The Association for Black Economic Power (ABEP) believes the establishment of a credit union on the Northside of Minneapolis is a branch of activism and a means of community protection. Credit unions are essentially cooperative banks: They are owned by community members who use the services rather than by a small group of investors on Wall Street.

Village Trust Financial Cooperative aims to provide alternatives to the historically exploitative and predatory lending environment on the Northside, while also providing a variety of services designed to serve its members, and an inclusive, welcoming atmosphere. Credit union members will be able to apply for a number of financing options, including an alternative to payday loans, savings accounts and community-based investment opportunities.

Village Trust will be offering small-dollar-amount consumer loans and working capital cooperative loans this summer and will officially open Village Trust Financial Cooperative in 2019.

Philando Castile Connection

In the wake of the 2016 police killing of Philando Castile, concerned Twin Cities residents formed a community organization named Blexit. Blexit has a mutually beneficial relationship with the Association for Black Economic Power (ABEP). Blexit plays the role of the incubator where community ideas are formed and shared. ABEP’s specialty is taking the concept and shaping it into an action plan. In the beginning, Blexit members prioritized organized boycotting campaigns to promote economic social justice. These campaigns led to a bigger effort, now being led by the ABEP’s executive committee, to open a Black-led credit union in North Minneapolis called Village Trust Financial Cooperative (VTFC).

Get Involved

The road to establish a state-chartered Black-led credit union is long, and there are ways Seward Co-op owners and shoppers can support this community effort! Village Trust has created a pledge intended to build membership and generate widespread support. Pledge to transfer your money to the credit union once it’s open, and pledge to divest from financial institutions with racist systems in solidarity. Anyone who lives, works or worships in Hennepin or Ramsey counties will be able to become a member of the credit union. Learn more at www.abepmn.org.

Cool off with a refreshing mocktail featuring GT’s Kombucha, La Croix and rhubarb from our friends at the Hmong American Farmers Association (on sale). Hooch your booch with our Strawberry Rhubarb Mocktail as a base. Recipe inspired by Recipe Redux.

Step 1: Make fruit syrup
3 stalks of Hmong American Farmers Association rhurbarb
3/4 container of strawberries
sweetener (we used ¼ cup turbinado sugar)
zest + juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup water
1 tsp. vanilla

Chop rhubarb and cut strawberries. Combine rhurbarb, sweetener, lime zest and juice, and water in a small saucepan. Simmer with the lid on for a few minutes. Once the fruit starts to reduce, remove the lid and simmer until the fruit is soft and mashable. Use a strainer to separate the juice from the mashed rhubarb and strawberry. Use the syrup for your mocktail. Use the leftover fruit like a compote on breakfasts or desserts.

Step 2: Mix your mocktail
Syrup
GT’s Kombucha (We used Lemonade)
Muddled strawberries
Lime juice
Ice
La Croix Pure Sparkling Water
Garnish (We used a lime slice)

Customize and mix to your liking, using your favorite GT’s Kombucha and La Croix flavors. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter for inspiration. Enjoy!

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.

On May 14, Seward Community Co-op announced a volunteer recall of Frontier’s bulk Sassafras Root Bark, Chipotle Pepper Powder and Coarse Sea Salt due to incorrectly being labeled as organic on the bulk jar labels. Seward Community Co-op does not currently have affected product on the shelf but could have sold affected product Oct. 12, 2017—May 14, 2018.

Sassafras Root Bark, $64.99/lb.
PLU: 2091
UPC: 8983600652

Chipotle Pepper Powder, $24.99/lb.
PLU: 2627
UPC: 8983602627

Coarse Sea Salt, $2.49/lb.
PLU: 2898
UPC: 8983600333

If you purchased this product at Seward Community Co-op Oct. 12, 2017—May 14, 2018, it will be fully refunded at either our Franklin or Friendship store Customer Service desk.

The Domestic Fair Trade Association, in partnership with the Center for Fair and Alternative Trade at Colorado State University, released on May 11 a compilation of all the research that’s ever been done about domestic fair trade, just in time for World Fair Trade Day on May 12. Seward Community Co-op is a founding member of the DFTA.

“A Report on Market and Supply Chain: Research on Domestic Fair Trade” is the first report of its kind and displays a comprehensive overview of research regarding consumer market patterns and awareness of domestic fair trade messaging. Information about consumer preferences from this newly compiled research brings valuable insight for farmworkers, farmers, food co-ops and nongovernmental organizations committed to ecological sustainability and social justice.

The study shows 80 percent of co-op shoppers said they are interested in learning more about domestic fair trade and that food co-ops are the ideal venue for educating customers. U.S. consumers now consider social justice issues equally as important as environmental concerns.

Release of this report is in celebration of World Fair Trade Day, an inclusive worldwide festival of events hosted by the World Fair Trade Organization, celebrating fair trade’s contribution to sustainable development, economic empowerment of small producers, gender equality in workplaces and responsible production practices.

Click here to read the report.

On May 12, we celebrated World Fair Trade Day and the hard work, resilience, and innovation of small-scale farmers and artisans. And this May, Fair World Project is partnering with brands committed to working with farmers to offer deals on their fair trade products, along with offering more opportunities to get involved.

The basics of fair trade: Fair prices paid directly to farmer organizations, with premiums for organic production and community development. The fair trade movement is also supporting small-scale farmers as they tackle climate change.

From coffee to cacao, from mint fields in India to shea nut trees in Togo, small-scale farmers are combining traditional regenerative organic farming practices with new innovations. They are the kind of food and farming systems that we need to build resilience and tackle climate change.

The Eating Wild class on May 17 was canceled due to a family emergency. Participants already registered are being notified and will receive a refund.

Know Our Grower samplings scheduled for that afternoon at each of our stores were also canceled. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Were you really looking forward to learning more about wild foods, such as ramps, nettles and watercress? Click here for some information and a great recipe for all of you foragers out there.