In late January, Seward Co-op participated in “Label Day at the Capitol” with local nonprofit organization Right To Know MN (RTK-MN).

RTK-MN is a campaign started by concerned citizens to make the labeling of GMOs the law in Minnesota. On Monday, Jan. 26, a bill was introduced in both the MN House (H.F. 351) and the Senate (S.F. 335) relating to commerce, to provide consumer protection and to require disclosure of genetically modified food. Many co-op shoppers may find the bill an interesting read, in particular the “purpose” and “findings” sections. It requires labeling of food products, stopping short of labeling seed and animals fed genetically modified seed.

Label Day at the Capitol was an opportunity for citizen activism—for RTK-MN’s coalition of farmers, health advocates and families to meet with their elected representatives and voice their support for the bill. One criticism of state labeling advocacy is that bills and ballot initiatives are a patchwork effort in which different areas of the country create different regulations for GMO labeling. In fact, the language of Minnesota’s bill was written (and revised and revised) while referring to materials and strategy from other states that have successfully passed legislation. In particular, Vermont and Oregon, where a ballot initiative was very close to passing last fall. Each statewide campaign will build on the strength and lessons of those before, becoming robust enough to withstand legal challenge, and ultimately, bring us to federal labeling rules. Currently, 66 other countries require GMO labeling.

Those involved with RTK-MN come to the labeling conversation from a unique angle. Some have environmental concerns in mind, while others are concerned about adverse health effects or safety of the food supply. Labeling is a bipartisan issue, and exclusionary to no one. After all, everyone is an eater and consumer. Right To Know MN and Seward Co-op call the campaign a “big tent” under which all are welcome. Check out Right To Know MN’s action center here and get involved. Let’s label GMOs!

Fresh Turmeric from Kolo Kai in the Produce Department (January 27th).

Growing up, the only ginger I knew came in powdered form and was most often added in modest amounts to batters for cookies and cakes. Now, decades later, ginger – fresh ginger – has become a staple ingredient in my kitchen.

Indigenous to southern China, ginger thrives in India, Jamaica, Hawaii, and Peru, so, for us, the closest we get to “local” ginger is a few deliveries each summer of baby ginger grown in hoop houses at Seven Songs Farm in southern Minnesota.

But we do have a direct relationship with a farm in a region where ginger grows gloriously and naturally. A few years back we started purchasing from Kolo Kai, an organic farm on the north side of Hawaii’s Kauai Island. Kolo Kai is run by Colette and Ben Ferris who have been farming organically since 1980 and specializing in ginger and turmeric since the late 1990s.

“When I asked Collette from Kolo Kai about
galangal, she described it as a ‘monster.'”

At Kolo Kai, ginger is planted March through May. In August, the first round of white ginger is harvested and in its youth it is tender with little to no fiber. In October, the white ginger begins to become more fibrous and by November the mature skin is set. Yellow ginger harvest begins late December. We just finished our run of white ginger and we’ll see our first delivery of yellow ginger any day. Kolo Kai also grows the aromatic galangal or Thai ginger and turmeric both of which we have had available and will continue to order as it is available.

Each root (technically a rhizome or modified stem) is hand harvested at Kolo Kai. Afterwards, it is washed by hand with a sprayer, rinsed, sorted, rinsed once more and then laid out to dry on wire racks to prevent mold. Once dry, the stumps are trimmed, inspected, packed, and shipped. A crop that was harvested on a Monday arrives at the co-op on the Thursday of the same week.

Fresh ginger should be smooth and shiny. Mature ginger has a tough papery skin that should be removed prior to eating. This can be easily done without sacrificing too much of the flesh by scraping the skin with the edge of a spoon.

Yellow ginger has a refreshingly bright aroma with a dynamic flavor profile that ranges from floral and citrus to aromatic woods and pepper. This variety is less delicate than white ginger and is more potent. When juiced, yellow ginger results in a golden yellow, punchy elixir full of bite. Slower to mature than white ginger, we typically see our first shipment of yellow ginger from Kolo Kai in January. When yellow ginger is not available from Kolo Kai, we try to keep a steady supply on our shelves from Peru or other Hawaiian producers.

White ginger may also be referred to as Chinese or blue ring ginger. Quicker to mature than yellow ginger, white ginger is harvested earlier and is the first shipment we receive from Kolo Kai. When young, the skin is translucent with pink scales and the flesh is tender with very little fiber. As it matures, it develops a shiny tan skin and may develop a characteristic blue-gray cast to the flesh. White ginger is sweeter, mellower, and juicier than yellow ginger.

Galangal or Thai ginger is more fibrous than yellow or white ginger with notes of eucalyptus, pine, and camphor but little to none of the lemony flavor found on other gingers. Commonly used in Southeast Asian, particularly Thai cuisine, galangal is often paired with lemongrass and other aromatics to flavor sauces and soups.

Harvesting galangal is not for the faint of heart. When I asked Collette from Kolo Kai about galangal she described it as a “monster.” The twisted, gnarly roots are treacherous to get out of the ground. Each root is dug out by hand which is more time-consuming but results in a cleaner project. For the most unwieldy to harvest, a pick ax is used wrestle segments of galangal out of ground. Not surprisingly, not many ginger farmers also grow galangal. For this reason, while yellow ginger has become a stable feature in the produce department we typically only see galangal for a few months out of the year.

Baby ginger is sometimes called spring ginger and may arrive with the remains of the stem, pink tips, and tender, pale thin skin that does not require peeling. Milder in flavor than even yellow ginger, baby ginger is often used raw in salads or pickled in Asian cuisine. The past few summers we have had a few deliveries of baby ginger from Seven Songs farm. Grown from Hawaiian seed ginger, the roots are cultivated under hoop houses throughout the summer.

Turmeric is a relative of ginger in the Zingiberaceae family. With its papery skin, mature turmeric may be mistaken for ginger. However, once the skin is peeled back a vibrant orange flesh is exposed that is entirely unlike ginger. Turmeric has been used as a sort of natural food coloring (think mustard, yellow cheddar and some butter) and natural dye for skin and fiber. The pigment is derived from curcumin – a phenolic compound that is also a powerful antioxidant and preservative. Widely used in folk medicine, turmeric has been gaining mainstream popularity for its potential range of benefits including anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, antibacterial and antiviral properties.

Also unlike ginger, turmeric has a woodsy, dry earth aroma and an equally earthy, slightly bitter flavor. Add fresh to season roast or stir-fried fish and meat, curries, and soups. Pairing turmeric with carrot results in a nice balance. Try adding turmeric to a carrot soup or make a truly orange juice with carrot, turmeric, and orange – both delicious and nutritious.

Many owners and shoppers have seen the P6 label around Seward Co-op for years, now, and have grown accustomed to using it in order to find the products that are either local, produced by co-ops, or produced by small farmers (companies must meet two of the three criteria to carry the P6 label).

But did you realize that P6 is growing to become a national movement? You can find the P6 label now in stores ranging from Massachusetts to Tennessee to Arkansas.

If you’d like to meet some of the other grocery co-ops, farmers, and stakeholders in the national P6 program, watch the brand new video created by local James Beard Award-winning producers of Perennial Plate, Daniel Klein and Mirra Fine!

Seward Co-op’s December SEED recipient Isuroon is the recipient of $18,558.25, collected from 39,702 individual donors at Seward Co-op registers. A check was presented to Isuroon Executive Director Fartun Weli in a small ceremony on Thursday, Jan. 15.

This represents the largest single award in the history of Seward Co-op’s monthly at-the-register donation program.

“We’re excited and pleased for Isuroon, whose mission matches Seward’s so closely,” said Sean Doyle, Seward Co-op’s General Manager. “We hope this money helps bring greater and more equal access to nutritious food for everyone in Minneapolis.”

Isuroon is seeking to create a halal food shelf because some East African elders immigrate to the United States only to find themselves in need and unable to eat the food from food shelves. Isuroon’s focus will be on culturally appropriate and minimally processed foods—rarities in Minneapolis food shelves, yet essential for the well-being of Somali elders.

Isuroon Executive Director Fartun Weli says that a donation from the co-op’s SEED program would not only help the project’s “bottom line” but would also help to cast the food shelf program as an attractive venture, making fundraising a great deal easier for the non-profit in the coming year.

Pictured:

In September, CoMinnesota and Nexus hosted an event to address the issues of economic development and cooperatives in African American communities. The event featured author Dr. Jessica Gordon-Nembhard, author of “Collective Courage: A history of African American Cooperative Economic Thought and Practice.”

During her talk, Dr. Gordon-Nembhard discussed the history of cooperative economics and co-op formation. Her book “Collective Courage” highlights a little known and forgotten history: cooperation and cooperative economics are principles and survival tactics of African American communities.

Dr. Gordon-Nembhard’s book begins by expanding the definition of cooperatives by including the development of mutual aid societies. Mutual aid societies share contemporary co-op principles such as voluntary ownership, owner-led and owner-organized, and participatory democracy. In her talk, Dr. Gordon-Nembhard discussed the Free African Society, founded in Philadelphia in April 1787 by Richard Allen, who is also the founder of the African Methodist Church. The purpose of the Free African Society was to serve the spiritual, economic and social needs of Philadelphia’s African American community.

The book also uncovers numerous examples of cooperative economics throughout the history of social justice movements in the United States. Many pioneers in the Civil Rights Movement have their feet rooted in cooperation economics. From Frederick Douglass to the Black Panther Party, the human rights movement is filled with examples of economic self-help.

However, successful use of the cooperative model has come at a cost for some African Americans. The increased visibility and success of black-owned cooperative businesses makes them more visible as targets for racially motivated violence.

Ida B. Wells, journalist and anti-lynching advocate, found out first hand that the quest for ownership, economic control, and access to food was a dangerous undertaking. In 1889, Peoples Grocery was a cooperative owned by 11 prominent blacks, including postman Thomas Moss, a friend of Ida Wells. The store was created to serve the needs of the black community in the black community in Memphis called “the curve.” Peoples Grocery was very successful and attracted customers, black and white, from all over Memphis. The popularity of the new store negatively impacted the business of the white grocery store owner William Barnett, however, and this created tension between white and black customers.

As a result of an altercation between two children at the store, Moss and two of his workers were lynched by a mob organized by the owner of the white grocery store across town. In the end, Peoples Grocery was sold to the white store owner for a fraction of its value.

The Peoples Grocery story isn’t about food. It is about equality and freedom. Similarly, the co-op movement is not just about food either; it’s about community-based economics and activating whole communities. The disparity between co-ops arises, however, because cooperative principles don’t specifically address race, per se. Ideally, cooperative principles would include points on racial equity and justice, in order to appeal more directly to communities of color and empower them.

Dr. Gordon-Nembhard’s book, “Collective Courage,” serves to reconnect communities of color to cooperative principles and practice. The book is also an opportunity to discuss how the cooperative principles might include the values of equity and justice. This reconnection is essential to viability of the co-op movement as a whole, and of local Twin Cities co-ops in particular.

* Join the Seward Co-op Book on February 25 to discuss Gordon-Nemhard’s book Collective Courage. Details here.

* This article originally appeared in the December 2014/January 2015 issue of Seward Co-op’s Sprout! Newsletter.

Lea Vogl, Seward Wellness Manager, and LaDonna Sanders-Redmond, Education and Outreach Coordinator at Seward, were on Fox9 recently to share three great do-it-yourself skin care recipes: Whipped Body Butter, Lavender Bath Bombs, and Beeswax Lip Balm. These would make terrific gifts come Valentine’s Day. (Instructions and recipes at the link!)

http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/story/27827487/3-diy-skin-care-products-from-seward-co-op

Anyone who visited The Craftsman restaurant in
Minneapolis, or Chet’s Taverna in St. Paul back in
the day, knows that chef Mike Phillips is a wizard
at creating delicious, ingenious meat dishes.
But with Red Table Meat Co., his latest venture,
Phillips brings a whole new level of inventiveness
and food awareness to the Twin Cities.

“The IQ of our local food scene is about to
skyrocket,” says Seward Co-op Meat & Seafood
staff member Karl Gerstenberger, about Red
Table Meat Co.

That’s because most local food enthusiasts can
shout the names of three local pork producers
faster than you can say “Michael Pollan,” but how
many local charcutiers can you name? How many
know what salumi is or what lonza or coppa are?
Red Table Meat Co. specializes in exceptional
charcuterie, that is, cold cuts and other prepared
meats, some of which you have simply never tasted
before. Seward Co-op was lucky enough to be
among the very first grocers in the Twin Cities to
carry Red Table Meat Co. meats.

While Red Table Meat Co. may be new,
charcuterie is as old as fire and hunting. It was
originally just a method of food preservation,
not a culinary art, but things changed when, as a
matter of public health, French meat guilds in the
15th century were separated into butchers and
cooks. Because charcutiers could no longer sell
raw cuts as butchers did, they began creating
new pre-cooked pork products such as bacon,
sausage, terrines, galantines, ballotines, pâtés
and confit to keep their businesses alive. And so
modern “charcuterie” (French, the “cooking of
meat”) was born.

Red Table Meat Co. approaches their charcuterie
with that same tradition of creativity. Certainly
there are the familiar cuts (lonza is a loin cut and
dissolves like butter on the tongue; coppa looks
and tastes a lot like prosciutto), but Red Table is
offering new recipes, too. The “Extra Vecchio,” for
example, and the “Francois” are both salami-style
sausages that were inspired by Phillips’ 77-year-old
teacher Francois Vecchio, a Swiss butcher
and master of charcuterie who travels the world
educating chefs in the ancient art.

“All our salumi [with ingredients] are subtly
spiced, the way Francois Vecchio taught Mike,”
says Liz Hancock of Red Table, “so that the pork
can actually be savored.”

Vecchio’s teaching matched perfectly with Mike
Phillips’ philosophy regarding his farmers. He
wants his customers to taste the pork and the
farmers’ excellent work.

Regarding his farming partners, Phillips says, “We
pay them what they need, what they ask for. We
want to make sure they’re making a living and we
want everyone to be in business and to win.”
“Mike grew up with farmers, [and] knows how
hard they strive to create such excellent product,”
Hancock says. “So he has long-time
with these farmers, has visited their farms, and scratched the
pigs. Minnesota and Wisconsin offer great pork, and Mike
wants his customers to taste for themselves how good those
farmers are at what they do.”

Hancock says buying local pork heightens Red Table’s transparency, as well. “You know how far this meat traveled to get to you, from Afton and one-stop in Northeast Minneapolis before it comes to Seward. Good food is a celebration, and we want everyone, Seward Co-op shoppers included, to feel part of this.”

“Those guys are great,” Phillips says of the co-op’s Meat & Seafood department staff. “I know a few of them very well, so we’re excited to have [Red Table] in your store.”

Red Table meats can be found at the Seward Co-op Meat & Seafood counter. Ask any of our knowledgeable staff which cuts are right for you.