The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has proposed a rule for nationwide labeling on genetically engineered foods — but we need something better.

Public comments, from food eaters like you, will be extremely important. Comments were due to the USDA by July 3, 2018.

We’ve been telling the USDA to:

• Use common, well-established labeling terms. The USDA proposes using a new term — “bioengineering” — not the terms “genetic engineering” or “GMO,” despite their acceptance for over 30 years by consumers, companies and regulators.
• Require neutral symbols. The symbols proposed by the USDA appear to be biased toward genetic engineering, or “bioengineering.”

  
  Symbols should be content-neutral and easy to understand, like a circle with “GE” or “GMO” inside it.

• Reject QR codes and other discriminatory options for on-package labels. These methods are discriminatory against 100 million consumers who do not have smartphones or reliable internet connections. Other label claims are required to be printed on packages.
• Include all processed foods produced with genetic engineering. Many foods are so highly refined that some tests may not detect GE material in the final product, even though they undisputedly were produced with GE.
• Ensure future foods made with newer forms of genetic engineering are covered. The USDA must ensure any foods made with new forms of genetic engineering — such as synthetic biology, gene-editing and RNAI — are required to be labeled.
• Harmonize with the European Union standard. Required labeling of foods with a 0.9 percent threshold of GE content aligns with accepted global standards, has been adopted by many U.S. companies, and would encourage, not hinder, global trade.
• Demand disclosure now, not postponed until 2022. Waiting four more years would be an unreasonable delay. Many companies already are labeling without disruption or burdensome costs.

How to comment:

Formal comments were due July 3 on the Regulations.gov website.

An easy way to get involved is to visit the Just Label It website and sign the petition to the USDA calling for consumer-friendly GMO labeling regulations.

Thank you for standing up for fair and transparent labeling!

We love Farm Bill season—everyone is buzzing about a few of our favorite topics: farmers, organic food and access to healthy, nutritious food for everyone. It’s also a fertile opportunity to roll up our sleeves and dig into democracy by contacting our elected officials.

Weeding through this densely packed legislation is no small feat (for us or for Congress), so we’re highlighting a few of the things we are most happy about in the Senate Agriculture Committee’s Farm Bill. In short, this is a big moment for organic agriculture. The grassroots agricultural movement farmers and organic fans started decades ago is coming into its own. Some of the key organic programs we have advocated for many years are set to achieve baseline funding this year! Baseline funding means the programs are much more likely to be included in the annual budget cycle.

Read on for the details—and if you’re as excited as we are—take a moment to call your lawmakers in Washington D.C. and ask them to support the Senate’s version of the Farm Bill that champions organic! It’s easy to call, just dial the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and provide information about where you live, they’ll transfer your call accordingly. Your call will be routed to an actual phone inside your lawmaker’s actual office—and their offices are pretty tiny. Everyone in there knows when a constituent is calling and they want to hear from you!

Organic agricultural research fully funded to support farmers

The demand for organic food has experienced off-the-charts growth, which is great news for U.S. farmers. Organic is a bright spot in agriculture right now—it is one area that is bringing new people into farming careers and it is making small-scale family farming possible again.

But organic farming is not just as easy as making a decision to stop using pesticides—it takes training and access to resources and education. Farmers have to learn new methods of soil management, pest control and animal care, just to name a few. The Organic Agriculture Research Extension Initiative (OREI) in the Farm Bill helps to ensure that best practices and current technology gets shared with farmers through university agriculture extension offices across the country.

The Senate’s version of the bill would establish stable baseline funding for OREI by increasing funding from $20 million to $50 million per year by 2022. We are asking Congress to support this goal in the final bill.

Organic Certification Cost Share Program fully funded to help farmers go organic

The USDA Certified Organic seal is the gold standard of food labels and reflects hard work and careful adherence to agreed-upon standards for what makes something “organically grown.” Farmers are responsible for getting their farms certified each year by a third-party inspector and certifying agent, and for a small farmer, it can be expensive or even cost-prohibitive.

The Organic Certification Cost Share Program offsets some of the costs of organic certification for farmers that qualify. This assistance can be enough to encourage small and beginning farmers to transition to organic, which in turn boosts our country’s homegrown supply of organic food.

The Senate’s version of the bill fully funds the Organic Certification Cost Share Program! Join us in asking Congress to support this in the final bill.

Bonus: Food Insecurity Nutrition Incentive (FINI) Grant Program boosts access to fresh, healthy food

Not necessarily an organic program—but one that is close to food co-ops’ hearts, the USDA FINI grant program funds projects that make fresh fruits and vegetables affordable to people who participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), with a priority on projects that focus on locally grown produce.

Not only does this make the freshest, most delicious produce more accessible to more people, it has the added benefits of supporting local farmers and supporting local business. And if you shop at a food co-op, a lot of that local produce is likely to be organic.

Many farmers markets and food co-ops have made great use of FINI grants to establish programs that double SNAP shoppers’ dollars when they are spent on fresh fruits and vegetables (see Willy Street Co-op’s Double Dollars Program), and many more co-ops are eager to get these programs started.

Although the FINI grant gets the ball rolling, co-ops have demonstrated that these programs can be successfully self-sustained once implemented, making the grant money an excellent investment towards making healthy food affordable for all.

The Senate’s version of the bill would fully fund the FINI grant program at $50 million annually. We love fresh fruits and veggies and want more people to have the same opportunity. We are asking Congress to support this funding in the final bill.

What’s most important to you?

We’ve highlighted just a few of the things food co-ops are excited to see in the Senate’s version of the 2018 Farm Bill, but there are many other important programs and ideas in this bill that are worthy of support. Explore some of the links below and find out what inspires you to act. Just like farming, what we care for and attend to grows—adding your voice helps cultivate a stronger democracy.

• Support the National Organic Standards Board and transparency in organic rulemaking
• Homegrown Organic Act (in the Senate and House)
• Local FARMS Act (in the Senate and House)
• Organic Farmer and Consumer Protection Act (in the Senate and House)
• Organic Farmers Access Act
• Seeds for the Future Act (in the Senate and House)

Find out what bills about food and other issues Congress is considering by visiting www.govtrack.us.

Article by National Co-op Grocers (Co+op, stronger together).

Seward Community Co-op staff will be marching in the 2018 Twin Cities Pride Parade at 11 a.m. on June 24 along Hennepin Avenue North in Minneapolis with six other Twin Cities food co-ops, including Eastside, Hampden Park, Lakewinds, Mississippi Market, Valley Natural and Wedge/Linden Hills.

Watch for our banner that will say “Twin Cities Food Co-ops Proud to Support Pride.” We’re passing out Co-op Proud stickers.

Join us and the greater LGBTQIA community as we celebrate and promote inclusion and equity for all. Share your Pride photos on social media with hashtag #CoopPride!

The parade begins on Hennepin Avenue and 3rd Street in downtown Minneapolis and ends near Loring Park. As parking can be difficult, we recommend carpooling, public transit, biking, or walking.

Highway construction on I-94 and I-35W near downtown Minneapolis may affect travel routes and times; please plan accordingly.

It’s time for party prep—and some major savings on Fourth of July favorites! We’ve marked down select items, perfect for your holiday barbecue or just cooling off during the summer heat this weekend (Freezie Pops, anyone?). From avocados to watermelon, sauerkraut to meatless sausages, everything you need to gear up and party down is available for less Friday, June 29, 2018, through Sunday, July 1, 2018. Check out all the great deals below and get shopping!

Watermelons $0.49/lb. (reg $0.99/lb.)
from California

Avocados $3.99/lb. (reg $4.99/lb.)
from Mexico

Corn $0.99/ea. (reg $1.49/ea.)
from Florida/Georgia

Grassland Butter $3.69 (reg $4.29)

Wedge Buns
• Hot Dog Buns $2.19 (reg $2.79)
• Burger Buns $3.49 (reg $4.49)
• Brat Buns $3.49 (reg $4.49)

Field Roast Meatless Sausages $4.79 (reg $5.79)

Field Roast Hot Dogs $4.79 (reg $6.29)

DeeBees Freezie Pops 2 for $7 (reg 1 for $5.99)

Alden’s Ice Cream $5.99 (reg $8.49)

Boca Burgers and Chicken Patties $3.99 (reg $4.79)

Santa Cruz Lemonades 2 for $3 (reg 1 for $2.99)

Woodstock Condiments
• Ketchup $1.99 (reg $2.99)
• Yellow Mustard $1.99 (reg $2.99)
• Dijon Mustard $1.99 (reg $3.29)
• Sweet Relish $3.69 (reg $5.99)
• Bread Butter Pickles $3.69 (reg $5.99)
• Baby Dill Pickles $4.39 (reg $6.99)
• Sliced Dill Pickles $3.69 (reg $5.29)
• Sauerkraut $2.99 (reg $4.79)
• Squeeze Mayo $2.99 (reg $5.29)
• Soy Mayo $3.69 (reg $5.99)
• Kosher Dill Spear Pickles $3.69 (reg $5.99)

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.