Ask any of the pioneers of the Twin Cities cooperative movement if they recognize the name Annie Young, and chances are they’ll say yes.

In 1981, after helping start the Wiscoy Valley Land Cooperative, Young hitchhiked with her infant son across southwestern Minnesota to attend gatherings of food co-op activists. Eventually she moved to Minneapolis to accept a job as membership coordinator for Seward Co-op. Like many other co-ops in the Twin Cities at the time, Seward was in rough financial shape. “In the 1980s, as the [cooperative] movement grew and hippies started getting married, having children, or going back to school, the lifestyle changed. That lifestyle shift changed how the co-ops functioned. Everyone couldn’t work on free love at that point,” Young recounted. She brought order to the membership-development program and established Seward Co-op’s membership-numbering system that’s still in place today.

Young left Seward Co-op in 1984 to become the executive director of the All-Co-op Assembly. In that role, she conducted education, training, and outreach for co-ops in the upper Midwest. This was a difficult time for the co-op movement, and many stores, especially those in smaller, rural towns, shut down.

Eventually, Young returned to Seward Co-op and was elected to its board of directors, while also serving as an election official with the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation board. She relished helping to organize the twenty-five year All-Co-op Reunion celebration that took place during the summer of 1997.

Young was also a driving force behind the recent initiative to open Wirth Cooperative Grocery in the Harrison neighborhood of Minneapolis. Once Wirth Co-op came to fruition, Young succeeded in bridging two of her passions: improving the community life of urban residents and making whole, healthy food available to those who need it.

Annie Young will be remembered at Seward as a witty, sharp cooperator who was fun to interact with. Her confidence and well-intended, slight mischievousness are points of inspiration for others. Rest in peace, Annie.

On Jan. 16, we kept the cold outside to share warmth and good food at the Creamery Café’s third Farm Table dinner, with Southside Community Health Services. Chef de Cuisine Matt Kappra provided a mostly vegan, multi-course meal to celebrate our partnership with Southside, the co-op’s SEED recipient this month. Crisp and refreshing beverage pairings featured locally-made kombucha from Feral Beverage Co.

Seasonal fruits, vegetables, and fungi were abundant in a spinach citrus salad, hearty kale and bean soup, and slow roasted mushroom “ragu”. Though other Farm Table dinners have featured meat protein, this choice of ingredients was specifically inspired by Southside’s work as a community clinic that regards food as medicine. In support of that philosophy, Southside Community Health Services offers a “prescription CSA” program”, as well as cooking classes. Their work serves patients who cannot afford good food or who may struggle with the costs of medication. Viable community partnerships, like the one with Seward Co-op, expands what Southside can do as a community clinic.

Seward Co-op Creamery Café may be a stop on your way to work or a go-to brunch or happy hour choice for your family. To many of us, it’s more than that. We’re happy to offer the Creamery Café as a space to learn and share experiences with those who are committed to expanding access to nutritious food. Stay tuned for future opportunities to engage with other community partners, as well as with local farmers and producers, at the café.

Bruce Bacon is the only hero I ever got to meet. The rest come from books and history. What’s more, he knew me before I knew him; a testament to the Seward Co-op’s commitment to the local food economy and the sanctity of sustainable soil. He knew what we were up to…

We met on April 11, 2010 following my brief presentation on creating a local, retail buying program at the Sustainable Farming Association’s Crow River Chapter Spring Social. My talk focused on how retailers and providers can work symbiotically and the event was titled “Cooperative Retailers Joining Sustainable Providers.” From that point on, I was happy to join Bruce by supporting the purchase of Garden Farme goods and walking his land as part of my training as a herbalist with Lise Wolff. He also taught me how to speak for the soil.

I’ve always been awed by Bruce’s dedication to his land and regard Garden Farme as one of the most diverse plots of soil in the upper Midwest. Bruce clearly knew and loved his trees; bringing in some nice, big cherry trees (not the kind you harvest but the wild kind). He was real happy about the spreen in his garden (a purple variety of cultivated lambsquarter) and he was one of the first to grow Gete Okesomin (a one-of-a-kind squash with an ancient history). He was also quite fond of mustards that would self-sow, adored sorrel and had a fancy for his basil patch…so colorful.

Bruce was always trying to get me to visit and bring my son. Last time I visited, summer of 2016, Bruce wasn’t able to walk me around, so we trilled around in his van astounded by the variety of insects flying in the windows; hallmark of a healthy ecosystem. Later, my son got to drive down the Garden Farme road; his first time behind the wheel.

Bruce’s dedication to the land made him heroic for me; forever postulating on the benefits of diversity, no-till soil and creating habitat for pollinators. As a single dad, he also made me feel like a hero; always asking about my boy and always telling me it was going to turn out alright. It did.

He was organic before anyone owned the term. He was building the soil poetically before there were many words for what he was doing. He was farm to table before it occurred to anyone to trend it and make it hip. He was practicing permaculture before anyone set down instructions. He was composting before there was enough compost to compost. He supported artists and the community before community was a catch phrase. His honey is still at the Seward; best honey there is.

And, wow, could he throw a party…

Celebrate Bruce Bacon — Support Garden Farme!
Events on Sunday, December 10, 2017:

MUSIC, FUN, AND FUNDRAISING FOR GARDEN FARME
2–5 pm at Hook & Ladder, E. Lake Street & Minnehaha Av.
Local musicians – film clips of Bruce and the farm – admission by donation.
Garden Farme honey and soil science posters for sale.
All funds after expenses will go to Garden Farme.

SHARING FOOD AND STORIES IN MEMORY OF BRUCE BACON
5–9 pm at Powderhorn Community Center, E. 35th Street & 15th Av.
Bring a story to tell, bring a dish to share, everyone welcome!
Potluck food and drink, stories of Bruce, Garden Farme honey sales.

Our co-op is on a mission to help get 2018 started on a great note with Discover, our new free bimonthly guide to saving money and living well. Discover is the result of more than 140 community-owned cooperative grocers across the country working together, to offer great food and delicious deals. With more than $50 in coupon offers, along with timely tips and a great seasonal recipe, the January-February edition of Discover will launch you into a great new year of good health. Stop by the co-op to pick up your free copy beginning in January, and save on resolution-ready products for the whole family, like Organic India, Liberte, Evolution Fresh and Woodstock.

On Dec. 20, Bearded Brothers announced a voluntary recall of Bearded Brothers bars due to mold found on random bars. Consumption of this product may (but likely will not) cause sickness. The mold is visible to the eye. Seward Co-op does not currently have affected product on the shelf, but may have sold it between Sept. 21–Dec. 20, 2017.

Colossal Coconut Mango—1.52 oz, $2.99 with the following lot code and best by date.
UPC: 85403000508

Lot Code Best By Date
BCM02272017 EXP 02272018
BCM03022017 EXP 03022018
BCM03032017 EXP 03032018
BCM03062017 EXP 03062018
BCM03142017 EXP 03142018
BCM04042017 EXP 04042018
BCM04122017 EXP 04122018
BCM04152017 EXP 04152018

Mega Maca Chocolate—1.52 oz, $2.99 with the following lot code and best by date.
UPC: 85403000506

Lot Code Best By Date
BMC03052017 EXP 03052018
BMC03062017 EXP 03062018
BMC03282017 EXP 03282018
BMC03302017 EXP 03302018
BMC04052017 EXP 04052018
BMC04272017 EXP 04272018

If you purchased this product at Seward Co-op between Sept. 21–Dec. 20, 2017, it will be fully refunded at either our Franklin or Friendship store Customer Service desk.

On Dec. 8, World Finer Foods, LLC announced a voluntary recall of its Rapunzel vegetable, no salt bouillon due to incorrect labeling. Seward Co-op does not currently have affected product on the shelf, but could have sold affected product between Sept. 8–Dec. 8, 2017.

Rapunzel Vegetable Bouillon, No Salt
Affected lot numbers: 112075, 113390, 114805, 116205, 118230 and 119631
Affected best buy dates: 9/10/2018, 11/12/2018, 12/17/2018, 03/04/2019, 05/23/2019 and 7/22/2019

If you purchased this product at Seward Co-op between Sept. 8–Dec. 8, 2017, it will be fully refunded at either our Franklin or Friendship store Customer Service desk.

Join us at the Seward Co-op Creamery Café for a dinner event featuring our January SEED recipient, Southside Community Health Services. Learn about and support Southside’s unique approach to reducing chronic health conditions in our communities. We’ll dine on a meal inspired by Southside’s “prescription CSA” program, which provides healthy, locally grown fresh food to their patients. Tickets are limited, so grab your seat right away.

Purchase Tickets via Eventbrite.
Three-course dinner: $35
Non-alcoholic kombucha drink pairing: $9
Beer and wine also available for purchase.