Prepare an earth-friendly picnic basket to enjoy—and protect—nature this summer. Our co-op stores and café rely on producers focused on sustainability, as well as quality.

We’re featuring some of our favorites that travel well and promote a healthy planet, including Seward-made Snack Packs, produce from Wisconsin Growers in our deli salads, bread from the Wedge Table on Nicollet Avenue and raw honey delivered by bike from Minneapolis-based The Beez Kneez. A bring-anywhere protein, Tanka Bars support the return of buffalo—tatanka in the Lakota language—to Native communities.

Oregon’s Scenic Valley Farms uses high tunnels to grow quality produce while naturally fending off pests and nurturing the soil. Cedar Grove Cheese in Plain, Wisconsin, naturally cleans water before it’s discharged into Honey Creek. All of these picnic staples can be found at Seward Co-op. Learn more about our producers’ sustainability practices below.

Seward-made Snack Packs make picnics easy with on-the-go snacks like veggies and hummus or meat, cheese and crackers. Our Snack Packs are crafted right at the co-op. Stack, dip, munch, repeat.

Wedge Co-op Bread is made at the Wedge Table on Nicollet Avenue. With a facility that’s earned LEED Silver Certification, the Wedge is committed to its sustainability goals and reducing waste.

Tanka Bars are made from prairie-raised buffalo, or bison, a keystone species that regenerates native ecosystems. A South Dakota company, Native American Natural Foods supports the return of buffalo—tatanka in the Lakota language—to Native communities.

Once Again Nut Butter, an employee-owned company in New York, supports organic and sustainable farming practices, fair pay and economic development among global suppliers and their communities. It forms partnerships promoting bee farm sustainability and helping prevent colony collapse disorder.

Cedar Grove Cheese in Plain, Wisconsin, recognized that contaminated water was the cheese factory’s biggest waste product. To clean the wastewater before it discharges into Honey Creek, the company built its Living Machine greenhouse. The working ecosystem uses microbes and hydroponic plants to naturally process washwater.

Oregon’s Scenic Valley Farms uses high tunnels and constantly works to improve production processes. High tunnels offer small farmers an extended growing season and better quality produce, with protection from pests and weeds. Scenic Valley uses insect netting and vinegar traps to keep pests off the plants and applies compost to keep the soil healthy.

Seward Community Co-op’s production kitchen at the Creamery Café, located two blocks west of the Franklin store, prepares salads with ingredients from Wisconsin Growers, a farming cooperative. Its members believe that if farmers take “good care of the soil, the soil will pay back with high-quality produce.” Wisconsin Growers’ farmers plant, tend and harvest crops exclusively using horses, horse machinery and hand tools.

The Beez Kneez delivers high-quality honey throughout the Twin Cities by bicycle. Minneapolis-based beekeeper Kristy Lynn Allen works with Bar Bell Bee Ranch in Squaw Lake, Minnesota, to produce four types of raw, unprocessed honey. Seward Co-op offers clover basswood and buckwheat varieties.

Local businesses and entrepreneurs showcased their efforts at the Powderhorn Shark Tank at Powderhorn Park on Saturday, May 19. Attendees shopped local goods at the marketplace, grabbed free samples and voted for one of the 15 finalists.

Seward Community Co-op was one of the sponsors of the event and provided special prizes to support finalists using a cooperative or collaborative business structure. The two winners of the Seward Co-op prize for proposals with a cooperative or collaborative business structure were: Support Local Hustle ($100 Seward Co-op Creamery Cafe gift card) in the emerging business category and Fortress of the Arts ($50 Seward Co-op Creamery Cafe gift card).

The Powderhorn Park Neighborhood Association gave away over $8,000 in prizes to small businesses. The event sponsors were Seward Community Co-op, U.S. Bank and AM950Radio. Learn more at www.ppna.org/powderhornsharktank.

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.

Our co-op is on a mission to help get 2018 started on a great note with Discover, our new free bimonthly guide to saving money and living well. Discover is the result of more than 140 community-owned cooperative grocers across the country working together, to offer great food and delicious deals. With more than $50 in coupon offers, along with timely tips and a great seasonal recipe, the January-February edition of Discover will launch you into a great new year of good health. Stop by the co-op to pick up your free copy beginning in January, and save on resolution-ready products for the whole family, like Organic India, Liberte, Evolution Fresh and Woodstock.

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.

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.

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.

Seward Co-op opened in 1972 on the corner of 22nd and Franklin avenues. In the beginning, the co-op was run by a core group of volunteers and had a modest selection of products with a heavy emphasis on bulk goods. Today, we have an abundant selection of bulk foods and wellness products to inspire both meal times and self-care routines, all while helping you save money and reduce packaging. In addition to pantry staples, scoop up our teas, medicinal herbs, dried fruits, local honey, cooking liquids, fair-trade coffee and household cleaning products. Did you know you can grind your own fresh peanut and almond butters?

Whether you are simply looking for festive Halloween snacks or want to stock up your pantry for fall baking, we have a treat for you: a 10-percent-off Bulk Sale* on Thursday, Oct. 19. All day — for one day only — everything in the Bulk department (even sale items and Wellness bulk items) is 10 percent off. In 1972, when the co-op took shape, few people imagined it would grow to be the thriving community center and source of healthful food it is today. What’s most important is that amidst its growth, the co-op has remained true to its Ends, never losing sight of its commitment to its owners and the greater community.

*The Oct. 19 bulk sale does not include reusable glass and plastic containers; items sold per pound in other departments, such as Produce and Meat & Seafood.

DIY Trail Mix

At Seward Co-op, our bulk aisles offers all the raw, salted or roasted nuts, seeds, dried fruit, and other tasty morsels you need in order to create an economical, nourishing snack that allows you to control the salt and sugar content. The basic formula for designing your own trail mix is to combine 50-percent nuts, 30-percent dried fruit, 10-percent seeds, and 10-percent any other bulk goodie of your choosing. Proportions are not an exact science, and quantities can be easily altered and tailored to your unique preferences or dietary restrictions.

Most conventional, premixed trail mixes are loaded with sugar and salt, but you can avoid that by making your own. It’s the perfect family-friendly activity that teaches healthful eating habits and serves as a nice introduction to the co-op. Here’s one of our favorite recipes to get you started.

Everyday Trail Mix

Ingredients
1 cup cashews
1 cup almonds
1 cup walnuts
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup dried bananas
¼ cup sunflower seeds
¼ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup chocolate-covered ginger

Directions
Toast the nuts and seeds in the oven at 350° F. until fragrant and lightly browned. Let cool. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Nordic Naturals believes omega-3s are ideal nutrients for children of every age. Beginning before birth, and throughout our lives, each of us needs these essential fats, but few of us ever come close to consuming enough. For school-aged children in particular, experts recommend omega-3 DHA to maintain optimal growth and development.

Meet with representatives from Nordic Naturals to see why
“Omega 3s Are For Every Body.”
Enjoy 30% off all Nordic Naturals products during the popup events at our respective stores:

Saturday, Aug. 26 at the Franklin Store
Sunday, Aug. 27 at the Friendship Store

Nordic Naturals fruit-flavored omega-3 products are developed with children’s unique needs—and tastes—in mind. All our omega-3 products come from 100% wild-caught fish, and most of our products formulated for kids are derived exclusively from Arctic cod, a great source of DHA. Fresh, pure, and potent, our omega-3s are always made with the safest and most sustainable non-GMO ingredients, and surpass all major standards for quality.