusable ChicoBags—we offer those and more, so both you and your kids are happy this Halloween. Want a unique treat? Toss in organic maple candies from local Community Foods producer Maple Valley Cooperative.

Need a simple last-minute costume? We have Natural Earth Paint face paint and creature-themed hats and mittens from Andes Gifts (another fair trade-conscious company).

For us and many of our shoppers, Halloween candy has to be more than sweet. When it comes to chocolate, fair trade certification is one of the easiest ways for our shoppers to know that the cocoa beans used to make it were not farmed using unpaid child labor or by inflicting other human rights abuses.

Look for Community Foods logos around the store to support the local, small, cooperative, inclusive and/or sustainable producers that qualify for the program. Community Foods brings an extra level of vetting to our shelves—and helps to tell the story behind our sweet treats so you can feel good about what you put in your basket.

With Community Foods, you can make sure that what you hand out this Halloween not only tastes good but does good, too!

Thank you to Mandy Makinen of National Co-op Grocers for inspiring this post.

Winter is here, and with it comes a new Seward Co-op Creamery Café menu! Our winter menu went live Nov. 8. With it comes the return of some seasonal favorites, and some new dishes we are going to be trying throughout the winter months. With this menu change comes a shift in sourcing as well. During the summer, we focus heavily on sourcing from small farms. In an effort to extend our local season, we are beginning to shift our focus to larger local cooperatives. These larger cooperatives can help us get as much local product as we need to sustain us until next spring!

Along with the new menu comes a gradual change to the physical space of the Creamery building. We have officially moved away from large printed menus on the wall, and replaced them with newly redesigned handheld menus. Replacing the large wall printed menus are new chalkboard panels. These new panels will now showcase our rotating drink and menu specials. They also highlight local Community Foods producers and their products.

Stop in to see the farmers and vendors we’re featuring today!

Voting opened Tuesday, Oct. 2, for the annual Seward Co-op Board of Directors election. This year, there are three at-large seats up for election, each with three-year terms. There is one designated employee director seat open for a two-year term.

Co-op owners elect the board of directors—one vote per owner. Help maintain our healthy co-op democracy and participate in the direction we take as a community-owned business by casting your vote.

The election began Tuesday, Oct. 2, and ends Tuesday, Oct. 30.

Return a paper ballot by dropping it off at the Franklin store, Friendship store or Creamery Café by 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 30. After 4 p.m. on Oct. 30, paper ballots will be accepted only at the Annual Owner Meeting at Coffman Memorial Union, on the University of Minnesota campus, prior to the final call for ballots.

Join Us at the Annual Owner Meeting
Board election results will be announced at the Annual Owner Meeting, Oct. 30. The meeting will feature a dinner and teachings on indigenous foods by Sean Sherman of The Sioux Chef. Tickets are available now.

Tickets are $5 in advance or $15 at the door. Children (5-12): $3; Children 4 and under are free. The menu is gluten- and dairy-free and includes vegan and vegetarian options.

Roasted Native Harvest Veg with Maple + Pepita
Wild Rice Salad
Hominy and Squash Soup
Smoked Turkey + Sunchoke (Vegan option is Smoked Forest Mushrooms + Sunchoke)
Sweet Blue Corn Pudding + Dried Fruit + Berries

Vote Online
All co-op owners for whom we have a current email address received emails with a link to vote online. Online voting closed at midnight Monday, Oct. 29.

Vote In Person/By Mail
A paper ballot and election brochure with full details was also mailed to co-op owners. Paper ballots will be accepted at any co-op location until 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 30. Paper ballots can also be mailed.

Candidate Forum
The board of directors hosted a Candidate Forum on Tuesday, Oct. 9 at Seward Co-op Creamery Café. The candidate forum was an opportunity to hear from board candidates and mingle with fellow co-op owners.

Learn more about and review the candidates here. Questions? Email board@seward.coop.

Not an owner? Become one today to have a say in the election. Visit Customer Service for details.

Join us for a meal designed by Creamery Café executive chef Matt Kappra and made with produce from our October SEED grant recipient, the Hmong American Farmers Association, on Oct. 23, 6-8 p.m., at Seward Co-op Creamery Café. SEED donations will be accepted at the dinner.

Three-course dinner: $40
Kombucha pairing: additional $9
Beer, wine and other beverages will be available for purchase.

Purchase Tickets Now

Our October SEED Recipient
The Hmong American Farmers Association is our October SEED recipient. HAFA supports Hmong farmers in creating profitable, sustainable agricultural businesses. Round up at the register to donate in any amount at any Seward Co-op location throughout the month!

SEED donations to HAFA help provide healthy, fresh produce to more than 70,000 schoolchildren and tens of thousands of other neighbors in the Twin Cities region.

Seward Co-op’s SEED program is a simple yet powerful community giving opportunity that allows customers to round up their grocery bill at the co-op or check at Seward Co-op Creamery Café for recipient organizations that share our commitment to a healthy community.

All funds donated at the register are given directly to the recipient organization at the end of each month, often totaling over $20,000 per month.

Learn more about HAFA on their website. Follow HAFA on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

In collaboration with HOURCAR, we now have a carsharing hub at our Friendship store. HOURCAR is Minnesota’s only nonprofit carsharing service—and it’s a 100% local company.

Seward Community Co-op has had a long partnership with HOURCAR. HOURCAR has been available at Franklin and we’re excited to now be able to offer it at both Seward Co-op store locations.

Reduced Rates
The new hub at the Friendship store has been designated an “Increased Access” location, meaning that rates at this hub are over 25% lower than at other HOURCAR locations.

Here are two promotions that are currently available exclusively to Seward Co-op owners:

1. If you’re not already an HOURCAR member and want to join, use the promo code “FRIENDSHIP” when you sign up. You’ll receive $25 in driving credit once your application is approved.
2. If you’re already an HOURCAR member, you can receive $10 in driving credit just for being a Seward Co-op owners! Just send an email to info@hourcar.org and mention the promo code “FRANKLIN.” Credit must be used between Oct. 7 and Nov. 4.

When you use an HOURCAR, you’re in the driver’s seat. You decide where you go, how you get there, and what station you listen to along the way. To sign up or learn more about HOURCAR, visit www.hourcar.org.

About HOURCAR
HOURCAR is an independent nonprofit organization. HOURCAR gives people in the Twin Cities region a great tool to minimize car travel, resulting in cleaner air and fewer greenhouse gas emissions. HOURCAR is also committed to increasing transportation and car-sharing access to everyone in the Twin Cities, especially in low income, underserved communities.

Community Foods is a new Seward Co-op labeling program featuring producers that best align with our cooperative values and mission to sustain a healthy community. Community Foods replaced P6 on Thursday, Sept. 27, at all Seward Co-op locations.

With Community Foods, we’re focusing on the real stories of our producers that support Seward Co-op’s Ends.

Community Foods purchases are important, everyday investments in a sustainable and equitable food system. Look for Community Foods logos around our stores to find and support our producers that are local, small, cooperative, sustainable and/or inclusive.

Launch Celebration
Join us at the Franklin and Friendship stores for the Community Foods Launch Celebration on Saturday, Oct. 13, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.. We’ll have producer samples, Community Foods-themed giveaways and more!

Community Foods Producers
To qualify for the Seward Co-op Community Foods label, producers must meet at least two of the criteria outlined below:

Local—products from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa
Small—products direct from producers
Cooperative—Businesses run by and for people, with democratic governance and profits shared proportionate to use
Inclusive—historically underrepresented producers
Sustainable—producers who are stewards of the land
and environment

Why is the program called Community Foods?
The name of the program is the culmination of a process that spanned many months and included a number of stakeholders and conversations. Ultimately, we chose Community Foods because it simply speaks to who we are—it’s in our name (Seward Community Co-op), in our Ends (sustain a healthy community) and in the international principles that guide the way co-ops operate (Concern for Community).

Thank You
Seward Co-op staff thanks everyone who took part in the Community Foods online survey earlier this summer. Your input helped shape the program and its messaging and informed shifts on some items, such as the tagline. The co-op is owned by its shoppers and exists to benefit them. Community Foods is another way we hope to serve you, our owners and community.

Community Foods debuted Sept. 27 in both co-op locations. The program will also be featured in Seward Co-op Creamery Café.

Learn more about the program on the Community Foods page.

Come meet the farmers who grow our food! Wisconsin Growers Co-op will be providing samples of their sweet potatoes Saturday, Oct. 6, 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. at the Franklin store as part of our Know Our Grower series.

About Wisconsin Growers Co-op
Wisconsin Growers Co-op was founded in 2006 to help 20 families maintain ownership of their farms. Its members are dedicated to the idea that if farmers take “good care of the soil, the soil will pay back with high-quality produce.”

This mindset has proven effective; Wisconsin Growers often brings us produce all year long, from greenhouse radishes at the first sight of spring clear around the calendar to over-wintered parsnips.

The key to the longevity of their growing season are labor-intensive, fossil fuel-free farming methods. On nearly 40 acres of the co-op’s land, these farmers plant, tend, and harvest crops exclusively using horses, horse machinery, and hand tools.

This soup features the ingredients of a Three Sisters Garden, a Native American tradition of growing corn, beans and squash together. Cooked together they make a great soup that is popular with vegetarians and vegans.

Three Sisters Soup is a soothing first course for a holiday meal or an everyday comfort food using the gorgeous local produce available in our Produce department. Omnivores: The soup pairs well with our new seasonal Seward-made sausage, available in the Meat department.

Ingredients
2 pounds of your favorite winter squash (butternut, acorn, kabocha)
2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced
1/4 cup garlic, chopped
2 quarts vegetable stock or water
1/2 cup white wine
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 large bay leaf
1 pound fresh or frozen corn kernels
2 15.5-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained
1/2 bunch green onions, sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Halve the squash and scoop out the seeds. Place the squash halves skin-side down on a lightly oiled baking sheet, and then roast until cooked through and soft, anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes (see tips below for cooking times depending on your squash). Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Scoop the flesh of the squash into a large bowl (save any liquid!). Puree the cooled squash with a blender or food processor, adding some of the reserved liquid if needed.

In a large stockpot, heat the oil over medium heat and sauté the onions until they begin to brown. Add the garlic and cook, stirring often, until the garlic turns light brown in color.
Add the stock or water, wine, thyme, bay leaf and pureed squash and bring to a simmer. Stir in the remaining ingredients and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Tips & Notes
Squash cooking times will vary depending on the type and size of squash. At 350°F you can expect these approximate cooking times:

Acorn squash: 30-45 minutes
Kabocha squash: 40-50 minutes
Butternut squash: 60-90 minutes

Credit: National Co-op Grocers