Is your mom a hero of yours? This Mother’s Day is the perfect time to tell her that.

And right now, Seward has some beautiful gifts that will help you express that feeling to her, or someone who’s been just like a mom to you.

We have a wide array of great flowers on sale: potted plants, cuts, roses, and begonias. And on Mother’s Day itself, bouquet-wrapping is free on Sunday morning till noon.Check out the full list of flowers we’ll have on hand over here.

We also have a wide selection of some of your mom’s favorite brands on sale through Mother’s Day, too. We rarely see a line-drive on the clean and luscious Evan Healy brand, so take advantage of this great special while you can. That’s right — all Evan Healy products on sale.

Also Zuzu cosmetics, P6 Seward Soaps, and True Melange candles. Check out the beautiful True Melange candle tins located on “Mother’s Day Island” by the Deli Hot bar (pic below). They smell fantastic and the tins are very pretty in an old-fashioned way.

On the Mother’s Day Island, you’ll find Sunleaf products (below), another line-drive sale, and their diffusers which can spruce up a whole room make very special gifts. You’ll also find earrings, candles, plants, and more nifty gifts for your mother on this Island, too.

And if you and your family are in the neighborhood, please stop by for brunch on Sunday, too. You know we’d love to have you and Mom over.

Our friends at Beez Kneez sure have us thinking about pollinators lately, with their great bee-health advocacy and upcoming Pastry Chef Challenge.

Maybe you have been thinking about pollinators, too? If you’re concerned about the health of bees and butterflies now is the perfect time to start taking action.

And one of the best things individuals can do to support pollinators is plant a pollinator garden .

Think of a healthy eco-system for pollinators as a series of stepping stones. By using huge amounts of pesticides in agriculture and gardening, and clear-cutting plants that we think of “weeds” but which bees and butterflies call “food,” we’ve stretched the distance between safe stepping stones for those pollinators.

Your garden will be a safe step for butterflies and bees if you make it a healthy landing spot them. You can do that by:

• planting a wide variety of flowers
• letting weeds grow in certain parts of your yard or property
• growing organic — don’t use pesticides for pollinators please!

When planting your pollinator garden, double check to see if you’re planting varieties native to Minnesota (or wherever you happen to be). Per Beez Kneez, these .pdfs from Xerces and the U of M Beelabhave great plant lists showing what’s best for which pollinators in Minnesota.

If you don’t have space for a garden, there are others way you can help save the pollinators. With their Second Annual Dandelion Honey Pastry Chef Challenge on Tuesday, Beez Kneez has created one of the sweetest traditions in Minneapolis. Seward Co-op is sponsoring the tasty event, and our own Bakery Supervisor Mary Vorndran is taking part in the competition so buy your tickets now and cheer her on!

Seward Co-op is a veritable hive of bee-activity this month, all in the name of saving our pollinators. Want to get in on the action with us? You can take part in lots of ways.

First off, this Saturday is our CSA Fair and our pals the Beez Kneez will be in the co-op that day offering taste-tests of honey and answering your questions about how to help bees, how to start beekeeping, advocacy for pollinators, and all things apicultural.

Then, next Wednesday, April 22, Seward is sponsoring the Beez Kneez Second Annual Dandelion Honey Pastry Chef Challenge. It’s a local foods pastry chef competition, yes (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 SOON.

Want to help bees and butterflies in your own home? The best way of all might be if we all planted a pollinator garden. Details here.

The last thing we want to mention is that Seward Co-op will be installing two beehives on the roof of the Franklin Avenue store sometime in April (we hope — depends on the weather). Well. To be clear, Beez Kneez will do the actually installing and management of the hives. The hives will be installed when Beez Kneez tells us they’re ready to bring the buzz to our roof. Keep an eye on the Seward website and social media for coming details.

Seward Co-op is partnering with Minneapolis-based The Beez Kneez, to launch an urban beekeeping site on the rooftop of its Franklin store. The project, set to launch some time this month, will provide a safe habitat where bees will produce honey that, hopefully, will in turn be sold to Seward Co-op shoppers.

“The idea for an urban beekeeping hive site at Seward came after our team did a bee keeping class with The Beez Kneez,” says Tom Vogel, Marketing Manager at Seward Co-op. “Kristy Allen, owner of The Beez Kneez has been a great partner to Seward, and we look forward to working with her on this unique project.”

In late April, two beehives will be installed on the rooftop of Seward Co-op. The bees are gentle breeds that are not aggressive. The hope is that these hives will produce at least 100 lbs. of honey over the season, which will then be harvested at the Beez Kneez Honey House and, potentially, sold at Seward Co-op. When the bees arrive from a warmer climate, there will be a few thousand that go into each hive. By the end of the season in August, there could be as many as 50,000 bees a hive. If the program is successful, more hives may be added in the future.

“Our goal with zip code projects such as this one with Seward, is to produce honey in a community in which it will later be sold,” says Allen. “We’re excited to get this project underway in the Franklin neighborhood.”

To kick-off the partnership, on April 22 Seward Co-op will be a lead sponsor for the second year in a row in an event put together by The Beez Kneez called The Dandelion Honey Pastry Chef Challenge. The event will take place at The Lab Theater at 700 North 1st Street from 6:30 to 9:30 pm. Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 at the door.

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

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.

There are some great jobs available at Seward Co-op right now. More details at Seward Co-op Careers page (you can sign up for email Job Alerts there too).

Front End Manager, Full-Time, posted until: 04/01/2015
Purpose: Lead department staff, manage physical and financial assets, and follow Seward Co-op processes in support of Seward Co-op Ends and department goals. Support the growth of the Co-op through participation on the Store team.

Packaged Foods Merchandising Coordinator, Full-Time, posted until: 04/06/2015
Purpose: To work with Marketing and Merchandising Managers to ensure consistency across all of Seward Co-op’s signage and visual marketing program. To develop design strategy for promotions, advertising, and the Seward Co-op brand. To supervise signage coordinator.

Chef, Full-Time, posted until: 04/07/2015
Looking for a Chef with a passion for food to lead our farm-driven, scratch kitchen in the creation and operation of our new Co-op Creamery Neighborhood Café. Chef will create ever-changing menus that highlight seasonal, organic-focused, hand-crafted dishes that promote the Seward’s commitment to quality ingredients and sustainable food ways.

Design Supervisor, Full-Time, posted until: 04/06/2015
Purpose: Lead department staff, manage physical and financial assets, and follow Seward Co-op processes in support of Seward Co-op Ends and department goals. Support the growth of the Co-op through participation on the Store team

Dishwasher, Limited Part-Time, posted until: 04/07/2015
Purpose: To maintain clean dish area in the deli and to efficiently pack prepared foods for grab and go case; to maintain a clean and organized work environment and to perform duties in accordance with Health Department guidelines, and to maintain displays on sales floor.

Produce Staff, Part-Time, posted until: 04/13/2015
Purpose: To stock and display fresh produce while providing prompt, friendly, helpful customer service to help meet department goals for sales, margin, labor productivity and customer service.