Hello,

Garden of Life LLC is voluntarily withdrawing a Garden of Life RAW MEAL protein powders because they have the potential to contain Salmonella Virchow. Between Sept. 1, 2015, and Jan. 30,2016, Seward Co-op may have sold products with lot numbers affected by this recall at both the Franklin and Friendship stores. See list below.

If you purchased any of the above products at Seward Co-op between Sept. 1, 2015 and Jan. 30, 2016, please return them to either the Franklin or Friendship store customer service desk for a full refund. Various products were offered at a sale price in the time frame that the recall is covering. If you bought the product at a sale price, the Customer Service desk will be able to identify the sale price for the refund. The products that remain on the shelf are lot numbers unaffected by the recall. Questions may be directed to Garden of Life at 1-866-465-0051, Monday-Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST. Any additional updates can be found at www.seward.coop/posts/productrecalls .

Garden of Life LLC is voluntarily withdrawing a limited quantity of its Raw Meal Organic Shake & Meal chocolate, original, vanilla and vanilla chai because they have the potential to contain Salmonella Virchow. Though Garden of Life routinely performs pathogen testing on every finished good lot to ensure safety and no product has ever tested positive for the presence of Salmonella, the company felt it was in the public’s best interest to take this voluntary action. Between Sept. 1, 2015 and Jan. 30, 2016, Seward Co-op may have sold nine raw meal products with lot numbers affected by this recall at both the Franklin and Friendship stores. If you purchased any of the products below at Seward Co-op during that time period, please return them to either the Franklin or Friendship store customer service desk for a full refund. The products that remain on the shelf are lot numbers unaffected by the recall.

RAW Organic Meal Chocolate (32-35 oz.) retail $57.99
UPC:0065801011593 Lot Numbers: 47198800, 47225900, 47249200, 47226000, 47226100

RAW Organic Meal Chocolate (16-17.4 oz.) retail $26.99
UPC:0065801011695 Lot Numbers:47226200, 47226201, 47247800

RAW Organic Meal (2-3 oz.) retail $5.49
UPC:0065801011553 Lot Number:47214800

RAW Organic Meal (32-35 oz.) retail $57.99
UPC:0065801011414 Lot Numbers: 47214600, 47236000, 47248901, 47246500

RAW Organic Meal (16-17.4 oz.) retail $26.99
UPC:0065801011696 Lot Number:47225800

RAW Organic Meal Vanilla (2-3 oz.) retail $5.49
UPC:0065801011612 Lot Number:47248000

RAW Organic Meal Vanilla (32-35 oz.) retail $57.99
UPC:0065801011602 Lot Numbers:47216100, 47225500, 47198601, 47225600, 47253900, 47216200, 47225601

AW Organic Meal Vanilla (16-17.4 oz.) retail $26.99
UPC:0065801011693 Lot Numbers:47226400, 47257401

Questions may be directed to Garden of Life at 1-866-465-0051, Monday-Friday between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST.

Meet the local producers who bring us fruits, veggies, flowers, and meat throughout the local season by visiting their farms on the 2015 Eat Local Farm Tour!

Take the kids, meet friends along the way, or bike to local urban farms near you on Saturday, July 18. The 2015 Farm Guide booklets are available here or at the Seward Co-op Customer Service Desk.

Twenty-one local farms are opening their doors to the Eat Local Tour this year:

10th Street Farm & Market

Big River Farms/Minnesota Food Association

Buttermilk Falls CSA & Folk School Retreat

East Henderson Farm

Garden Farme –

Gardens of Eagan

Growing Lots Urban Farm

Humble Pie Farm

Shepherd’s Way Farm

Simple Harvest Farm Organics

Singing Hills Goat Dairy Farm

Star Prairie Trout Farm

Stone’s Throw Urban Farm

The Beez Kneez

Thousand Hills Cattle Company

Whistling Well Farm

Women’s Environmental Institute

The tour is free and there’s no need to register! Just decide which farms you’d like to visit, note when they’re open for visitors, and drive there or “caravan” with family and friends. (The co-op is not providing transportation.)

To find when farms are open, get a copy of the 2015 Farm Guide and check the farms’ listings. Visitors are welcome to show up during these times.

Your Twin Cities-area food co-ops support the annual Farm Tour. For more information:
2015 Eat Local Farm Tour Facebook Page

And follow the hashtag:
#‎EatLocalFarmTour

During a temperature check of one of our coolers on Friday, November 21, the Seward Grocery team found product at unsafe temperatures due to a non-functioning cooler fan. If you purchased any of the products below between 12:00 p.m. Thursday, November 20th and 1:30 p.m. Friday, November 21st, do not consume this product and return it to Seward Customer Service for a full refund. We sincerely apologize for this inconvenience.

The full list of products affected by the cooler-fan failure is below. Please check the PLU code number on the product to see if it is affected by this recall.

64731600002 ANGELICA BEETS, PICKLED (16 OZ) $11.99
64731600003 ANGELICA KIM CHI (16 OZ) $11.99
64731600018 ANGELICA RAW KRAUT, CORTIDO (16 OZ) $11.99
64731600006 ANGELICA RED CABBAGE & GINGER (16 OZ) $10.99
64731600011 ANGELICA SAUERKRAUT (32 OZ) $15.99
64731600001 ANGELICA SAUERKRAUT (16 OZ) $8.99

3826185766 BUBBIES HORSERADISH (5 OZ) $3.29
3826185750 BUBBIES PICKLES, BREAD & BUTTER (33 OZ) $7.29
3826185735 BUBBIES PICKLES, KOSHER DILLS (16 OZ) $4.39
3826185736 BUBBIES PICKLES, KOSHER DILLS (33 OZ) $7.29
3826185747 BUBBIES SAUERKRAUT (25 OZ) $6.99

85027300500 FARMHOUSE SAUERKRAUT, CARAWAY (22 OZ) $9.99
85027300502 FARMHOUSE SAUERKRAUT, HORSERADISH LEEK (16 OZ) $8.99

4956872012 FOLLOW YOUR HEART VEGENAISE, CHIPOTLE (12 OZ) $5.29
4956802016 FOLLOW YOUR HEART VEGENAISE, GRAPESEED OIL (16 OZ) $6.49
4956801016 FOLLOW YOUR HEART VEGENAISE, ORIGINAL (16 OZ) $5.19
4956801032 FOLLOW YOUR HEART VEGENAISE, ORIGINAL (32 OZ) $7.99
4956873012 FOLLOW YOUR HEART VEGENAISE, PESTO (12 OZ) $5.29
4956820016 FOLLOW YOUR HEART VEGENAISE, REDUCED FAT (16 OZ) $5.29

82309252257 FRANCISCOS SALSA, REG PICO DE GALLO (16.2 OZ) $7.99
82309252259 FRANCISCOS SALSA, XRATED PICO DE GALLO (16.2 OZ) $7.99

85966000451 JUST MAYO VEGAN MAYO, CHIPOTLE (8 OZ) $3.59
85966000452 JUST MAYO VEGAN MAYO, GARLIC (8 OZ) $3.59
85966000411 JUST MAYO VEGAN MAYO, ORIGINAL (16 OZ) $4.49
85966000453 JUST MAYO VEGAN MAYO, SRIRACHA (8 OZ) $3.59

2354740021 MISO MASTER MISO, MELLOW WHITE OG (16 OZ) $9.59
2354740055 MISO MASTER MISO, MELLOW WHITE (8 OZ) $5.99
2354740011 MISO MASTER MISO, RED OG (16 OZ) $10.59

60302809951 RPS PASTA COMPANY PASTA, FETTUCCINE SPINACH GF (9 OZ) $4.29
60302809913 RPS PASTA COMPANY PASTA, FRESH FUSILLI GF (9 OZ) $4.29
60302809914 RPS PASTA COMPANY PASTA, LASAGNA SHEETS GF (12 OZ) $5.29
60302809912 RPS PASTA COMPANY PASTA, LINGUINI GF (9 OZ) $4.29

78202962304 SALSA LISA SALSA, HOT (32 OZ) $6.99
78202932601 SALSA LISA SALSA, CHIPOTLE (15 OZ) $4.79
78202962303 SALSA LISA SALSA, HOT (15 OZ) $4.79

78202962301 MISO MASTER MISO, MELLOW WHITE (15 OZ) $4.79
78202962302 MISO MASTER MISO, MELLOW WHITE (32 OZ) $6.99

4144500400 SCHORRS PICKLES, HALF SOURS (32 OZ) $5.99

70223001013 SOUTH RIVER MISO, 1 YR AZUKI OG (16 OZ) $10.99
70223001012 SOUTH RIVER MISO, CHICKPEA OG (16 OZ) $10.99
70223001010 SOUTH RIVER MISO, SWEET WHITE OG (16 OZ) $9.99

85544600212 SPIRIT CREEK CURTIDO, FERMENTED (16 OZ) $8.99
85544600206 SPIRIT CREEK DILLY BEANS, FERMENTED (16 OZ) $9.99
85544600200 SPIRIT CREEK KIM CHI (16 OZ) $9.99
85544600201 SPIRIT CREEK SAUERKRAUT, GREEN (16 OZ) $8.99
85544600202 SPIRIT CREEK SAUERKRAUT, PURPLE (16 OZ) $8.99

79151721601 SUNJA KIM CHI, CABBAGE (16 OZ) $6.69

85039400400 TRRRIFIC ASPARAGUS (16 OZ) $7.99
85039400401 TRRRIFIC ASPARAGUS, SPICY (16 OZ) $7.99

7487309080 WESTBRAE MISO, MELLOW BR RICE OG (13 OZ) $6.49
7487309086 WESTBRAE MISO, MELLOW RED OG (13 OZ) $6.49
7487309083 WESTBRAE MISO, MELLOW WHITE OG (13 OZ) $6.49

3087130150 WILDWOOD AIOLI, GARLIC (16 OZ) $5.99

89893200100 YONS FOODS KIM CHI (16 OZ) $5.79

Any additional updates can be found at here.

Since announcing the project in June, we have spoken with area neighbors, organizations, and businesses to learn more about the community and begin developing partnerships for the future. These conversations have informed the design process. In the past weeks we have been working with our design team and city planning staff to prepare the preliminary “site use” plan. This is the project’s first design milestone.

The site use plan is a balance between store operational needs, city code requirements, and what we believe will allow the co-op to be a good neighbor for many years to come. At a high level, the site plan proposes:

• A building at the corner of 38th Street and Clinton Avenue. We will propose a small second floor for offices along the 38th Street side of the building.
• Fifty-nine parking spaces in the adjacent parking lot at 38th Street and 3rd Avenue. This is a similar ratio of parking-to-building at our Franklin store.
• Vacating the alley at 38th Street which will include a new “hammerhead” turnaround.

Download a PDF version of the preliminary site plan. The site plan is also available under Resources on the left.

Upcoming Events

We are planning a number of events for those who would like to learn more about the proposed project and Seward Co-op.

Open houses in October:
If you would like to speak to co-op staff about the project, please join us at one of the scheduled open houses to be held at 3821 3rd Avenue South. This is a property the co-op purchased in August in anticipation of acquiring additional properties in March of 2014. The open houses are scheduled from 1 to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays, and from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursdays throughout October. More information can be found here.

Tours of the Franklin store:
We invite you visit and see what the co-op is all about. Starting on October 26 at 11 a.m., LaDonna Redmond will lead Saturday tours of the Franklin store for anyone who is interested. Transportation from and back to the Friendship site (3821 3rd Avenue) will be provided. Please RSVP with LaDonna if you would like to attend the tour and/or need a ride (612-314-2016, lsandersredmond@seward.coop). Tour dates will be posted on our website as they become available.

Public Task Force meeting on the site design:
In anticipation of the new store, the Bryant and Central neighborhood groups have created a task force made up of representatives from area neighborhood organizations and residents. A public task force meeting to review the project plans is planned for Wednesday, Nov. 6. Location and time will be posted on the project page when available.

Employment Opportunities

This proposed new store is exciting for a number of reasons. A very important aspect is the potential for the creation of new jobs. Over the past four and a half years, the co-op has grown substantially. Prior to expanding into the current Franklin store the co-op employed 110 people. Today the co-op has a staff of over 220 people, 70 percent of whom are full time (30+hrs/week).

One of the compelling reasons for proposing a second store at the Friendship site is the potential of expanding access to living-wage jobs, co-op ownership, and healthful food. More than 20 percent of current staff, and 15 percent of the co-op’s owners, live within 1.5 miles of the proposed site. Employees who have worked at least 2,000 hours are eligible to earn, at a minimum, the City of Minneapolis’ living wage, which is currently $12.45 per hour.

The proposed second store at the Friendship site has the potential to create many new jobs and many new opportunities, both within the organization and in the community. One of the many new partnerships we are building is with Hired, a workforce development organization. Hired will assist us in supporting local residents who apply for current openings at the Franklin store and prepare for future job openings at the Friendship site.

For those interested in working at Seward Co-op, please visit our careers page. It lists all current openings at the Franklin store, outlines employee benefits, and has an online application submission form. Job openings and applications are also available at the Franklin store at 2823 E. Franklin Avenue.

Project Timeline

A project of this scale and complexity can take many months to complete and requires its phases be completed in a carefully coordinated sequence. The proposed timeline for the new store is below.