Farmer to Farmer will be offering samples of its organic coffee and sharing its story at Seward Community Co-op in August and September.

Farmer to Farmer is a small Wisconsin-based nonprofit that was founded in 1989 and is currently working in Guatemala and Honduras. Farmer to Farmer works directly with family coffee farmers to buy their organic coffee for an above fair trade price.

According to Farmer to Farmer, the profits from the coffee sales go back to the farmers and help support various projects, including school scholarships for students in Santiago Atitlalan, Guatemala.

“We envision agriculture that is sustainable and respectful for the earth, and one that remains in the hands of the people who live on and work the land,” according to Farmer to Farmer. “We support grassroots agricultural projects that are democratically initiated and managed. Our decisions about a project are guided by respect that characterizes the relationship between friends.”

Farmer to Farmer says, “As an organization, we affirm the sacredness of the earth and work for and respect the rights of all people and cultures to self-determination.”

Learn more about Farmer to Farmer and sip on organic coffee 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on the follow dates:

Saturday, Aug. 18, Franklin
Sunday, Aug. 19, Friendship

Saturday, Sept. 1, Franklin
Sunday, Sept. 2, Friendship

Saturday, Sept. 22, Friendship
Sunday, Sept. 23, Franklin

Farmer to Farmer coffee will be on sale Aug. 15-Sept. 4. Be sure to stock up!

Support our community—and your workout—at Seward Co-op Creamery Café in Minneapolis. Vegan or omnivore, avoiding gluten or all about wheat, you can fuel up for the YWCA Women’s Triathlon on Aug. 12 with our fresh, local and organic menu or celebrate with a beer post-race.

We’re a café by Seward Community Co-op. That means we’re focused on cooperative values as much as we are on offering seasonal dishes made from ingredients we purchase daily. We’re committed to sustaining a healthy community that has equitable economic relationships, positive environmental impacts and inclusive socially responsible practices.

Seward Co-op Creamery Café works with small-scale farmers and producers, especially those whose production may not yield the volume demanded of the co-op’s two grocery stores. Café employees earn a living wage once they have worked 2,000 at the co-op.

Spend time with neighbors or friends on our patio or brightly lit community space. Happy Hour is 2-6 p.m. every Wednesday through Saturday. We serve a rotating Happy Hour menu, a $10 burger special made with Peterson’s Craft Meats that includes fries and a pint, and $1 off beer, cider and wine. Try our summer menu, including our beet Reuben, lamb and pesto melt, farmer salad and so much more. Follow us on social media and visit us at 2601 E. Franklin Ave.

Seward Community Co-op wants your feedback. Starting Friday, July 27, co-op shoppers may be randomly selected via their receipt to take a quick survey about the co-op. If you complete it, you’ll save $5 on your next shopping trip.

Saving is as easy as 1, 2, 3! If you are selected to take the survey:

1. Visit the website printed on your receipt.
2. Complete the survey within the next three days.
3. Write the provided five-digit code on your receipt to be used as a coupon.

Complete the survey on your own computer/device or on the iPad at our customer service desk.

Seward Co-op Creamery Café welcomed more than 30 guests July 17 for a Farm Table dinner featuring our July SEED recipient, Tamales y Bicicletas, an organization dedicated to strengthening Latino and immigrant communities through bike projects, green farming, cultural empowerment and environmental justice.

We enjoyed a three-course meal—including tamales and churros—featuring produce from Tamales y Bicicletas’ urban farm and heard about the nonprofit’s food-based work in Latino and immigrant communities in the Twin Cities.

Thank you to all who attended our Farm Table! Keep rounding up at co-op registers throughout the month of July to support Tamales y Bicicletas’ programming.

Seward Co-op’s 17th Annual Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Fair was held Saturday, April 21, at a new location—the Creamery Café! We lucked out with weather and it was once again a huge success, both for farmers and attendees—what a difference a week can make weather-wise. For the fourth year in a row, it was a sunny, temperate spring day for the event, which showcased more than 30 area CSA farms.

We added new activities and programmatic elements to the fair this year. Midwest Food Connection taught children how to plant seedlings by leading them through the process. Community organizers, focused on the sustainable food movement presented informative Farmer Talks. Hmong American Farmers Association (HAFA) shared the history of how Hmong people came to the United States, and talked about the HAFA programs focused on providing immigrants with land access. Michael Cheney, of Project Sweetie Pie shared Farm Bill updates and encouraged community members to become more active and engaged in local politics. Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin, shared his thinking around regenerative agriculture and how Main Street Project’s poultry CSA is making it a little easier for Latinos to become small-scale farmers. In case you missed the event, Facebook Live video footage is posted to our Seward Co-op Facebook page.

Inside, Creamery Café staff served up tasty brunch and lunch fare, and offered specials on taquitos and local beer from fellow co-op, Fair State. Thank you to all who were able to attend! It was a wonderful fair, which brought together neighbors and farmers, on a gorgeous spring day. Here’s to a bountiful growing season!Thank you to all who were able to attend! It was a wonderful event, which brought together neighbors and farmers, on a gorgeous spring day.

For folks still interested in exploring CSAs, both Franklin and Friendship stores are drop sites for a variety of local CSAs. Check out the weekly schedule below:

The Land Stewardship Project’s directory, is a great resource as well, posted on Seward Co-op’s website.

Thank you to everyone who attended the 2017 Annual Owner Meeting. This year’s meeting was held at the University of Minnesota in the Great Hall of the Coffman Memorial Union. Seward Co-op owners enjoyed live music by Kenn Wanaku and David Stenshoel, a performance by Appetite for Change, and an engaging conversation led by Diversity and Community Engagement Manager LaDonna Redmond Sanders and guest chef Tunde Wey regarding the true cost of food. We ended the night by welcoming two new directors—Vina Kay and Filiberto Nolasco Gomez and congratulating Lenny Nelson on re-election. Full election results are available here. Photos from the evening are available on our Facebook page.

As we reflect on fiscal year 2017, which ended June 30, Seward Co-op has a lot to celebrate as an organization and community of owners.

We invite everyone to become a co-op owner through multiple payment options and a needs-based discount:
• 18,253 total owners
• 1,850 new owners

We hire staff who reflect the neighborhoods in which we operate:
• 58% of staff reside within 1.5 miles of our locations
• 35% of staff identify as people of color
• 15% of staff are multilingual

We prioritize and promote giving back to the community:
• $297,913 raised in SEED donations
• $71,241 given in the form of grants, donations, and sponsorships
• 465 paid employee community service hours

We contribute to a more equitable economy by offering quality products through intentional sourcing:
• $20.8 million in P6 (small-scale, locally produced, and/or cooperative enterprise) sales, or 46% of sales.
• A total of $2.7 million fair trade products sold.

We source products that minimize negative environmental impacts:
• $17.6 million in organic product sales, or 39% of sales.
• $19 million in local product sales

We offer products that are accessible and affordable:
• $1.1 million in SNAP and WIC transactions
• $390,346 in needs-based discounts
• $2.1 million in Nourish products sold

We operate using 35% less energy compared to industry norms:
• 80% of all Seward Co-op waste is recycled.