Wednesday, April 22, Seward is sponsoring the Beez Kneez Second Annual Dandelion Honey Pastry Chef Challenge.

This tasty annual event is a local foods pastry chef competition, judged by some wonderful local celebrities like Zoe Francois and Brenda Langton of Spoonriver, and best of all, our own Bakery Supervisor Mary Vorndran will be competing! But it’s also a celebration to raise awareness of bees’ plight. Amazing food, music, celebrity judges, words from Dr. Marla Spivak and a new call to action for Healthy Bees, Healthy Lives.

Please join the swarm and buy tickets.

(Want to help bees and butterflies this spring? Consider planting a pollinator garden. Details here.)

Sensible Organic has issued a voluntary recall of Nourish Organic Argan and Rosewater Face Lotion and Nourish Organic Argan and Pomegranate Face Cream due to mold. No illnesses have been associated with these products. Please see below for more detail about the products.

The issue came to Sensible Organic’s attention as a result of communications we received from consumers. The manufacturer immediately conducted an investigation into the issue and determined the scope of specific products affected. Extensive root cause analysis revealed the most likely source of the problem is that the affected products may have become contaminated with mold. The identified molds are not considered to be significant threats to humans but rather are common environmental molds. However, out of an abundance of caution, Sensible Organic is undertaking this voluntary recall.

Seward Co-op sold these items from March 16-April 2, 2015. All lot numbers are affected. Recalled product has been removed from the shelf. We will return the item to the shelf as soon as non-recalled product is available. These items were on sale during the second half of March, and were featured on displays. If you purchased these items, please do not use them. Recalled products will be fully refunded at our Customer Service desk.

Nourish Organic Argan and Rosewater Face Lotion, 1.7oz, $20.99, UPC: 66738310904

Nourish Organic Argan and Pomegranate Face Cream, 1.7oz, $21.99, UPC: 66738310903

The SEED totals are in for the month of March: Seward shoppers and owners have donated $19,776.39 (from 43,693 individual donations). That’s a record for monthly donations via SEED! Seward Co-op matched $2,085 in donations over the course of the final March weekend, for a grand total of $21,860 in March.

Those crucial dollars go to the Sabathani Food Shelf, our neighbors across the street from the Seward Friendship Store-to-be. Sabathani feeds over 25,000 Minneapolitans every year at their Food Shelf, so we’re exceedingly proud of Seward shoppers and owners for being so generous to them.

Thank you and CONGRATULATIONS to everyone who took part at Sabathani and Seward Co-op!

Saturday, April 4, 10:30 am-12 pm

In this class, we will learn healthy cooking techniques for beans, greens and beef rooted in East African cultures with Shegitu Kebede of Flamingo Restaurant in St. Paul.

NOURISH 101 CLASSES ARE FREE

Interview with Shegitu Kebede, Flamingo Restaurant, Saint Paul (via Peter B. Meyers on Vimeo)

Star Tribune: Interview with Shegitu Kebede co-owner of Flamingo Restaurant

Nourish 101 classes feature basic scratch-cooking techniques and recipes that feed a family of four for under $10.

Please preregister for classes at Customer Service. Payment must be made at time of registration. To ensure a refund, cancellations must be made 48 hours before the class date. Classes may be cancelled by Seward Co-op (for a full refund) if there is an insufficient number of registered attendees.

Our hours this weekend will be the usual daily hours, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., for Passover, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday (April 3-5). Count on us: We’ll be open for all your holiday needs.

Do check out the holiday specials in our all-star butcher shop (below), where we’ll be serving local and sustainable meats all weekend!

Carmel Food Group today issued a voluntary recall of certain Rising Moon Organics frozen Ravioli items (Spinach & Cheese Ravioli) because of possible presence of Listeria monocytogenes. To date, no illnesses have been associated with these products.

Consumption of products containing Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections, endocarditic and arthritis.

Product Affected:

Rising Moon Organics Spinach & Cheese Ravioli, 8 oz. for $4.79 each.

UPC Code: 7-85030-55561-3
Lots Codes: 122215, 123015, 123115, 010216, 011916, 012016
Sell By Dates: DEC222015, DEC302015, DEC312015,
JAN022016, JAN192016, JAN202016

Recalled product on Seward Co-op shelves has been removed and destroyed. If you purchased the above product, do not consume it. Recalled products will be fully refunded at our Customer Service desk.

More info at the FDA website.

Round-up and give at our registers this weekend and we’ll match you!

We’re serious about our goal of raising $20,000 for the Sabathani Community Center Food Shelf by the end of march. So serious that we’re going to match our customers dollar for dollar this weekend.

Right now, Seward Co-op shoppers have rounded-up to the tune of $16,356.19 in SEED money from 36,317 customers since March 1. That’s impressive and very generous!

But in our goal to get good food to as many people in need as possible via our friends and new neighbors at Sabathani Food Shelf, Seward Co-op will match ALL customer donations this weekend till Sunday night! We want to cut a great big check to Sabathani, a powerhouse non-profit that feeds 25,000 people a year in South Minneapolis.

So if you were going to visit the big green co-op anyway (maybe you’re coming to Seward for the egg-dying demo on Saturday or buying up before the upcoming holidays next weekend), we strongly urge you to round-up and give a little extra at the register for your neighbors in need.

Let’s send $20,000 to Sabathani Food Shelf!

* Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons

Amy’s Kitchen, Inc. is voluntarily recalling frozen food products containing spinach. This recall was issued after notice came from one of Amy’s organic spinach suppliers that Amy’s may have received organic spinach with the possible presence of Listeria monocytogenes.

Seward Co-op has removed the following products from our shelves.

Vegetable Lasagna, 9.5 oz. (269g), $5.29
UPC code:0-42272-00032-6
Four possible affected lot codes/ship dates:
LOT CODE: 30-A215 Jan. 21 2015
LOT CODE: 30-A305 Jan-30-2015
LOT CODE: 30-B115 Feb-11-2015
LOT CODE: 30-C045 Mar-04-2015

Spinach Pizza, 14.0 oz. (397g),$6.99
UPC Code: 000102 0-42272-00102-6
Two possible affected lot codes/ship dates
30-A285 Jan-28-2015
30-B105 Feb-10-2015 $6.99

Brown Rice & Vegetables Bowl, 10.0 oz. (283g), $5.29
UPC Code: 000161 0-42272-00161-3
Lot code/Ship date: 30-A205 Jan-20-2015

Vegetable Lasagna, 9.5 oz. (269g), $5.29
UPC Code: 000933 0-42272-00032-6
Lot Code/Ship date 30-A305 Jan-30-2015

Tofu Vegetable Lasagna, 9.5 oz. (269g), $5.29
UPC Code: 000033 0-42272-00033-3
Lot Code/Ship Date: 30-B135 Feb-13-2015

Recalled products will be fully refunded at our Customer Service desk.

For more information, see the FDA wesbite.

Seward Co-op will host an informational open house on employment: Attend the open house at the Sabathani Community Center (310 E. 38th St., Minneapolis) in room #103 on Tuesday, May 19, from 5–8 p.m. This is in advance of the Friendship store hiring fair we will host in August. The open house will provide an introduction to natural foods cooperatives and information about working at Seward Co-op. Representatives from human resources will be available to answer questions, and staff from various store departments will be on hand to talk about their work.