For more than 40 years, Seward Co-op has been committed to giving back to our community. In 2011, we introduced SEED, a new way for customers to participate in this commitment. This simple yet powerful community giving program allows customers to “round-up” their grocery bill for recipient organizations that share our commitment to a healthy community.

SEED Recipients are selected once per year. Application information for 2017 will be posted at seward.coop in the spring of 2016.

2015-16 SEED Recipients

October 2015
WE WIN Institute, Inc.
WE WIN supports student learning and social development in urban youth through academic activities, civic and community engagement. Funding will support WE WIN youth gardens that teach young people about the importance of food origins, eating healthy, and exercise.

November 2015
Waite House Neighborhood Center
Waite House trains neighborhood teens in community culinary arts and food justice. Funds raised would support the community based portion of their training – in Southside Kitchen providing healthy, made-from-scratch, free meals daily to neighborhood youth.

December 2015 and June 2016
Isuroon Ethnic Food Shelf
Isuroon is dedicated to building Somali women’s self-sufficiency so that they can lead healthier, more productive lives in Minnesota, nationally and in Somalia. Funding will support the creation of an ethnic food shelf serving the Somali Community in South Minneapolis.

January 2016
Full Cycle Bike Shop
Full Cycle is a bike shop that helps put homeless youth on a path toward independence. SEED funding will create jobs for homeless youth using a fleet of bike trailers to pick up and deliver food donations to organizations serving homeless youth. Homeless youth are best able to build up their own stability when they have the opportunity to help others at the same time.

February and December 2016
Sabathani Community Center
Sabathani provides food, clothing and housing to 26,000 neighborhood residents each year in South Minneapolis. We feed the chronically poor, those on disability or chemical dependent individuals and families. Sabathani Community Center has been providing basic needs services for nearly fifty years.

March and September 2016
Brian Coyle Food Shelf
Brian Coyle Community Center’s Basic Needs program offers a choice model food shelf, healthy cultural cooking classes, free produce giveaways, monthly senior NAPS food program, and is working toward expanding its community garden on site. Funding will support the purchase of fresh produce, dairy, whole grains and culturally-specific foods for the food shelf.

April 2016
In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre
On May 1, 2016, In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre’s 42nd annual MayDay celebration will build community vitality on an enormous scale. We will bring together 1200 volunteers to build and stage a parade and pageant welcoming spring and inspiring positive change for 50,000 attendees from every part of our community. Children, parents, youth and seniors are engaged for weeks in advance, building artmaking skills as they gain respect and develop friendships with each other.

May 2016
Mashkiikii Gitigan Urban Community Farm
Mashkiikii Gitigan (Ojibwe for medicine garden) addresses the food justice needs of people living in the Phillips neighborhood of South Minneapolis, many of whom face challenges in accessing fresh, healthy foods. SEED funding will support Mashkiikii Gitigan’s Karma Markets, weekly “pay what you can” farmer’s markets that provide community members with fresh fruits, vegetables, and traditional herbal medicines.

July 2016
Hope Community
SEED funds will support a Network of Community Gardens at Home Community, at the intersection of Franklin and Portland Avenues–about two miles west of Seward Co-op, in Philips Community. Hope is a community development organization that’s been around since 1977, doing both housing and community engagement in Philips. Gardens at Hope bring people together to learn about and grow healthy food, develop leadership and build a stronger, healthier community.

August 2016
The Hmong American Farmers Association
The Hmong American Farmers Association creates more economic opportunity for Hmong farmers. They make sure Hmong farmers earn more income through new markets like co-ops and schools, while bringing fresh, locally grown produced to thousands of people in the Twin Cities.

October 2016
Community Emergency Service, Inc.
Community Emegency Service has been feeding hungry people in our neighborhood for more than four decades, providing groceries and hot meals for 2,500 people monthly. SEED funds will help the organization provide holiday food for neighbors in need this season.

November 2016
Dream of Wild Health
Dream of Wild Health promotes health in the urban Native community by expanding knowledge of and access to healthy indigenous foods and medicines.. DWH’s programs focus on increasing knowledge of healthy foods, nutrition, cooking, disease prevention, traditional foods, organic farming and community advocacy.

Seward Community Co-op launched the Seward Community Fund (SCF) in 2005. The establishment of the SCF embodies our co-op’s commitment to grow not just as a business, but also as a community resource for organizations whose work aligns with our vision for a healthy community.

SCF grants are awarded annually in amounts up to $5,000 each. Applications are reviewed by a grant committee comprised of co-op staff, and recipients are announced at the annual co-op owners meeting in October. The next application deadline will be in early summer 2016. Click here for more information.

Grants are given to organizations whose work aligns with our Ends Statement:

Our Ends Statement

Seward Co-op will sustain a healthy community that has:

• Equitable economic relationships;
• Positive environmental impacts; and
• Inclusive, socially responsible practices.

In addition, priority will be given to organizations that:

• Are based in the communities served by Seward Co-op.
• Reflect the cultural and racial diversity of our communities.
• Use the funding for specific projects rather than general operating costs.
• Are nonpartisan and do not advocate a particular religion.
• Are registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.

2015 Seward Community Fund Recipients:

Alliance of Early Childhood Professionals
$5,000
We will use this grant to revitalize Dakota and Ojibwe languages at the early childhood levels, as MN’s First languages; Dakota and Ojibwe are critically endangered. We are using an analogy of a tropic cascade when speaking of revitalizing Dakota and Ojibwe as current data points towards numerous cognitive benefits, cultural self efficacy and community well being.

Ananya Dance Theatre
$3,000
Ananya Dance Theatre is a contemporary company of women artists of color. Grant funds would support the creation and presentation of our 2016 production, “Horidraa: Golden Healing.”

Dream of Wild Health
$5,000
We work to restore health and well-being of the Twin Cities Native American community by increasing access to healthy fresh foods through our farm production, market and CSA outlets and donations; providing educational programs in organic farming, healthy indigenous foods, cooking skills and nutritional knowledge; and by creating opportunities for youth educational summer enrichment, employment and entrepreneurship programs.

Frogtown Green/Asian American Elders Garden
$3,500
We seek support for coordination, infrastructure and supplies for the Asian American Elders Garden, a space where elderly refugees build social connections and economic resilience by growing produce for household consumption and occasional sales. The Garden, a Frogtown resident-led initiative, also enhances cultural interaction and learning, by showcasing Asian farming techniques and produce.

Kente Circle
$5,000
Kente Circle, an African American owned mental health organization, is obtaining 501(c)(3) status for a new training institute and community gathering place – Kente Circle Training Institute (KCTI). KCTI’s work will align with the Seward Co-op ends statement in that it will be geared toward culturally inclusive trainings, research and community building in the Twin Cities and more specifically in the community where the new Seward Co-op Friendship Store is located.

Mashkiikii Gitigan: 24th Street Community Urban Farm
$5,000
The Mission of the Mashkiikii Gitigan is is to create and nurture the culture and practice of local food production, healthy eating, healthy living and related activities along the 24th Street Wellness Corridor and throughout the Phillips Community. These funds would go towards hiring a local resident, market supplies and “Karma Market Bucks” to support our “Karma Market” where communit members can contribute what they can afford for healthy, organic produce from our Urban Farm.

MSPCC/Sunshine Tree Child Development Ctr.
$5,000
We are an Early Childhood Development Center that provides sustainable Early learning services for Children from a diversity of families in our community. The funds will be used to upgrade our facility and enhance the materials used for the learning of our Children to make them exceptionally Kindergarten ready and also assist those that are in school to have successful educational and social experiences.

Permaculture Research Institute-Cold Climate
$4,500
PRI will provide full scholarship tuition for training eight new urban farmers from low-income, immigrant, and/or native communities, and will provide them with access to land and the training needed to launch businesses, to become teachers, and grow healthy food in their neighborhoods. Collectively, these eight new farmers will gain the leadership skills and experience to transform eight new farms and teach an additional fifty new community members over the course of their learning.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park Legacy Council
$4,000
We will use the funds to landscape an area around the Freedom Form II sculpture in the park. This is a special place, sacred ground containing the sculpture donated upon the re-dedication of the park in Dr. King’s name and then enhanced with granite and metal benches inscribed with quotes from Dr. King and responses from the community. The final touch would be landscaping.

Seward Longfellow Restorative Justice Partnership
$5,000
SLRJP provides a restorative conference process, as an alternative to the juvenile justice system, to neighborhood youth who have been arrested for lower level offenses including shoplifting, property damage and theft. Funding will be used to grow a new partnership with the Center for Multicultural Mediation and Restorative Justice in order to provide culturally-informed restorative conferences in Somali to referred youth, with participation of a Somali co-facilitator and Somali community members.

The Cedar Cultural Center
$5,000
Launched in 2014 in partnership with Augsburg College, Midnimo is a program featuring multi-week residencies with Somali artists from Minnesota and around the world that include public performances, workshops, discussions, and activities on campus and in the community. The proposed funding will support the growth and continuation of Midnimo, and build on its momentum as a platform for developing the social connections and cultural touchstones that promote unity and the celebration of our community’s diverse cultural assets.

Seward Co-op’s 2015 board of directors election culminated at the annual meeting on Oct. 6. The board of directors governs the entire co-op — Franklin store, Friendship store, Creamery Café — and is comprised of nine co-op owners. Through a democratic election, four seats were filled this year. Full results are available here.

Congratulations to Louis Alemayehu, David Hoffman-Dachelet, Joe Riemann and Mary Alice Smalls! Together with five others, these individuals are responsible for articulating the vision and goals for Seward Co-op that management pursues and achieves.

The 2015 election saw a pool of highly qualified candidates. Thank you to all who ran, and all who voted.

Are you planning on running for the Board of Directors at Seward Co-op?

All candidates are required to attend one orientation meeting and one board meeting to be eligible to run in the election.

Orientation meetings are Wednesday, July 22 at 6 p.m. and Saturday, July 25 at 10 a.m. in the Seward Co-op Creamery building at 2601 E. Franklin Ave.

Board meetings are held on the last Tuesday of every month, at 6:15 p.m. at the Co-op Creamery administrative offices, second floor. Upcoming meeting dates are: July 28, Aug. 25 and Sept. 29.

Information on candidate packets and other important deadlines here.

The SEED totals are in for the month of March: Seward shoppers and owners have donated $19,776.39 (from 43,693 individual donations). That’s a record for monthly donations via SEED! Seward Co-op matched $2,085 in donations over the course of the final March weekend, for a grand total of $21,860 in March.

Those crucial dollars go to the Sabathani Food Shelf, our neighbors across the street from the Seward Friendship Store-to-be. Sabathani feeds over 25,000 Minneapolitans every year at their Food Shelf, so we’re exceedingly proud of Seward shoppers and owners for being so generous to them.

Thank you and CONGRATULATIONS to everyone who took part at Sabathani and Seward Co-op!

Meet the local producers who bring us fruits, veggies, flowers, and meat throughout the local season by visiting their farms on the 2015 Eat Local Farm Tour!

Take the kids, meet friends along the way, or bike to local urban farms near you on Saturday, July 18. The 2015 Farm Guide booklets are available here or at the Seward Co-op Customer Service Desk.

Twenty-one local farms are opening their doors to the Eat Local Tour this year:

10th Street Farm & Market

Big River Farms/Minnesota Food Association

Buttermilk Falls CSA & Folk School Retreat

East Henderson Farm

Garden Farme –

Gardens of Eagan

Growing Lots Urban Farm

Humble Pie Farm

Shepherd’s Way Farm

Simple Harvest Farm Organics

Singing Hills Goat Dairy Farm

Star Prairie Trout Farm

Stone’s Throw Urban Farm

The Beez Kneez

Thousand Hills Cattle Company

Whistling Well Farm

Women’s Environmental Institute

The tour is free and there’s no need to register! Just decide which farms you’d like to visit, note when they’re open for visitors, and drive there or “caravan” with family and friends. (The co-op is not providing transportation.)

To find when farms are open, get a copy of the 2015 Farm Guide and check the farms’ listings. Visitors are welcome to show up during these times.

Your Twin Cities-area food co-ops support the annual Farm Tour. For more information:
2015 Eat Local Farm Tour Facebook Page

And follow the hashtag:
#‎EatLocalFarmTour

Significant progress has occurred over the past couple of months, and we’re excited to share these updates with you.

Friendship Store

Friendship Store is taking shape! We are now five months into what we estimate to be a 12-month construction schedule. After a delay earlier in the winter due to utility relocations, we have seen considerable headway in the past few weeks. The two-story frame of the building is beginning to take shape (see pic above). The steel structure of the building should be completed this week. READ MORE

Welcome, Raynardo Williams

Seward Co-op has hired Raynardo Williams as the store manager of the new Friendship Store. As a former entrepreneur, Raynardo is accustomed to the work required to bring a vision like the Friendship Store to fruition.

“I’m used to being very hands on,” he says. “I like getting my hands dirty on projects.” READ MORE

Co-op Creamery

Work on the Co-op Creamery at 2601 E. Franklin Ave. continues. In late January 2015, co-op administrative staff moved into the Creamery Building’s second floor offices from the Franklin store. This move has helped to alleviate space constraints at the Franklin store offices. The staff at the Creamery will support all Seward locations. READ MORE

Welcome, Chad Snelson

Creamery Cafe Production Manager: Seward Co-op has hired Chad Snelson as director of operations at Seward Co-op’s Creamery Kitchen and Co-op Creamery Neighborhood Café. At this point, with the café still under construction, it’s been a lot of planning and forecasting for Chad.

“Planning is fun,” says Chad, “but actually doing it is way more fun.” READ MORE

Uh oh… did you leave your Valentine’s Day gift buying to the last minute? Don’t worry, that’s not a problem at Seward Co-op. Plan to pop in to the co-op on Saturday, Feb. 14, for gift-ideas, treat tastings, and complimentary Valentine’s bouquet wrapping.

Sweetheart Sampler Schedule

10 a.m.–2 p.m. Evan Healy will be in the store with their Cleansing Milks and Moisturizers
Noon–4 p.m. Luv Ice Cream and Nuclear Nectar Habanero Hot Sauce. Who doesn’t like something sweet and spicy on Valentine’s Day?

Free Bouquet-wrapping from 10 a.m.–6 p.m.
The bouquet wrapping station will be on the other side of the check-out lanes (located by the stairwell). Select your Len Busch Roses’ bouquets in the Produce Department, ring them up, and then have your flowers wrapped for free on the way out!

Seward Co-op’s Valentine’s Flowers and Plants from Len Busch Roses (Plymouth, MN)

Starting Thursday, February 12th, Seward Co-op will carry these flowers for Valentine’s Day.

Cuts
Gerbera Daisy – 3 stem bunches for $6.99
Alstroemeria – 10 stems for $12.99
Stargazer Lily – 2 stems for $7.99
Asiatic Lily – 3 stems for $7.99
Tulips – $9.99
Roses- 12 stems for $29.99
Snapdragons- $14.99

(We’ll also have Mixed Bouquets at various price points – but these are not totally local grown)

Potted Plants (locally grown; many of these aae in the store now!)
Cyclamen – 6-inch for $12.99
Kalonchoe- 6-inch for $12.99
Bulb gardens – 4-inch for $5.99/ large $12.99
Orchids – 4-inch for $23.99; 2-inch for $14.99
Azaleas – 6-inch for $21.99

Also from LBR (but not locally grown)

Jasmine wreaths (beautiful scent!)
Azalea trees
Many mixed bouquets
Single roses sleeved with greens
Half dozen rose bunches
Cut orchid bouquets

(Photo courtesy Isuroon Ethnic Food Shelf)

We’re pleased to announce the recipients of Seward Community Fund (SCF) grants for 2014. Grants funded by SCF are awarded annually to organizations whose work aligns with our Ends Statement:

Seward Community Co-op Ends Statement: Seward Co-op will sustain a healthy community that has equitable economic relationships; positive environmental impacts; and inclusive, socially responsible practices.

Additionally, organizations that meet the following requirements are given preference in SCF grant-making:

• Based in the communities served by Seward Co-op.
• Reflect the cultural diversity of our communities.
• Use the funding for specific projects rather than general operating costs.
• Nonreligious and nonpartisan.
• Registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations.

Granting funds through the SCF embodies our co-op’s commitment to grow, not just as a business, but as a resource for organizations whose work aligns with our vision for a healthy community.

Below are this year’s 2014 SCF recipients:

AfroEco ($4,000)
AfroEco is actively organizing with partners to develop a local food system in North Minneapolis that co-produces community health and wealth.

Ananya Dance Theatre ($5,000)
Ananya Dance Theatre’s choreographer Ananya Chatterjea, visual artist Seitu Jones, and behavioral artist Marcus Young will partner with Frogtown Farm, Afro Eco, and the Indigenous Peoples Task Force to produce an evening performance reflecting and honoring the age-old work of women who cultivate, nurture and protect land and agriculture.

Cedar Cultural Center ($4,000)
Midnimo (Somali word for “unity”) builds knowledge and understanding of Somali Muslim culture through music. Midnimo consists of week-long artist residencies featuring Somali musicians from around the world that include public concert performances and activities in the classroom and the community.

Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha (CTUL) ($5,000)
CTUL is a low-wage worker-led group organizing for fair wages, fair working conditions, and a voice in the workplace for all workers in the Twin Cities.

“Radical Roots” ($4,000)
“Radical Roots” is a documentary film that will explore the origins and future of the American natural food movement by uncovering the drama behind its most dynamic center: the food cooperatives of the Twin Cities. It’s a tale of hippies and draft resisters, Black Panthers and organic farmers, and a takeover attempt by a secretive Marxist organization, setting in motion a debate over race, class, health, and democracy.

Hmong American Farmers Association ($5,000)
The Hmong American Farmers Association (HAFA) is a membership-based, social justice minded nonprofit organization that works with Hmong American farmers in the Twin Cities and the surrounding metropolitan area.

Isuroon ($5,000)
Isuroon is dedicated to building Somali women’s self-sufficiency so that they can lead healthier, more productive lives in Minnesota, nationally and in Somalia. Funding will support the creation of an ethnic food shelf serving the Somali Community in South Minneapolis.

Native American Community Development Institute (MACDI) ($4,000)
NACDI is committed to transforming the American Indian community to effectively respond to 21st-century opportunities. Funding will support the launch of the Anpetu Was’te Cultural Arts Marketplace, which will serve as a gateway to the American Indian Cultural Corridor at the Franklin Light Rail Transit Station.

Trans Youth Support Network (TYSN) ($5,000)
TYSN’s mission is to make it possible for trans and gender non-conforming youth to survive adultism, racism, sexism, and economic injustices in systems they must engage with in order to get basic needs met. Funding will support a youth leadership development program.

Waite House Neighborhood Center ($4,000)
Waite House’s Community Culinary Arts program embodies Seward Co-op values and vision around P6 principles through training young chefs for careers and life, including a 10-week apprenticeship with Executive Chef Austin Bartold, through which young people learn how to promote food justice in a commercial kitchen.

WE WIN Institute ($5,000)
WE WIN Institute is dedicated to the academic and social success of all children. This funding will support our summer Youth Gardens enrichment program.

(SCF recipients are announced at the annual meeting in October. The deadline for applications each year is June 30.)