With the investments tallied from the first week of May, we officially surpassed one million dollars with $1,116,420 in owner investments. This number is the result of 114 investors and includes a healthy mix of Class C stock purchases and owner loans. With the introduction of the “Grow Together” t-shirt, investments now range from $30…  Read More →

The next time you’re in the big green co-op, go to register lane 4 and you’ll find a display of brand new, crisp and beautiful t-shirts that are brimming with cooperative POWER: These shirts were designed by Tammy Ortegon, a South Minneapolis artist where she runs the ColorWheel. Ortegon has also been a founding board…  Read More →

To make the Friendship Store and Creamery Building projects a reality, Seward needs to raise $2.5 million by June 30, 2014. Want to help us do it? Here’s how: 1. Invest We’re offering an investment opportunity to Seward’s owners that will make you money while strengthening the financial base of Seward Co-op. We aren’t asking…  Read More →

In the past five years, Seward Co-op’s ownership has nearly tripled, so it’s not surprising that owners have already invested $674,500 — 27% of our goal — in Seward’s Friendship Store & Franklin Creamery Projects. But in case you didn’t know about Seward’s twin expansion projects or haven’t heard anything recently, here’s a brief recap/update:…  Read More →

We have had a promising start to the campaign. At the end of February Seward Co-op was awarded a New Markets Tax Credit (NMTC) allocation of $8 million by the Midwest Minnesota Capital Development Corporation. The NMTC will result in substantial debt forgiveness and along with owner capital makes this project more attractive for bank…  Read More →

Do your bananas support small scale farmers? If you purchase them at Seward Co-op, they do! In 2012, consumers purchased 11 million Equal Exchange bananas. These purchases have tangible impacts on the livelihoods of courageous banana farmers in El Guabo co-op, located in Ecuador, and CEPIBO co-op in Peru. They’re making history for themselves, and…  Read More →

Internationally, there are an estimated 750,000 cooperatives that serve 730 million members. And throughout this year, we have an extraordinary opportunity to inform people around the world of the robust, human-scale, cooperative business model. The United Nations (UN) General Assembly has proclaimed 2012 the International Year of Cooperatives. Yearlong observances such as this have been…  Read More →