The Lone Grazer Creamery is a new cheese producer in Minneapolis, and Seward Co-op is proud and eager to carry their cheeses.

“We got them in last Friday (February 27). That was the first delivery,” said Scott Heard, Seward Cheese Department Manager, “and we’re very excited to have them in the store.”

Located in Northeast Minneapolis, just a 12 minute delivery drive from Seward Co-op, the Lone Grazer is currently one of the few urban creameries in the United States and one of our nearest P6 food vendors.

“People in the city want to know the farmer,” says Clark Anderson, one of The Lone Grazers’ grass-fed milk producers, “and the farmer should know the people in the city.”

Anderson’s milk is turned into delicious cheese by Rueben Nilsson who learned the art at the Caves of Faribault in Faribault, Minn., one of the finest cheesemakers in the country.

“Cheesemaking is a creative endeavor that blends art and science and physical labor with technical knowledge,” Nilsson says. “I love making cheese.”

Right now, The Lone Grazer is producing one kind of cheese, curds. “These have a nice salty bite,” Scott Heard says of The Lone Grazer’s cheese. “They make you want to eat a whole lot more cheese curds.” Several months down the road, The Lone Grazer will produce string cheese, ricotta and aged cheeses as well. When available, Heard says, we’ll be carrying them.

“Putting a delicious piece of cheese on a crusty bread or cracker is one of the simple joys in life,” says Lone Grazer founder Kieran Folliard. “I’m drawn to the making of cheeses from fresh, pure milk.”

One of Folliard’s other endeavors is 2 Gingers (local Irish whiskey) which is located in the same building as The Lone Grazer. Mike Phillips’ Red Table Meat Co., which brings such great salumi to Seward’s Meat Department, is also located in that building and soon, Chow Girls Catering will be housed there too.

For such a young company, The Lone Grazer finds itself at the center of a superb local food-hub.

Organic Blood Oranges in the Produce Department

When customers ask which apple I’d recommend right now, I respond that in place of apples, its citrus I’m choosing for myself and recommending to others. While other fruit varieties are limited (in quantity or quality) or are simply not available in the winter, citrus really shines.

At the moment we have a dazzling array of citrus fruits in the produce department – from snappy pop in your mouth kumquats to the thick-skinned Seville oranges perfect for marmalade and just about everything in between. This includes (virtually) seedless and easy to peel varieties like the Murcott mandarin and the eagerly anticipated Ojai pixie tangerine, raspberry-infused blood oranges, ancient (pomelo) and modern (Rio star) grapefruits, and the light and refreshing Minneola tangelo.

Beyond the driving citrus or lemony flavor, pine is the second most common flavor note in citrus fruits. In some, such as the Fairchild tangerine (one of many varieties that passed through our department this winter), the scent and flavor of pine is pronounced. In others, such as the blood orange, it is more subtle. Perhaps it is the suggestion of pine that has me pairing citrus with fragrant sprigs of rosemary. On the sweet side, I have been enjoying rosemary scones with tangy grapefruit curd. On the savory side, I have been making a salad that combines a few citrus varieties with peppery arugula, rosemary, and Moroccan olives.

In a small frying pan, heat enough olive oil to cover the base of the pan. Place two sprigs of rosemary in the hot oil and remove when bright green and slightly crispy. Set aside. In the same oil cook a handful of Moroccan olives also until slightly crispy and set aside. Once cool, chop both the rosemary (finely) and olives (coarsely). Remove the skin from a Cara Cara navel orange, two blood oranges, and one Meyer lemon and slice each ¼ inch thick. Place several handfuls of baby arugula on a platter, arrange the citrus slices, scatter sliced shallot along with the chopped rosemary and olives. Finish with a drizzle of olive oil, and a sprinkle of sea salt and coarsely ground pepper.

Below, Organic Fairchild tangerines.

March means Banana Month at Seward Co-op, so watch for specials and deals on Equal Exchange bananas throughout the month. According to the USDA, the average American eats 26 pounds of bananas per year. That’s a lot of bananas — and a big opportunity for impact. Most bananas are grown on giant plantations as a monoculture with bananas stretching as far as the eye can see. The banana industry is notorious for low wages and heavy chemical use, causing major health problems for humans across banana-producing regions. Together, Equal Exchange and their banana partners are creating a trade model that supports small farmers, builds communities, and supports the environment.

Equal Exchange’s mission is to build long-term trade partnerships that are economically just and environmentally sound; to foster mutually beneficial relationships between farmers and consumers; and to demonstrate, through their success, the contribution of worker cooperatives and fair trade to a more equitable, democratic and sustainable world. Next year is Equal Exchange’s 30^th anniversary, and the 10^th year of their banana program. Equal Exchange bananas are sourced from small-scale farmers located in Ecuador and Peru. They work with El Guabo cooperative, a farmer-run cooperative with 350 small-scale banana farmers in Ecuador, and The Central Association of Small Producers of Organic Banana (CEPIBO), a group of seven different farmer associations with a total of 800 families operating 900 hectares of land across northern Peru.

Seeing the Equal Exchange brand on a banana (or an avocado) guarantees a customer that their fruit is sourced from a small farmer who receives a fair price for their fruit. It’s not just a better wage, it’s a better way of life. Farmers own their land and are helping to rebuild their own communities through hard work and enterprise. It also guarantees that the grower cooperatives are working directly with the Equal Exchange produce team, rather than through a go-between like the majority of farmers and plantations in the produce industry.

Check out this interesting web documentary called Beyond the Seal that was created by Katherine Nagasawa and Leah Varjacques that talks a lot about Equal Exchange, small farmers, and the banana industry.

Banana Curry Stir Fry Sauce

Ingredients:
2 bananas, peeled and chopped
1 clove of garlic
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
2 Tsp. curry powder
1 Tsp. agave nectar (or honey)
1 Tsp. onion powder
1 Tsp. coconut oil
3/4 cup unsweetened canned coconut milk

Method:
Combine all ingredients together in a blender and blend to a smooth texture.
Sauté any veggies you have on hand (peppers, onions, carrots, celery, leeks, etc.) until tender. Add the banana curry stir fry sauce and heat through evenly.

Adapted from therawproject.com

Meet the local producers who bring us fruits, veggies, flowers, and meat throughout the local season by visiting their farms on the 2015 Eat Local Farm Tour!

Take the kids, meet friends along the way, or bike to local urban farms near you on Saturday, July 18. The 2015 Farm Guide booklets are available here or at the Seward Co-op Customer Service Desk.

Twenty-one local farms are opening their doors to the Eat Local Tour this year:

10th Street Farm & Market

Big River Farms/Minnesota Food Association

Buttermilk Falls CSA & Folk School Retreat

East Henderson Farm

Garden Farme –

Gardens of Eagan

Growing Lots Urban Farm

Humble Pie Farm

Shepherd’s Way Farm

Simple Harvest Farm Organics

Singing Hills Goat Dairy Farm

Star Prairie Trout Farm

Stone’s Throw Urban Farm

The Beez Kneez

Thousand Hills Cattle Company

Whistling Well Farm

Women’s Environmental Institute

The tour is free and there’s no need to register! Just decide which farms you’d like to visit, note when they’re open for visitors, and drive there or “caravan” with family and friends. (The co-op is not providing transportation.)

To find when farms are open, get a copy of the 2015 Farm Guide and check the farms’ listings. Visitors are welcome to show up during these times.

Your Twin Cities-area food co-ops support the annual Farm Tour. For more information:
2015 Eat Local Farm Tour Facebook Page

And follow the hashtag:
#‎EatLocalFarmTour

Significant progress has occurred over the past couple of months, and we’re excited to share these updates with you.

Friendship Store

Friendship Store is taking shape! We are now five months into what we estimate to be a 12-month construction schedule. After a delay earlier in the winter due to utility relocations, we have seen considerable headway in the past few weeks. The two-story frame of the building is beginning to take shape (see pic above). The steel structure of the building should be completed this week. READ MORE

Welcome, Raynardo Williams

Seward Co-op has hired Raynardo Williams as the store manager of the new Friendship Store. As a former entrepreneur, Raynardo is accustomed to the work required to bring a vision like the Friendship Store to fruition.

“I’m used to being very hands on,” he says. “I like getting my hands dirty on projects.” READ MORE

Co-op Creamery

Work on the Co-op Creamery at 2601 E. Franklin Ave. continues. In late January 2015, co-op administrative staff moved into the Creamery Building’s second floor offices from the Franklin store. This move has helped to alleviate space constraints at the Franklin store offices. The staff at the Creamery will support all Seward locations. READ MORE

Welcome, Chad Snelson

Creamery Cafe Production Manager: Seward Co-op has hired Chad Snelson as director of operations at Seward Co-op’s Creamery Kitchen and Co-op Creamery Neighborhood Café. At this point, with the café still under construction, it’s been a lot of planning and forecasting for Chad.

“Planning is fun,” says Chad, “but actually doing it is way more fun.” READ MORE

Friendship Store Manager: Seward Co-op has hired Raynardo Williams as the store manager of the new Friendship Store. As a former entrepreneur, Raynardo is accustomed to the work required to bring a vision like the Friendship Store to fruition.

“I’m used to being very hands on,” he says. “I like getting my hands dirty on projects.”

Raynardo has an undergraduate degree in business administration from National American University and a master’s degree in management from Hamline University. His financial service and retail management background means he’s used to a immersing himself into projects like the Friendship store, working long hours as he did when he was a retail manager for Aldo Shoe Stores.

“I think the goal with the Friendship store is to make it a staple in the community by upholding and representing our owners and constantly taking steps to create something that reflects the Seward Co-op Ends Statements,” Raynardo says.

“We need to bring good food to people at the Friendship store,” he adds. “Strengthen the community that way.”

After he left the corporate world, Raynardo was an entrepreneur, running his own business as a personal fashion consultant. He’s been recognized by both the “Star Tribune” and “Vita.mn” for his exceptional sense of style.

“I love fashion,” he says, “and I am an active site council member for Patrick Henry High School in North Minneapolis. I think it’s important for young men in the community to respect themselves and develop confidence, and I think part of that is dressing well to reflect who you are.”

Raynardo says his favorite thing about Seward Co-op since he started in December 2014 has been the staff’s passion.

“Everyone has been so warm,” he says. “People here exude so much passion about what they do.”

Work on the Co-op Creamery at 2601 E. Franklin Ave. is in full swing. In late January, co-op administrative staff moved into the second floor offices. This move has helped to alleviate space constraints at the Franklin store offices. The staff at the Creamery will support all Seward locations.

On the first floor of the building, construction has begun on the central production kitchen and Co-op Creamery Neighborhood Café. We recently finalized the branding and aesthetics of the café, including a new logo, with the help of our architects at LHB and designers at Replace.

Throughout the next several months, the first floor will begin to take shape, as new windows are installed and the interior is finished. We plan to be ready to begin food production as early as July, with an eye towards opening the café in September.

As with the Friendship store, we’ll post several new positions for Creamery staff. Check our careers page for updates. Be sure to visit our project expansion page and watch for future emails with more updates.

Seward Co-op has hired Chad Snelson as director of operations at Seward Co-op’s Creamery Kitchen and Co-op Creamery Neighborhood Café. At this point, with the café still under construction, it’s been a lot of planning and forecasting for Chad.

“Planning is fun,” says Chad, “but actually doing it is way more fun.”

Chad is familiar with both planning and doing in the restaurant world. In 1991, at the age of twenty-one, he opened his first restaurant, Good-bye Blue Monday in Northfield, Minn. He then worked at commissary and bakery businesses and ran a fresh-dough facility for Panera Bread, before it went national.

“Their sourdough was good back then,” he says.

Chad also ran a wholesale bakery in Chicago called Little Miss Muffin before opening the award-winning restaurant Fika here in Minneapolis at American Swedish Institute.

“Our focus at Fika was on service and being the best we could be at what we did,” says Chad. “We’ll do something similar [with Seward Co-op’s Creamery Café], focusing on P6, organic and sustainable food, and fresh produce. But we’ll be the best, while still sharing co-op values with the community.”

As for Chad’s immediate plans, hiring a chef for the Creamery Café is his top priority. He says he feels quite confident that Seward Co-op can hire “top-flight” talent for the position. “From a chef’s perspective,” he says, “This is going to be a very attractive job.”

Chad says the other aspect of planning for the Creamery Café is determining what the dining experience is going to be like and preparing Seward’s grocery shoppers for a change in what they’ve expected from the Franklin store.

“Staff will clear the tables. There will be linen napkins,” Chad says. “It will feel more like a restaurant.”
But the main focus is to bring everything back to the Seward Co-op’s reputation and high-quality.

“How can the café shine based on what it does best?” Chad asks. “I think we can hit that bullseye.”