We are happy to announce that we have the required signatures from property owners needed to move forward with a second store at 38th St. and 3rd Ave. This exciting development has been in the works since the last community meeting, hosted by the Friendship Site project task force* on Nov. 6, 2013. At that meeting, we gathered feedback on the proposed preliminary site plan.

With the signatures from the property owners who reside within 100 feet of the project site in hand, our next step will be preparing a rezoning request application. The Friendship site properties are currently zoned as residential, and in order for a grocery store to be constructed, the area must be rezoned to commercial and parking. One of the main elements of the project package that will be submitted to the city for approval is the site plan, which shows how the store, parking lot and green spaces will be placed on the property. Our site plan includes ample parking for customers, a new alley design, new sidewalks around the perimeter of the property, and ornamental fences combined with new decorative plantings and trees. You can view the plan (pdf) here.

Also, check out this Change.org petition, which any community member can sign, in support of rezoning the project properties.

*The Friendship Site task force is comprised of members of the Bryant Neighborhood Organization, the Central Area Neighborhood Development Organization and area residents.

SUNDAY, NOV. 10
Maple Tofu Hash
Butternut Squash – Caramelized Onion Frittata
Strata Milano with Bacon
Biscuits & Sausage Gravy
Breakfast Quesadillas

MONDAY, NOV. 11
Chicken Mole Enchilada
Pineapple Chicken
Refried Black Beans
Ancho Beets and Sweet Potatoes
Rice with Black-Eyed Peas

TUESDAY, NOV. 12
Rosemary Garlic Chicken
Meat Lasagna
Tuscan Sofrito with Yams and Sage
Mustard Roast Squash
Balsamic Beets

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 13
Chinese BBQ chicken
Kung Pao Chicken
Shitake Mushroom Fried Rice
Black Pepper Brussels Sprouts & Tofu
Sweet Potato Cakes

THURSDAY, NOV. 14
BBQ Chicken
Baked Beans
Creole Yams
Ratatouille
Smoked Turkey-Braised Collard Greens

FRIDAY, NOV. 15
Coconut Curried Roast Chicken
Chicken Tikka Masala
Curried Butternut Squash
Saag Chana Masala
Rice Pilaf with Peas

SATURDAY, NOV. 16
Breakfast Quesadilla
Denver Ham Frittata
Mediterranean Frittata
Apple Ginger Crisp
Biscuits & Sausage Gravy

Since announcing the project in June, we have spoken with area neighbors, organizations, and businesses to learn more about the community and begin developing partnerships for the future. These conversations have informed the design process. In the past weeks we have been working with our design team and city planning staff to prepare the preliminary “site use” plan. This is the project’s first design milestone.

The site use plan is a balance between store operational needs, city code requirements, and what we believe will allow the co-op to be a good neighbor for many years to come. At a high level, the site plan proposes:

• A building at the corner of 38th Street and Clinton Avenue. We will propose a small second floor for offices along the 38th Street side of the building.
• Fifty-nine parking spaces in the adjacent parking lot at 38th Street and 3rd Avenue. This is a similar ratio of parking-to-building at our Franklin store.
• Vacating the alley at 38th Street which will include a new “hammerhead” turnaround.

Download a PDF version of the preliminary site plan. The site plan is also available under Resources on the left.

Upcoming Events

We are planning a number of events for those who would like to learn more about the proposed project and Seward Co-op.

Open houses in October:
If you would like to speak to co-op staff about the project, please join us at one of the scheduled open houses to be held at 3821 3rd Avenue South. This is a property the co-op purchased in August in anticipation of acquiring additional properties in March of 2014. The open houses are scheduled from 1 to 3 p.m. on Tuesdays, and from 5 to 7 p.m. on Thursdays throughout October. More information can be found here.

Tours of the Franklin store:
We invite you visit and see what the co-op is all about. Starting on October 26 at 11 a.m., LaDonna Redmond will lead Saturday tours of the Franklin store for anyone who is interested. Transportation from and back to the Friendship site (3821 3rd Avenue) will be provided. Please RSVP with LaDonna if you would like to attend the tour and/or need a ride (612-314-2016, lsandersredmond@seward.coop). Tour dates will be posted on our website as they become available.

Public Task Force meeting on the site design:
In anticipation of the new store, the Bryant and Central neighborhood groups have created a task force made up of representatives from area neighborhood organizations and residents. A public task force meeting to review the project plans is planned for Wednesday, Nov. 6. Location and time will be posted on the project page when available.

Employment Opportunities

This proposed new store is exciting for a number of reasons. A very important aspect is the potential for the creation of new jobs. Over the past four and a half years, the co-op has grown substantially. Prior to expanding into the current Franklin store the co-op employed 110 people. Today the co-op has a staff of over 220 people, 70 percent of whom are full time (30+hrs/week).

One of the compelling reasons for proposing a second store at the Friendship site is the potential of expanding access to living-wage jobs, co-op ownership, and healthful food. More than 20 percent of current staff, and 15 percent of the co-op’s owners, live within 1.5 miles of the proposed site. Employees who have worked at least 2,000 hours are eligible to earn, at a minimum, the City of Minneapolis’ living wage, which is currently $12.45 per hour.

The proposed second store at the Friendship site has the potential to create many new jobs and many new opportunities, both within the organization and in the community. One of the many new partnerships we are building is with Hired, a workforce development organization. Hired will assist us in supporting local residents who apply for current openings at the Franklin store and prepare for future job openings at the Friendship site.

For those interested in working at Seward Co-op, please visit our careers page. It lists all current openings at the Franklin store, outlines employee benefits, and has an online application submission form. Job openings and applications are also available at the Franklin store at 2823 E. Franklin Avenue.

Project Timeline

A project of this scale and complexity can take many months to complete and requires its phases be completed in a carefully coordinated sequence. The proposed timeline for the new store is below.

Wisconsin Growers Co-op was founded in 2006 to help 20 families maintain ownership of their farms. Its members are dedicated to the idea that if farmers take “good care of the soil, the soil will pay back with high-quality produce.” This mindset has proven effective; Wisconsin Growers often brings us produce all year long, from greenhouse radishes at the first sight of spring clear around the calendar to over-wintered parsnips. The key to the longevity of their growing season are labor-intensive, fossil fuel-free farming methods. On nearly 40 acres of the co-op’s land, these farmers plant, tend, and harvest crops exclusively using horses, horse machinery, and hand tools. In addition to more popular produce items such as potatoes, onions, and radishes, the Wisconsin Growers Co-op offers unique heirloom squash varieties, such as Queensland blue and Long Island cheese. WI Growers was the featured Know Our Grower Oct. 2 – 15. Meet the Grower: Sunday, Oct. 5.

Sales & delivery staff: Al Weinrich

How do you describe the Wisconsin Growers Cooperative?
Wisconsin Growers is a group of 30 small family farms that came together to help each other market their produce. Some farmers have only a small garden plot and others have several acres of produce. All of the farmers are Amish at this time. Farms are located in west/central Wisconsin near the towns of Black River Falls, Mondovi and Taylor. Labor is traded on the farms if someone needs help with just about anything such as weeding, planting and harvesting. Farmers/growers take turns on the growers board (a 3-person board of directors) helping to manage everything from planning what type of produce each grower will grow, to making sure the produce truck gets loaded on time as well as assisting the sales manager, as needed.

Wisconsin Growers products are either labeled organic or “sustainably grown.” When they are labeled “sustainably grown” can you describe the approach to farming?
When our produce is labeled as “sustainably grown” our growers are to follow the same requirements as the certified organic growers. The only difference being they don’t pay a certifier, which may be a financial hardship if they are a small grower. Soil building practices and amendment applications on both organic and sustainably farmed fields of Wisconsin Grower farms all follow the same National Organic Program standards.

What distinguishes your products from other local produce?
Our produce is checked both at the farm and as it is aggregated at the loading dock which ensures consistent good quality. Also, horses are used to cultivate the produce.

What is your favorite way to enjoy your own produce?
I most enjoy tasting the fresh raw produce while picking it up from the farms or as it is delivered. Especially green beans, tomatoes, and of course watermelon and muskmelon.

Featherstone Fruits and Vegetables started in 1995 as Jack Hedin and Jenni McHugh’s five-acre garden at the Zephyr Valley Land Co-op near Winona, Minn. Since then, the farm has relocated to land near the town of Rushford, Minn., and now employs nearly 50 people working on over 250 acres of optimal vegetable-growing ground. Beginning in late May with leaf lettuce, through a summer’s harvest of zucchini and cherry tomatoes, into winter squash and carrots in the winter, there’s hardly a month that Featherstone isn’t represented in the co-op’s Produce department. The farm is certified organic and is dedicated to creating a truly sustainable agriculture system. That includes geothermal heating and cooling for the packing shed, as well as a solar array that generates about 60 percent of the farm’s energy. Featherstone Farm was the featured Know Our Grower Sept. 18 – Oct. 1. Meet the Grower: Sunday, Sept. 29.

Grower: Jack Hedin

When did you begin farming and what inspired you to pursue farming as a profession?
In 1987, the summer between my junior and senior year at college, I started an internship at New Morning Farm in Pennsylvania. I hoped to get applicable, real life skills for the community development work I was planning to do in developing nations. Instead, I fell in love with vegetable farming, and I never looked back.

Can you describe your approach to farming? Are there any unique components to your farm that may be different from other local farms?
We’re trying to be as sustainable as possible. With climate change right here and now, this should be first and foremost in our minds. We do this with our solar panels, our geothermal heating system, our cover cropping and rotational systems, and in general looking toward how we can work more toward a closed loop ecosystem on our farm.

What distinguishes your products from other local produce?
Our 17 years of farming experience shows in the high quality of our produce; over the years, we’ve selected crops that we grow well. If you ask our customers, our carrots are certainly a standout crop for their incredible sweetness and flavor.

What is your favorite way to enjoy your own produce?
I absolutely love winter squash, which is why we grow so many great varieties. There’s nothing better than popping a kabocha squash in the oven on a chilly winter day and letting it warm you up. Kale is also a favorite of mine.

The co-op welcomes LaDonna Sanders-Redmond as the Education and Outreach Coordinator for the Friendship site. LaDonna comes to the co-op with a wealth of experience in building fair food systems and food access for communities. She staffed the food and justice program at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, and she was a 2003 W.K. Kellogg Foundation Food and Society Policy Fellow. As Education and Outreach Coordinator, LaDonna will reach out to residents and organizations in the neighborhoods surrounding our potential second store site. She also will act as the point person for questions, concerns and ideas about the proposed project.

Wheatfield Hill Organics, a fifth-generation family farm located in the rolling hills outside of Durand, Wis., has been supplying Seward Co-op with bins of sweet corn and melons for the past few years. The farmers, Helen and Bob, along with their daughter and her family, tend to their land and crops with the highest environmental standards in mind. That practice pays off with some of the tastiest high-summer produce around. It’s always a great day when those bins of sweetness show up on the Produce shelves. Check out their Facebook page for updates on harvest and other farm stories. Wheatfield Hill Organics was the featured Know Our Grower Aug. 21 – Sept. 3. Meet the Grower: Sunday, Aug. 25.

Grower: Helen and Bob Kees

When did you begin farming and what inspired you to pursue farming as a profession?
I was born and raised on this farm. It’s in our blood to care for this piece of land.

Can you describe your approach to farming?
Sustainable, inter-generational, and circular.

What distinguishes your products from other local growers?
Certified organic since 1997. Permaculture (asparagus, blueberries, raspberries, fruit trees) interspersed with annuals (sweet corn, melons, tomatoes, peppers, barley, forages). Rearing the fifth generation of farmers in our family!

What is your favorite way to enjoy your own produce?
WITH OTHERS!!!

Hoch Orchard and Gardens is owned and run by Harry and Jackie Hoch. Located near La Crescent, Minn., Hoch has a long tradition of growing fresh fruit. A handful of the farm’s original trees, planted in the 1940s, are still on the farm, though production is concentrated on newer varieties. Besides 50 varieties of apples, Hoch Orchard also grows grapes, plums, apricots (cold-tolerant varieties they have developed right on the farm), cherries and berries. It is a testament to Harry and Jackie’s farming ability that they are able to grow such high-quality fruit organically, as apples are very vulnerable to pests and disease. Hoch Orchard and Gardens was the featured Know Our Grower July 31 – August 20. Meet the Grower: Sunday, Aug. 4.

Grower: Jackie Hoch

When did you begin farming and what inspired you to pursue farming as a profession?
Harry has been involved with fruit farming most of his life; I began farming 26 years ago when Harry and I met. Producing good food for our family and sharing the bounty with others are motivating reasons we farm. Developing a sound system that respects the environment and brings diversity to the farm is one of the many reasons we continue to farm.

Can you describe your approach to farming?
We are trying to become a closed loop system and the integration of animals to the farm is essential to meet that goal. Nowhere in nature is there a system that doesn’t include animals. The pigs and chickens are strategically rotated to help us with disease and pest control. The pigs eating the apples in the fall after harvest removes the potential insects that could have been in the fallen fruit. The pigs also help us be eating the pumice (apple waste like skins and seeds) we produce when making cider.

What distinguishes your products from other local growers?
The fruit and products we have are both local and certified organic. The sauce, juices and jellies are made from the fruit we produce. Our fruit is harvested and delivered directly to the store so the time from harvest to the consumer is not very long. Sometimes we have apples that are picked and packed one day and to the store the next day. It can’t get much fresher than that.

What is your favorite way to enjoy your own produce?
For fruit, the best way to enjoy it is fresh picked! The peak flavor and textures make the fruit fantastic!

Thank you everyone who submitted comments and questions during the meeting at the Sabathani Community Center on July 9, 2013. We have categorized the questions into several broad topics, as many of the questions are similar in nature. We have done our best to provide a comprehensive response to each category of questions and comments that we received. Read through the questions and our responses here, or click on the link “Sabathani July 9 Q & A” under the Resources tab on the left.

Saturday, Aug. 3 | 11 a.m.–4 p.m.

Product Samples and Demos
from Equal Exchange, Grass Run Farms, Peace Coffee, Sunleaf Naturals, Salad Girl and other P6 farmers/producers.

Free Groceries
Purchase at least $20 in P6 products for the chance to WIN YOUR ENTIRE SHOPPING CART FOR FREE! Winners will be randomly selected at checkout every Saturday in August from 11 a.m.–4 p.m.

On weekends throughout August, look for samples and demos from P6 producers. (And see someone in a banana suit!)