On Dec. 20, Bearded Brothers announced a voluntary recall of Bearded Brothers bars due to mold found on random bars. Consumption of this product may (but likely will not) cause sickness. The mold is visible to the eye. Seward Co-op does not currently have affected product on the shelf, but may have sold it between Sept. 21–Dec. 20, 2017.

Colossal Coconut Mango—1.52 oz, $2.99 with the following lot code and best by date.
UPC: 85403000508

Lot Code Best By Date
BCM02272017 EXP 02272018
BCM03022017 EXP 03022018
BCM03032017 EXP 03032018
BCM03062017 EXP 03062018
BCM03142017 EXP 03142018
BCM04042017 EXP 04042018
BCM04122017 EXP 04122018
BCM04152017 EXP 04152018

Mega Maca Chocolate—1.52 oz, $2.99 with the following lot code and best by date.
UPC: 85403000506

Lot Code Best By Date
BMC03052017 EXP 03052018
BMC03062017 EXP 03062018
BMC03282017 EXP 03282018
BMC03302017 EXP 03302018
BMC04052017 EXP 04052018
BMC04272017 EXP 04272018

If you purchased this product at Seward Co-op between Sept. 21–Dec. 20, 2017, it will be fully refunded at either our Franklin or Friendship store Customer Service desk.

On Dec. 8, World Finer Foods, LLC announced a voluntary recall of its Rapunzel vegetable, no salt bouillon due to incorrect labeling. Seward Co-op does not currently have affected product on the shelf, but could have sold affected product between Sept. 8–Dec. 8, 2017.

Rapunzel Vegetable Bouillon, No Salt
Affected lot numbers: 112075, 113390, 114805, 116205, 118230 and 119631
Affected best buy dates: 9/10/2018, 11/12/2018, 12/17/2018, 03/04/2019, 05/23/2019 and 7/22/2019

If you purchased this product at Seward Co-op between Sept. 8–Dec. 8, 2017, it will be fully refunded at either our Franklin or Friendship store Customer Service desk.

This past October, the Annual Meeting allowed us to bring to the stage one of Seward Co-op’s longest-term employees, Leo Sanders, to celebrate his retirement this winter. Leo first started with Seward Co-op as a volunteer 40 years ago. He became part of the co-op’s last collective in the early ’80s and returned to the co-op in the late ’90s. During his tenure here, he watched the co-op grow from 18 employees to what it is today with over 300 employees. He is also the only employee to have worked at Seward alongside all four general managers we’ve had.

Leo at Seward Co-op in 1982.

Those who know Leo appreciate his calm under fire, his incredible sense of humor, and his dedication to cooperation and hard work. Leo cites the people he works with as what he enjoys about his career at Seward Co-op and said, “I’m grateful to work in a business that has intentionally articulated a Code of Ethics to live up to, Ends to guide our decision making and a Scorecard to keep us on track.” General Manager Sean Doyle speaks for all of us at the co-op when he expressed how grateful we are to Leo for his years of sacrifice and service. The co-op would not be where it is today without his leadership.

Thanks, Leo.

Working on your gut this season could mean a lot of things. Maybe you are adjusting your workout routine to strengthen your core muscle groups. You could be, ahem, adding a few inches to your waist because it would be quite rude to not at least try each seasonal and celebratory treat you come across this winter. Turns out that fermented foods are another way to work on your gut, improving digestion and giving your immune system the support it needs. If you do a quick search on the Internet or stroll down the co-op aisles, you will see that there are an incredible number of fermented foods and beverages out there, too.

Fermentation, in the broadest sense, is the transformation of food by various fungi, bacteria and the enzymes they produce. Examples of this impressive transformation are turning cabbage into sauerkraut, jalapenos and carrots into a lacto-fermented hot sauce, or grapes into wine. Depending on the desired outcome, the enzymatic process can take anywhere from a couple of days to many weeks. The transformation, in turn, is able to offer nutrients and good bacteria to which our bodies would otherwise not have access. Also, keep in mind that while fermented foods are often acidic, they actually produce an alkaline effect in our bodies because the fermentation process makes alkalizing minerals accessible to us.

Currently, it is believed that the average human digestive system contains 300–500 types of bacteria! Sickness, antibiotics or excessive consumption of sugary foods are just a few of the ways this bacterial complexity can shift to an imbalance. This shift can affect not only how your abdomen feels, but it also can produce side effects like brain fog, inflammation throughout the body, bad breath, a weak immune system, or a prolonged low mood or energy level. Fermented foods and beverages are certainly not the single magic ingredient that makes everything better, but when used moderately with other habits of self-care, they are essential pieces of the puzzle.

You would be hard pressed to find a culture that does not have a signature fermented food or beverage. Many places, like the co-op, make it easy to swing by the store and pick up a bottle of beet kvass, a jar of curtido, a pack of injera, or a block of blue cheese. One of the great things about fermentation is that you don’t have to purchase it—this is your opportunity to become a culinary scientist! The next time you are invited to a holiday meal, or are hosting one yourself, you can provide, with very little effort, a creation of your own. If that piques your interest but you are unsure where to begin, click on the photos for recipes to try or attend our Winter Ferments class led by the Creamery Café’s Chef de Cuisine, Matt Kappra.

Midwest Food Connection (MFC) is a nonprofit educational organization supported by Twin Cities food coops, including Seward, our largest sponsor. Since 1993, Midwest Food Connection has brought informative and memorable experiences gardening, cooking and eating healthy food to elementary school classrooms. In our 20- year history, we have reached more than 60,000 children with our programming. In the fall, we walk into the classroom with a tall cornstalk in tow. The next week we hide root vegetables around the room for students to discover in an imaginary root cellar. In the winter, we paste beans to a map of the world and look at potatoes full of eyes. As the growing season begins in the spring, we schlep buckets of soil into the classroom to start seedlings that students tend before bringing them home. As our mission states, “Midwest Food Connection brings educational adventures in food, cooking, and gardening to children and their families.” This is what we do. The question is why? And why does food education matter?

Health

We have a serious health problem in this country. One in five school-aged children is obese; a percentage that has more than tripled since the 1970s. Perhaps the most obvious reason for our work is to encourage healthy eating behavior in children. When it comes to impacting our health, we have the most say over the food we choose to eat. This is particularly true for children who may have limited say over their lifestyles but might make choices at the dinner table. Our job is to provide the knowledge, positive experiences and tools to empower them to make healthy decisions. By bringing real food into the classroom, sharing stories, cooking together, and tasting delicious recipes, we encourage trying new foods in a fun and approachable way.

Environment

To understand a food is to understand where it comes from, how it grows, and what it looks like in nature. Through our lesson content and our co-op partnerships, MFC directly and indirectly motivates environmentally conscious behavior. In our early fall curriculum, for example, we teach a lesson called “Eat Local,” which explores the many reasons for eating local foods. Students brainstorm these reasons and discuss the benefits of decreasing fossil fuel emissions, supporting local economies, and eating seasonally to care for the land. By bringing locally grown produce from the co-op into the classroom, we connect children to the food that grows only miles away. Our students are inspired to choose the foods they learn about in our lessons. In response, some families decide to purchase these local foods and start to plug into the local food system. We move the needle on the demand for local foods, fruits and vegetables, and sustainable agriculture.

Community

By learning about and plugging into a local food system, MFC students become connected to the greater Minnesota community. Whether tasting a Honeycrisp apple in class, going to the co-op with their families, seeing pictures of local farmers, visiting farms around the Twin Cities during our field trips, or starting to grow food in their own neighborhoods, young people connect the dots of the food system. As one of our educators remarked, we bring the “human aspect” to food. We say, “think about the farmer who grew the food you’re about to taste.” When kids learn about the support we give to farmers in our state or the sustainability of our collective actions, they begin to uphold one of the seven national Photo by Susie Hessburg co-op principles: Concern for Community.

Cultural Awareness

Food lies at the intersection of health, environment, community and culture. By taking a holistic approach to food education, we broaden the worldview and historical view of children’s thinking. As our winter series “Gifts of Many Cultures” expresses in each lesson, many of the fruits, vegetables and dishes we enjoy eating in the United States. have been brought here by immigrants and refugees. We explore the history of the potato in Ireland, the soybean in China, and millet in Western Africa. We learn about the Native farming practice of growing the “three sisters” of corn, squash and beans together. “We’re not only increasing children’s exposure to more healthy food,” MFC Executive Director Uli Koester explains, “we’re also showing them how to be sensitive to other cultures and be aware of where our food is coming from.” For a young generation that is growing up in an increasingly multicultural world, we celebrate foods from many cultures. As Uli reflected, “We’re not always just giving new choices, we’re also validating the choices some students have already made.” Whether trying the Indian dish of dhal or biting into a Mejdool date, MFC students from kindergarten through fifth grade have learned to uphold multiculturalism as a gift.

Congratulations to Vina Kay and Filiberto Nolasco Gomez on their election to the Seward Co-op Board of Directors, and to Lenny Nelson for his re-election to the board. The results were announced at the Annual Owner Meeting on Oct. 23. Full election results are available here.

There were three at-large seats up for election this year (two three-year terms and one one-year term; the candidate receiving the third-highest number of votes serves the one-year term). Vina and Lenny were elected to three-year terms, and Filiberto was elected to the one-year term.

Thank you to all who ran and all who voted. Your participation in the election maintains our healthy co-op democracy and helps us in the direction we take as a community-owned business.

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.