• Community Foods

    Local – Small-scale – Inclusive – Sustainable – Cooperative

Community Foods is a Seward Co-op labeling program featuring producers that best align with our cooperative values and mission to sustain a healthy community. We contribute to a more equitable economy by offering quality products through intentional sourcing. Community Foods purchases are important, everyday investments in a sustainable and equitable food system. Look for Community Foods logos and the purple tags around our stores to support Community Foods producers.

With Community Foods, we’re focusing on the real stories of our producers that support Seward Co-op’s Ends.

Current Featured Community Foods Producer

Bogart’s Doughnuts Co.

Small-scale, local, woman-owned (inclusive)

Bogart’s is a Minneapolis-based doughnut shop run by ex-attorney turned full-time small-scale business owner Anne Rucker. Anne’s passion for baking began in childhood alongside her grandmother and great-aunt. Those early kitchen moments were so formative, the business name “Bogart’s” is a tribute to her grandmother and great-aunt’s maiden name. Anne has spent years perfecting Bogart’s menu and puts an emphasis on quality over shortcuts when it comes to their recipes. All of Bogart’s doughnuts are made from scratch and fried throughout the day to ensure they’re as fresh as possible.

Learn more

Learn more about the history of the Community Foods program

At Seward Co-op we have always been passionate about sourcing high-quality products from makers who share our cooperative values. That’s one of the reasons we created the Community Foods labeling program in 2018. Purchases from local, small-scale, cooperative, inclusive, and sustainable businesses keep money in our community and help build a more sustainable and equitable food system.

For years, we have known that many small-scale farmers and producers operate in a system that favors industrial agriculture and corporations. Since the pandemic, many of our Community Foods partners have also had to navigate a profoundly impacted food system and quickly adapt to implement practices that ensure safety. Now more than ever, our collective and continued investment in Community Foods helps to keep these producers thriving and keep us well-fed.

Co-op staff are connecting with our Community Foods farmers and makers to share their stories about how they are doing, adapting, and planning for the future. Community Foods focuses on the real stories of producers that support Seward Co-op’s Ends Statement. Check back for stories of the makers, their products, and the more resilient food and economic systems we are working to build together.

How to Qualify?

Producers must meet at least two of the criteria outlined below to qualify for the Seward Co-op Community Foods label.

Local

Producers from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Iowa.

Small-scale

Products sourced directly from producers.

Cooperative

Businesses run by and for people, with democratic governance and profits shared proportionate to use.

Inclusive

Businesses owned by historically underrepresented individuals.

Sustainable

Producers who implement agricultural, production, or manufacturing practices which build and maintain healthy soil; manage water wisely; minimize air, water, and climate pollution; and promote biodiversity.