During February 2017, nearly 500 Seward Community Co-op owners provided their feedback on the cooperative’s performance. Seward appears to be meeting owners’ needs quite well; nearly 90% of the respondents said they were satisfied or extremely satisfied, and we rank highly relative to other food cooperatives around the country. However, newer owners are less satisfied with Seward than more long-time owners, and overall satisfaction indicators have been trending slightly downward since 2013.

In terms of shopper satisfaction with store characteristics, Seward ranks significantly higher than the average cooperative with respect to some key store features: quality/freshness of its products, location, hours, atmosphere, and natural/organic products. Seward Co-op owners are even more pleased with the quality of store departments; nearly every department meets the needs of a significantly higher proportion of owners than the average cooperative.

Compared to other cooperatives around the country, Seward owners spend a significantly higher proportion of their food budget at the cooperative. In 2017, nearly half said that Seward is their primary grocery store.

Owner awareness of the P6 and Nourish programs was mixed. A much higher proportion (70%) was aware of the P6 initiative than the Nourish program (43%). Consumers seem to place more value on an item being organic or local than whether it is classified as P6.

In terms of communications, Seward owners continue to prefer more traditional forms of communication (emails/e-newsletter, in-store postings and mailings) over social media communication (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter). Large majorities of respondents said they are satisfied with the frequency and content of communications from us.

Seward Co-op, based on the 2017 results, continues to be high performing. The results suggest the need to address some issues: consolidating our position with newer owners, trying to determine the source of erosion of the proportion of very satisfied owners, considering the array of products offered at the Friendship store, and concerns about prices. Seward comes at these issues from a position of strength vis a vis owners’ attitudes about the cooperative.

In 2017, Seward Co-op looks forward to providing the community with healthy and sustainably produced food. Concern for community is one of the seven principles on which cooperatives are founded, and co-ops have a strong commitment to support their neighborhoods. This integrity of purpose underlines the vital role Seward and other co-ops play in the quality of our lives.

Building Commonwealth in 2016

This fall, the Friendship store celebrated its first anniversary and the Seward Co-op Creamery Café reopened after summer renovations and a menu relaunch. The Friendship store continues to perform beyond our expectations and the renovated café provides family-friendly dishes, and an upbeat and inviting atmosphere. Since opening the Friendship store and Creamery Café, thousands of new households have become owners of the co-op.

At Seward, we strive to build stronger relationships among employees, vendors, customers and our broader community by creating spaces in which people can come together over food. We are constantly asking ourselves how we can be more welcoming to all at the co-op. In 2016, this required that we acknowledge the larger historical context of racism and discrimination in our society and take proactive steps, as the board of directors did in September by publicly stating our co-op’s support for Black Lives Matter.

We take pride in the impact we make with our three distinct business units. We are able to offer more products and services from small-scale, local, and cooperative producers. And, each Seward Co-op location allows community members to gather over food, connecting with old friends and new acquaintances.

Community Giving

In early 2016, we reached $1 million in donations to local nonprofits via our SEED round-up program! Seward Co-op has made it a priority to give back to the community. In the spirit of the cooperative principles, the co-op launched SEED in 2011, a fundraising program that provides customers an opportunity to round-up their bill for organizations that share Seward’s commitment to a healthy community.

In the spring, Seward Co-op and many Twin Cities co-ops, teamed up to participate in the MN FoodShare March Campaign. Together, we raised a grand total of 109,371.37 dollars/pounds for the campaign! (This total is comprised of $97,211.67 and 12,159.7 lbs. of food.)

From Thursday, Nov. 17–Wednesday, Nov. 23 Seward Co-op donated 1 percent of all P6 sales, a total of $4,522, to the Cooperative Development Fund, a charitable family of funds that advances economic development through co-ops. These funds will be directed to area farms, many of which Seward has purchased from for years, that experienced damaging rains and consequential farm devastation in the 2016 growing season.

Recognition from Government Officials

In August, we received a visit from U.S. Treasury Secretary, Jack Lew. Lew and his staff visited the Friendship store because part of the financing for the building came in the form of a New Markets Tax Credit. Lew helped create this tax credit in the 1990s during the Clinton administration. The credit is aimed to create jobs and improve lives of people in low-income communities.

Representative Keith Ellison also paid a visit to the Friendship store in January. The congressperson toured the store, met with staff, and discussed the co-op’s recycling program and diversity hiring goals.

Seward Co-op is here to make the season of giving cheerful and bright! If you are someone with last minute gift needs, here is a list of ideas are under $20.

Evolution Himalayan Salt Lamps $14.99 (Reg. $19.99)
Salt lamps are said to cleanse and deodorize the air, all while putting off a pleasant soft pink glow. They offer a relaxing ambiance to any room!

Spa Room Diffusers ($12.99) & Wyndmere Orange Essential Oil $3.29 (Reg. $4.19)
Essential oils are great companions for managing moods and general sense of wellbeing. Spa Room offers small diffusers that are perfect for scenting a small space. We recommend starting with something uplifting like citrus essential oils, because most people are pleased with this scent!

Darn Tough Socks ($17.99 – $20.99)
People love these wool socks! Not only are they warm and cozy, they also come with a life-time guarantee! A gift that won’t disappoint!

Chinook Book Coupon’s Book $17.00 (Reg. $22.00) Mobile Application $10.00 (Reg. Price $14.00)
Great gift for that thriftster in your life! Chinook book offers hundreds of coupons for local restaurants, stores, and entertainment venues across the Twin Cities!

Fierce Ferments Fire Tonic $14.99
This tonic packs a punch! The blend of apple cider vinegar, garlic, ginger, habanero peppers and other herbs help soothe a cold. This tonic is very versatile, take it as a shot, add it to a hot toddy, or make a snazzy salad dressing.

On Nov. 11, Free2b Foods recalled its chocolate Sun Cups for three specific sell-by dates, because it may contain undeclared milk ingredients. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products. Between Aug. 13 and Nov. 11, 2016, Seward Co-op may have sold products affected at the Franklin store.

Free2B Sun Cups – Double Milk Chocolate Cups
UPC: 89544400140
Sell By Dates:
Aug. 2, 2017
Aug. 4, 2017
Aug. 7, 2017

If you purchased this product at Seward Co-op between Aug. 13 and Nov. 11, 2016, it will be fully refunded at either our Franklin or Friendship store Customer Service desk.

Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate the anniversary of the Friendship store and the annual meeting. The family-friendly event was held in the parking lot of the Friendship store in the same location as the ribbon cutting one year ago. We are thankful that the rain held off and a chili supper could be shared by community members. Seward Co-op owners and shoppers danced together as Friendship store Manager on Duty, Jerry Williams and his band, Sultry Soul performed. Check out some of the photos from the event on our Facebook page. As the Friendship store enters into its second year, we have a lot to celebrate.

• Store sales have been better than projected.
• As of October, 2,235 ownerships were sold at the Friendship store.
• The Friendship store employs 56% staff of color.
• 55% of Friendship store staff live within 1.5 miles of the store.
• 75% of Friendship store staff are full-time and eligible to receive benefits.
• The Friendship store pays a living wage of $12.82/hour to staff who have worked 2,000 hours.

Integral pieces of the annual meeting is the announcement of the board of directors election results and the release of the 2016 Scorecard, our annual report. Congratulations to Mehdi Kennar, Jill Krueger, Gregory Lee and Migdalia Loyola! Together with five others, these individuals are responsible for articulating the vision and goals for Seward Co-op that management pursues and achieves. The 2016 election featured a pool of highly qualified candidates. Thank you to all who ran and all who voted.

During the business portion of the meeting, the upcoming 2017 SEED recipients were also announced. 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 or cafe bill for recipient organizations that share our commitment to a healthy community. Congratulations to our 2017 SEED recipients!

Midwest Food Connection (MFC) is Seward Co-op’s presence in local elementary schools (alongside four other Twin Cities food co-ops). A small staff of talented educators visits classrooms to provide a series of four seasonally appropriate lessons: culinary and garden adventures. Lessons feature cooking and tasting local food picked up from the co-op, the cultural and historical context of familiar foods, and nutrition education. During the fall and spring, MFC educators teach students in school gardens and bring them on field trips to local farms. Your co-op ownership helps to support this important outreach work.

In the 2015–16 school year, MFC’s educators taught 1,000 lessons in more than 50 schools. We are expanding our school garden teaching, continuing farm field trips, exploring new collaborations through our recently developed middle school curriculum, and making connections to food served in Minneapolis Public Schools cafeterias.

This year, Midwest Food Connection is celebrating our 20th anniversary. As part of our 20th anniversary celebration, we will be offering special classes at Seward Co-op this fall, we’ll have a presence at Seward’s annual meeting, and we’ll be holding a donor drive in November. For more information about our program and how you can support Midwest Food Connection today, visit our website at midwestfoodconnection.org.

A Personal Story

As adults with diversified palates, we can sometimes take for granted that trying a new food — even one as seemingly innocuous as a purple carrot or a piece of dried mango — can be an intimidating feat for a first grader tasting it for the first time. Maybe it’s an evolutionary tactic for kids to be wary of unfamiliar foods.

That’s why in the lessons I teach for MFC, I invite kids to join the “twobite club.” The first bite might be shocking to their taste buds as they experience unfamiliar flavors and textures. I encourage students to take a second bite to let their mouth get accustomed to the new food before making up their minds about whether or not they like it.

I am consistently impressed by the number of “thumbs up” I see when we vote with our thumbs, especially when tasting more grown-up foods like our winter vegetable stew with leeks, kale, and rutabaga — three vegetables that on their own might be met with strange looks from a class of kindergarteners, if not outright shows of skepticism or distaste. It might help that, as part of our lesson on winter vegetables, the kindergarteners have been transported to another time… 100 years ago, when most people didn’t have refrigerators in their homes and stored much of their harvest in their root cellars. Kindergarteners take turns pantomiming walking down the stairs to the root cellar to fetch vegetables for our stew, and the anticipation of eating builds as I finish cooking, posing as an old-fashioned mom making lunch for her kids.

One teacher who is a long-time partner of ours described MFC lessons as “culinary adventures” for the classroom. Through the magical, transformative act of cooking, we transport kids to another time, place or flavor experience.

MFC lessons are a unique culinary experience for kids and a valuable service for teachers who want to include lessons about food, nutrition and agriculture in their classrooms but may not have the time, resources or knowledge to prepare them.

Join Seward Co-op, Birchwood Cafe and others for a fabulous five-course meal in Birchwood Cafe’s community room on Thursday, June 2! Current Birchwood Boost partner Right to Know Minnesota (RTK-MN) and folks from the Copper River Watershed Project, along with Seward Community Co-op staff (a RTK-MN coalition member!) are participating in an inspiring and delicious evening in support of GMO labeling.

Birchwood Boost supports local non-profits whose work aligns with Birchwood Cafe’s “Good Real Food” values, very much like Seward Co-op’s SEED program.

Birchwood chef Marshall Paulsen and chef Adam Vickerman (formerly of Levain) from the co-op’s Friendship store have planned a five-course menu, including fresh, wild-caught Alaskan salmon. Each course will be paired with sustainable wines and locally made hard cider.

Doors will open at 6:30 p.m., with dinner starting at 7 p.m. The evening begins with a garden reception among seasonal plantings outside the Birchwood’s community room. Between courses, we’ll hear from Kristin Carpenter, executive director of the Copper River Watershed Project, about the importance of wild-caught versus farmed salmon. We’ll also learn about GMO labeling efforts at the state and national level from representatives from Right to Know MN. Ticket proceeds go to both Right to Know MN and the Copper River Watershed Project—the evening is a double boost in support of GMO labeling!

Purchase tickets for June 2 dinner at Eventbrite. Salmon provided by Copper River Watershed Project! Ticket price includes drink pairings with each course.

Dinner Menu

Smoked Alaskan Salmon
Onion and caper bread, preserved lemon dill butter

Whipped Salmon Mousse
Grilled romaine, watercress, anchovy radish vinaigrette, fancy olives, pickled fiddlehead ferns, parmesan, grilled focaccia

Salmon Chowder
Spring parsnips, onion, nettles, ramp pesto

Copper River Sockeye Salmon
Lentils du puy, charred asparagus ragout, morels, watercress salad

Pistachio and Rhubarb Frangipane
Basil whipped cream

While summer doesn’t technically start until June 20, many people consider Memorial Day to be the official start of summer — a time to fire up the grill and remember those who have passed. This year, the holiday falls on Monday, May 30, the stores will be open regular hours from 8 a.m.–10 p.m. and the Co-op Creamery Café will be open 8 a.m.–2 p.m. We’re hosting a grilling sale from May 16–May 29, offering a little something for everyone. So stop in, stock up and kick-off the summer!

Sale Items:

Thousand Hills beef hot dogs

Boca burgers

Rudi’s hot dog buns

Organic Valley sliced cheese

Santa Cruz lemonade

Natural Brew ginger ale and root beer

Grilling supplies and tools (Franklin location)

Alba sunscreen

All Terrain bug spray

At Seward Co-op, we are very proud of our Bulk foods department. Bulk has been a keystone of the co-op from its earliest days, and it continues to be one of our greatest successes.

Whether shopping in bulk is a new prospect for you, or you’ve been shopping bulk exclusively for decades, we have a rare treat for you: a 10-percent-off sale on all bulk items on March 24. All day — for one day only — everything in the Bulk department (even sale items) is 10 percent off.

Please join us Thursday, March 24, in the Bulk departments of both stores, where extra staff and product vendors will be on hand to answer questions and assist you in shopping the best way possible — in bulk.

Throughout the day, enjoy samples of bulk products like Equal Exchange coffee (at the Franklin store), granola, and Barsey’s almonds. Also visit with a handful of our suppliers, including Equal Exchange and local grain producer Whole Grain Milling.

(The March 24 bulk sale does not include: reusable glass and plastic containers; items sold per pound in other departments, such as Produce; and Meat & Seafood).

Homemade Soba Noodles

Ingredients:

For the noodles:
2 cups buckwheat flour
1 cup white spelt flour (can also substitute with all-purpose flour)
1-1 1/4 cup hot water

To serve:
2 carrots, diced, shaved, or cut into matchsticks
1 bunch spring onions, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. garlic oil (or 2 cloves of minced garlic and 2 tablespoons of your choice of oil)
2 Tsp. toasted sesame seed oil
1 lime, cut into wedges
Cashews (optional)
Protein of your choice, such as fried tofu

Method:
Combine the buckwheat flour and kamut or spelt flour in a large mixing bowl. Add the water gradually, and then work the flours and water together, kneading to form the dough. If at any point the dough feels too crumbly, add a little more water. Alternatively, if the dough is too sticky, add a little more kamut or spelt flour. Knead the dough until it comes together in a smooth, round ball, then turn it out on the counter and knead it with the heel of your hand. The dough should be soft and smooth; if any cracks appear, add a little more water. Once it’s smooth, shape the dough into a flat rectangular parcel. This will help the dough keep its shape as you roll. Sprinkle the semolina or buckwheat starch onto the counter and lightly over top of the dough, which will prevent sticking. Now it’s time to start rolling out the dough: The best way is to roll from the center outwards, shaping the edges as you go so that the dough remains rectangular. This will save you from having to trim later. Spread a generous handful of semolina or buckwheat starch over the dough. Then fold the top third of the dough down and spread it with more starch.

Fold the bottom third of the dough upwards, like you would fold a letter, and coat that with the semolina or starch, as well. Begin cutting the noodles approximately half a centimeter (a quarter of an inch) thick. Keep slicing until you have used all of the dough. Toss the cut noodles with a little more semolina or starch so that they don’t stick together. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt the water generously, and drop in the soba. Cook the noodles for one minute, then drain them, and rinse them under cool water immediately. Use your hands to lift and gently shake the noodles as you rinse them; this helps to remove the starchy film that coats the noodles as they cook. After rinsing, drain the noodles and serve them cold or at room temperature. Toss the noodles with garlic oil, toasted sesame oil, and soy sauce. Toss in protein and scatter with chopped spring onions, carrots, and toasted cashews over top.

Serves 4

Thank you, co-op shoppers! Last year, you “rounded up” more than $235,745 to benefit SEED recipients. These SEED organizations share the co-op’s commitment to a healthy community and/or support our P6 focus on local, cooperatively owned/nonprofit, and small-scale farmers/producers.

If you are a Seward Co-op owner and would like to receive a letter stating your SEED donations total for 2015, please click here to email a request or call Customer Service at 612-338-2465. Our February/March Sprout! incorrectly stated the e-mail address for requesting SEED donation totals as SEED@seward.coop. This was incorrect, please use the address hyperlinked above to e-mail requests.