On October 3, TW Garner Food Company issued a voluntary recall of its Green Mountain Gringo All Natural Tortilla Strips, due to potential contamination by stainless steel fragments Between August 3, 2016 and October 3, 2016, Seward Co-op may have sold products affected by this recall at both the Franklin and Friendship stores.

Green Mountain Gringo All Natural Tortilla Strips–$2.79
Size: 8 oz
UPC: 0 53852 00300 2

If you purchased any of the above product at Seward Co-op between August 3, 2016 and October 3, 2016, recalled products will be fully refunded at either our Franklin or Friendship store Customer Service desk. Consumers can find more information at http://app.recallinfolink.com/uploads//10864-28741-GrnMtnGringoAllNaturalTortillaStrips.pdf.

Construction season is upon us in Minnesota, and this year the Seward neighborhood is no exception. In May, the Franklin Avenue Bridge closed and is scheduled to reopen this September. We’ve provided detour routes for bicycles and cars on our website here. We aren’t letting a little construction get us down, and neither should you —take the scenic route and check out these great things Seward Co-op has to offer! Here are five reasons to take the detour to the Franklin store.

Seward Summer Sale­­: Throughout the summer we will be running limited time offers on some of our most popular products. Take advantage of these deep discounts and stock up on snacks, treats, and pantry staples for the family.

Cycle Perks: Snap on your helmet and take a spin to the co-op. All bike commuters are eligible to enter our monthly Cycle Perks drawing. Pick up a “Cycle Perks” sticker at Customer Service to wear proudly on your helmet or bicycle. Along with this sticker, you’ll also receive a special punch card, which you can have punched for any purchase at Seward Co-op. A full card of 10 punches will enter you into a monthly drawing for a $50 gift card at Seward Co-op!

Nourish: Nourish provides practical ideas about how we can nourish ourselves, our families, and our community, without sacrificing our values and our budgets. Nourish recipes, found near the Customer Service desk offer inspiration for affordable ways to feed a family of four for $10 or less ($15 or less with meat protein). Learn basic scratch-cooking techniques in our free Nourish 101 classes. Staples shelf signs highlight products Seward Co-op is committed to offering at everyday low prices.

Ownership: Owner or not, everyone is welcome at Seward Co-op. Many people join to support a community-owned business that works to sustain the local economy. Ownership in the co-op comes with many benefits:

• 10% off one unlimited quantity shopping trip or café purchase per calendar quarter;
• A vote — to choose the board of directors and impact the future direction of the co-op;
• Owner specials throughout the grocery stores;
• Bulk discounts — 10% discount on preordered bulk or case items at the grocery stores;
• Co-op information — delivery of the co-op’s newsletter “Sprout!” to your home;
• Education discounts — on classes offered in our classrooms;
• Patronage refunds — co-ops can return money back to its owners in profitable years, proportional to the amount spent at the co-op;
• An investment in our community!

Becoming an owner of Seward Co-op is easy! Ownership is $75, and we offer three different payment options: Paid-in-Full, Installment, and Needs Based. Individuals wishing to become owners should stop by the Customer Service desk for more information.

P6: P6 is a unique national labeling program that you’ll only find in certain grocery co-operatives like Seward Co-op. The P6 label promotes small farmers/producers, co-operative business, and local farmers/producers. A company needs to meet two of these three criteria to receive the P6 label:

• Local
• Cooperative
• Small farmer/producer

Local defines a product grown or produced in the five-state region around the given co-op, or having value added in that region (see Seward Co-op’s definition of local below).

Co-op is defined by cooperative ownership of the business or nonprofit status.

Small producer is defined using these guidelines: a) Independently owned and operated, and b) Selling direct to store(s) or through a local distributor with a regional distribution area.

Seward Co-op Project Updates

Friendship Store

Progress on constructing the new Friendship store was delayed in November and December due to rerouting and reconnecting existing power and communication cables, but the remaining demo of the old church building and the removal of the north-south section of the vacated alley was completed in late December.

In January, the construction crew excavated and framed, then poured, cured and back-filled the new concrete foundation for the building — all in the coldest month of the year. A round of applause for our construction team, please.

The erection of the steel framing has recently started (see picture by reporter Ben Garvin on Facebook page), and the building of the new store is beginning to take shape. When this is completed, the exterior framing and sheathing will go up, along with the roof. We’re still on track for the new store to be LEED-certified.

We remain hopeful the Seward Co-op Friendship store will be ready to open in October, 2015.

Creamery Building

We’ve seen a lot of activity in the Creamery Building. The new elevator addition was completed in late December, and the second-floor offices were finished in January. Administrative staff have all moved into the second floor, which has already begun to alleviate space issues in the Franklin store.

As of Feb. 1, our focus will be entirely on the first floor, which will feature a café called the Co-op Creamery Neighborhood Café and a central food-production facility. The facility will supply the Franklin and Friendship stores with meat, bakery, and deli products, freeing up space and workloads on the two retail sites.

The new logos for the Co-op Creamery Neighborhood Café have been finalized (above). The logo was designed to capture, embody, and carry forward the spirit of solidarity and cooperation that brought about the founding of the original Franklin Cooperative Creamery back in 1912. The café menu will be developed on a farm-to-table theme, featuring seasonal and P6 ingredients.

More exciting details to come in the April issue of Sprout!

Seward Co-op Creamery Building on Franklin & 26th Avenue