Everyone is welcome to Seward Co-op’s first ever Community Dinner on Thursday, July 25, hosted by the Franklin and Friendship stores.

Join us 4-7 p.m. for a $4 wholesome, picnic-style dinner (vegan and made without gluten), live music and activities. Learn about the upcoming Seward Co-op Board of Directors election. Sample from Community Foods vendors and enter a raffle to win Seward Co-op gift cards. We’ll have drinks and desserts available for purchase, too.

The $4 Community Dinner will include three vegan and made-without-gluten salads. We’ll have special deals on drinks and desserts, too! The $4 meal includes:

•Tomato Cucumber Salad
•Kale Sweet Potato Salad
•Summer Vegetable and Chickpeas Salad with Pesto

We’ll have add-ons— like drinks and $1 cookies—in addition to hot bar items like meat.

Seward Co-op’s Board of Directors will be at the event to answer all of your board-related questions. The board is currently seeking candidates for the 2019 board election. Click here to learn more about the board election and how you can apply to be a candidate on our website. To apply, attendance is required at a board meeting this summer July 30 or Aug. 27.

Visit Seward Co-op’s Facebook page to reply to the event and follow us on social to stay in the loop. See you at the co-op!

Franklin store:
2823 E. Franklin Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Friendship store:
317 E. 38th St., Minneapolis, MN 55409

*while supplies last, seating may be limited

Seward Co-op’s bakery prepares for a very special holiday weeks in advance: Pi(e) Day on March 14.

This year on 3.14, Seward Co-op shoppers can enjoy 15% off Seward-made whole pies and slices to celebrate the holiday of math and dessert lovers alike.

•Strawberry Rhubarb
•Apple
•Peach
•Cherry

All Seward-made baked goods are local Community Foods products.

What is Pi Day?
Pi (Greek letter “π”) is the symbol used in mathematics to represent a constant, the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter (about 3.14 …). Pi Day is an annual opportunity for math enthusiasts to recite the infinite digits of Pi, talk to their friends about math, and to eat pie.

We love a good excuse to eat pie. Grab yours and save 15% on Thursday, March 14.

Farmworkers are the food system’s most vital workers; their labor allows us to enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables year-round. Despite farmworkers’ economic and cultural contributions to the communities in which they live and work, they continue to be among the lowest paid, least protected and unhealthiest workers in the United States. The international principles that guide Seward as a consumer cooperative, along with our Ends Statement, challenge us to provide goods and services in a socially responsible way. Despite the growing interest and demand for natural foods, this remains a difficult challenge as farmworkers are largely invisible to shoppers and diners.

Co-op shoppers have a strong interest in high-quality food. Awareness of farmworkers, who are often exploited, needs to be part of that equation. Eighty-five percent of fruits and vegetables harvested in this country is handpicked, and it is estimated that between 2 million and 3 million men, women and children work in the fields across America. Many farmworkers live in poor conditions, small spaces and have unpredictable work. Instead of valuing farmworkers in our society, we undercut their ability to live and work by denying them a living wage and benefits like healthcare. When compared to others, the people who plant and harvest our fruits and vegetables suffer from the highest rate of toxic-chemical injuries, as well as higher incidences of heat stress, dermatitis, urinary tract infections, parasitic infections and tuberculosis. In extreme cases, farmworkers can be beaten, sexually harassed or even enslaved—all within the borders of the United States.

Farmworkers remain unnoticed by many and continue to live and work in unacceptable conditions, in part because farmworkers are treated differently under the law. Federal law simply does not guarantee farmworkers unemployment insurance, protection when joining a union or overtime pay. The Fair Labor Standards Act was amended in 1978 to mandate minimum wage for farmworkers on large farms only, and it does not include provisions for overtime. Though an increasing number of consumers choose locally and organically grown food, farmworker justice is often not part of food conversations.

At Seward Co-op, we recognize that we exist within a large, often exploitative, industrial food system. That context presents challenges in operating two full-service grocery stores, a production kitchen and a café. However, we remain committed to honoring the critical economic and cultural contributions made by farmworkers. Every day, our staff demonstrates our commitment to social responsibility by seeking out truly sustainable local growers and producers, who acknowledge the abuse and inequities in agriculture and actively work against them. Over the past 45 years, we have built strong relationships with local farmers and have seen firsthand how they treat the land and farmworkers. The trust that comes with these relationships is something a label or certification simply cannot ensure. Unfortunately, until all farmworkers are wholly protected under federal law, there are national brands and products on our shelves that contribute to this nation’s dominant agricultural system and its inherent injustices. All grocers, including Seward and other food co-ops, meet the needs of their customers by offering national brands in seasons when local is unavailable.

During National Farmworker Awareness Week (NFAW), March 24–31, Seward Co-op honors the contributions of farmworkers. Please join us on Friday, March 30, at the Friendship store for an evening screening of Food Chains, a documentary film about agricultural labor in the United States. As conscious consumers throughout the year, stay attuned to opportunities to positively impact our food system. Please consider rounding-up your grocery or café purchase for SEED, especially when the funds raised are directed at local, socially responsible farms like the Hmong American Farmers Association (HAFA) and Dream of Wild Health.

Seward Co-op is a member of two advocacy organizations—Domestic Fair Trade Association and National Co+op Grocers—that support actions and advocacy for just living and working conditions for farmworkers, and an end to unfair treatment under the law. Please follow our social media posts March 24–31 in recognition of National Farmworker Awareness Week, sponsored by Student Action with Farmworkers in North Carolina.

The Franklin and Friendship store are open from 8 a.m.–8 p.m. and the Co-op Creamery Cafe is closed on July 4th. Stay safe and stop in if you need anything!