Introducing a two-part story from Jim VanDerPol, who owns Pastures A Plenty together with his wife, LeeAnn, and children, Josh and Cindy VanDerPol. Seward Co-op has purchased pork from Jim and his family for 18 years, and our staff is grateful to build our knowledge of soil health thanks to him! Look for part two from Jim in our spring Sprout!.

The impact of soil biology upon its chemistry has guided recent thinking in farming circles about soil. Since the end of World War II, we have learned to associate increased production of field crops with proper amounts and balances of three main elements in soil: N(nitrogen), P(phosphorus) and K(potassium). In the last several decades, we’ve begun to pay attention to other minor elements in soil such as sulfur, copper, iron, magnesium and manganese. These were all thought to exist in measurable quantities in the soil, and for years it was thought that fertilizers containing these elements could be added as needed without paying a great deal of attention to factors such as tillage, tractor traffic, diversity of plant life, internal and external drainage, and weather.

There were always difficulties with this view, and those difficulties have been adding up. Applying fertilizer rarely appears to be tightly correlated with harvesting successful crops. Some soils produce good crops without tests showing a great amount of the main nutrients in the soil. Other times the elements could be in surplus, and yet the yields are mediocre, as other factors were evidently in play. Considering soil biology brings some of this into better focus.

There are quite probably thousands or tens of thousands of tiny species in the soil, many of which have not yet been recognized or completely categorized (which is hard to believe in this time of detailed information about so much!). It is these tiny critters whose activities provide some of the answers to the gaps in our understanding of our soils and our farms. Some are visible and others not, they are predator and/ or prey, and they need to be in some kind of balance to best do the work we would like them to do. We don’t entirely understand what that balance should be because we don’t know what these tiny plants and animals are, or what they all do.

Pastures A Plenty tries to operate now with these five general soil health practices:

1. Keep the soil covered;

2. Minimize soil disturbance (tillage);

3. Increase crop diversity;

4. Keep living roots in the soil; and

5. Integrate livestock.

I believe these general practices enable us to foster our farm’s biological health without yet completely understanding what we are doing. We think that enhanced soil life serves as an intermediary between chemical nutrients and plant growth. We talk much about carbon movement now, both out and particularly into the soil, and about the movement of water. It is exciting, and the learning will extend well into the future. Soil health is a hot topic, especially in grazing circles. We’ll be studying at several workshops and meetings each winter. In the next part of this story (be sure to read the spring issue of Seward Co-op’s newsletter), I’ll share details about Pastures A Plenty’s evolution from a conventional farm focused on mainly on corn and soybeans to pasture-based livestock farming.

On Dec. 5, Seward Co-op has announced a voluntary recall of Seward-Made vegan chocolate cake with ganache and chocolate cake with brown butter frosting due to milk and egg allergens not listed on the label. Seward Co-op does not currently have affected product on the shelf, but could have sold affected product between Dec. 1–5, 2017.

Chocolate cake with ganache (vegan) $9.99/lb.
Chocolate cake with brown butter frosting $6.99/lb.

If you purchased this product at Seward Co-op between Dec. 1–5, 2017, it will be fully refunded at either our Franklin or Friendship store Customer Service desk.

This past October, the Annual Meeting allowed us to bring to the stage one of Seward Co-op’s longest-term employees, Leo Sanders, to celebrate his retirement this winter. Leo first started with Seward Co-op as a volunteer 40 years ago. He became part of the co-op’s last collective in the early ’80s and returned to the co-op in the late ’90s. During his tenure here, he watched the co-op grow from 18 employees to what it is today with over 300 employees. He is also the only employee to have worked at Seward alongside all four general managers we’ve had.

Leo at Seward Co-op in 1982.

Those who know Leo appreciate his calm under fire, his incredible sense of humor, and his dedication to cooperation and hard work. Leo cites the people he works with as what he enjoys about his career at Seward Co-op and said, “I’m grateful to work in a business that has intentionally articulated a Code of Ethics to live up to, Ends to guide our decision making and a Scorecard to keep us on track.” General Manager Sean Doyle speaks for all of us at the co-op when he expressed how grateful we are to Leo for his years of sacrifice and service. The co-op would not be where it is today without his leadership.

Thanks, Leo.

Working on your gut this season could mean a lot of things. Maybe you are adjusting your workout routine to strengthen your core muscle groups. You could be, ahem, adding a few inches to your waist because it would be quite rude to not at least try each seasonal and celebratory treat you come across this winter. Turns out that fermented foods are another way to work on your gut, improving digestion and giving your immune system the support it needs. If you do a quick search on the Internet or stroll down the co-op aisles, you will see that there are an incredible number of fermented foods and beverages out there, too.

Fermentation, in the broadest sense, is the transformation of food by various fungi, bacteria and the enzymes they produce. Examples of this impressive transformation are turning cabbage into sauerkraut, jalapenos and carrots into a lacto-fermented hot sauce, or grapes into wine. Depending on the desired outcome, the enzymatic process can take anywhere from a couple of days to many weeks. The transformation, in turn, is able to offer nutrients and good bacteria to which our bodies would otherwise not have access. Also, keep in mind that while fermented foods are often acidic, they actually produce an alkaline effect in our bodies because the fermentation process makes alkalizing minerals accessible to us.

Currently, it is believed that the average human digestive system contains 300–500 types of bacteria! Sickness, antibiotics or excessive consumption of sugary foods are just a few of the ways this bacterial complexity can shift to an imbalance. This shift can affect not only how your abdomen feels, but it also can produce side effects like brain fog, inflammation throughout the body, bad breath, a weak immune system, or a prolonged low mood or energy level. Fermented foods and beverages are certainly not the single magic ingredient that makes everything better, but when used moderately with other habits of self-care, they are essential pieces of the puzzle.

You would be hard pressed to find a culture that does not have a signature fermented food or beverage. Many places, like the co-op, make it easy to swing by the store and pick up a bottle of beet kvass, a jar of curtido, a pack of injera, or a block of blue cheese. One of the great things about fermentation is that you don’t have to purchase it—this is your opportunity to become a culinary scientist! The next time you are invited to a holiday meal, or are hosting one yourself, you can provide, with very little effort, a creation of your own. If that piques your interest but you are unsure where to begin, click on the photos for recipes to try or attend our Winter Ferments class led by the Creamery Café’s Chef de Cuisine, Matt Kappra.

Putting together a cheese platter for a holiday gathering is sure to make you a popular host or guest at any event this season. This task may sound overwhelming to some, but by following a few simple guidelines, we can help anyone put together a delicious cheese plate. At the end of the day, you want a medley of cheeses that can be displayed harmoniously together with varying textures and taste. By convention, a cheese platter should contain three to five cheeses. To learn more, two Seward Co-op cheesemongers are hosting a class at the Franklin Store on Tuesday, Dec. 12—sign up here. Any cheese specialist at either of our stores is also happy to assist you in making your selections.

The general strategy we employ that ensures variety is choosing one cheese from the following groups: fresh, blue, soft-ripened, washed rind, semisoft, and hard. Choosing cheeses with different milks, textures and ages affords variety as well. Consider adding a blue or a flavored cheese to add some additional flavor dimension. To ensure your platter is enticing and appetizing to all, we recommend selecting at least one familiar cheese. A standby for us is an aged cheddar or Parmigiano-Reggiano. The ages-old question—how much cheese to serve—always comes up at the Cheese counter. If cheese is the star of the menu, we suggest buying three pounds for every eight people. Plan to bring four ounces per person if this is one of many dishes to choose from at a gathering. Here at the Co-op, our focus is on local cheese, below are our picks for a devilishly delicious P6 cheese platter: Jeff’s Select Gouda (hard), Prairie Breeze Cheddar (hard), Grazer’s Edge (washed rind), Maytag blue cheese (blue), Bent River Brie Camembert (soft-ripened).

If you find that once all of your cheese selections are displayed the platter looks like it’s still missing something, our Grocery, Produce, and Meat & Seafood departments have jams, vibrantly colored local herbs, and cured meats that will add a nice flavor depth and color contrast to the plate.

Midwest Food Connection (MFC) is a nonprofit educational organization supported by Twin Cities food coops, including Seward, our largest sponsor. Since 1993, Midwest Food Connection has brought informative and memorable experiences gardening, cooking and eating healthy food to elementary school classrooms. In our 20- year history, we have reached more than 60,000 children with our programming. In the fall, we walk into the classroom with a tall cornstalk in tow. The next week we hide root vegetables around the room for students to discover in an imaginary root cellar. In the winter, we paste beans to a map of the world and look at potatoes full of eyes. As the growing season begins in the spring, we schlep buckets of soil into the classroom to start seedlings that students tend before bringing them home. As our mission states, “Midwest Food Connection brings educational adventures in food, cooking, and gardening to children and their families.” This is what we do. The question is why? And why does food education matter?

Health

We have a serious health problem in this country. One in five school-aged children is obese; a percentage that has more than tripled since the 1970s. Perhaps the most obvious reason for our work is to encourage healthy eating behavior in children. When it comes to impacting our health, we have the most say over the food we choose to eat. This is particularly true for children who may have limited say over their lifestyles but might make choices at the dinner table. Our job is to provide the knowledge, positive experiences and tools to empower them to make healthy decisions. By bringing real food into the classroom, sharing stories, cooking together, and tasting delicious recipes, we encourage trying new foods in a fun and approachable way.

Environment

To understand a food is to understand where it comes from, how it grows, and what it looks like in nature. Through our lesson content and our co-op partnerships, MFC directly and indirectly motivates environmentally conscious behavior. In our early fall curriculum, for example, we teach a lesson called “Eat Local,” which explores the many reasons for eating local foods. Students brainstorm these reasons and discuss the benefits of decreasing fossil fuel emissions, supporting local economies, and eating seasonally to care for the land. By bringing locally grown produce from the co-op into the classroom, we connect children to the food that grows only miles away. Our students are inspired to choose the foods they learn about in our lessons. In response, some families decide to purchase these local foods and start to plug into the local food system. We move the needle on the demand for local foods, fruits and vegetables, and sustainable agriculture.

Community

By learning about and plugging into a local food system, MFC students become connected to the greater Minnesota community. Whether tasting a Honeycrisp apple in class, going to the co-op with their families, seeing pictures of local farmers, visiting farms around the Twin Cities during our field trips, or starting to grow food in their own neighborhoods, young people connect the dots of the food system. As one of our educators remarked, we bring the “human aspect” to food. We say, “think about the farmer who grew the food you’re about to taste.” When kids learn about the support we give to farmers in our state or the sustainability of our collective actions, they begin to uphold one of the seven national Photo by Susie Hessburg co-op principles: Concern for Community.

Cultural Awareness

Food lies at the intersection of health, environment, community and culture. By taking a holistic approach to food education, we broaden the worldview and historical view of children’s thinking. As our winter series “Gifts of Many Cultures” expresses in each lesson, many of the fruits, vegetables and dishes we enjoy eating in the United States. have been brought here by immigrants and refugees. We explore the history of the potato in Ireland, the soybean in China, and millet in Western Africa. We learn about the Native farming practice of growing the “three sisters” of corn, squash and beans together. “We’re not only increasing children’s exposure to more healthy food,” MFC Executive Director Uli Koester explains, “we’re also showing them how to be sensitive to other cultures and be aware of where our food is coming from.” For a young generation that is growing up in an increasingly multicultural world, we celebrate foods from many cultures. As Uli reflected, “We’re not always just giving new choices, we’re also validating the choices some students have already made.” Whether trying the Indian dish of dhal or biting into a Mejdool date, MFC students from kindergarten through fifth grade have learned to uphold multiculturalism as a gift.