Seward Community Co-op is accepting donations as part of Alaffia’s Eyeglasses Drive now through July 31.

The glasses can be dropped at the Wellness or Customer Service desks at either co-op store. Find the donation boxes or ask a staff member.

Alaffia’s Empowerment Projects aim to address vital areas for the self-empowerment of the people of West Africa while fostering a sense of community and commitment to sustainable practices. The Empowerment Projects are maternal care, education, reforestation, and eyeglasses.

For Alaffia’s Eyeglasses Project, Alaffia collects used eyeglasses through the efforts of customers and retail partners around the U.S., including Seward Co-op. Alaffia hires an optometrist in Togo to correctly fit and distribute eyeglasses. In Togo, there are very few optometrists and eye exams cost as much as one-month’s wages and a pair of eyeglasses four-month’s wages, according to Alaffia.

Learn more at www.alaffia.com.

Seward Co-op’s 17th Annual Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Fair was held Saturday, April 21, at a new location—the Creamery Café! We lucked out with weather and it was once again a huge success, both for farmers and attendees—what a difference a week can make weather-wise. For the fourth year in a row, it was a sunny, temperate spring day for the event, which showcased more than 30 area CSA farms.

We added new activities and programmatic elements to the fair this year. Midwest Food Connection taught children how to plant seedlings by leading them through the process. Community organizers, focused on the sustainable food movement presented informative Farmer Talks. Hmong American Farmers Association (HAFA) shared the history of how Hmong people came to the United States, and talked about the HAFA programs focused on providing immigrants with land access. Michael Cheney, of Project Sweetie Pie shared Farm Bill updates and encouraged community members to become more active and engaged in local politics. Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin, shared his thinking around regenerative agriculture and how Main Street Project’s poultry CSA is making it a little easier for Latinos to become small-scale farmers. In case you missed the event, Facebook Live video footage is posted to our Seward Co-op Facebook page.

Inside, Creamery Café staff served up tasty brunch and lunch fare, and offered specials on taquitos and local beer from fellow co-op, Fair State. Thank you to all who were able to attend! It was a wonderful fair, which brought together neighbors and farmers, on a gorgeous spring day. Here’s to a bountiful growing season!Thank you to all who were able to attend! It was a wonderful event, which brought together neighbors and farmers, on a gorgeous spring day.

For folks still interested in exploring CSAs, both Franklin and Friendship stores are drop sites for a variety of local CSAs. Check out the weekly schedule below:

The Land Stewardship Project’s directory, is a great resource as well, posted on Seward Co-op’s website.

Photo by: John Yuccas

Seward Co-op Creamery Café hosted its fourth Farm Table dinner on Tuesday, April 17 with Dream of Wild Health, a Native American-led, nonprofit farm and youth-leadership program. The meal, created by Chef de Cuisine Matt Kappra, featured Indigenous ingredients supplemented with locally raised, grown, or made ingredients.

Photo by: John Yuccas

Some of the Creamery’s Farm Table dinners have featured local farms which are too small-scale to meet the demand of Seward Co-op stores, but a perfect size to meet the volume of our Café. Most recent Farm Table dinners have highlighted SEED recipients. Diners were thrilled to enjoy ingredients sourced from Native-owned producers, and inspired by Dream of Wild Health’s community work. Fresh and crisp produce from Wozupi Tribal Gardens’—spinach, daikon radish, winter greens—brought color and brightness to plates throughout the three courses. Red Lake Nation Fishery’s wild-caught walleye took center stage in the smoked walleye rillettes and again with a slow roasted duck breast, their sweet-and-sour chokeberry sauce balanced the savory elements of the dish. Puffed wild rice from Autumn Harvest piqued the curiosity of many Farm Table diners and sparked conversation throughout the room.

Photo by: John Yuccas

Red Lake Nation Fishery— As an Indian Nation, the people of Red Lake Nation are the guardians of the land and protect its natural state by managing over development. They are dedicated to preserving the health of beautiful Red Lake and all of its inhabitants. The tribal fisherman still fish in the traditional ways, using the wisdom of elders that was handed down from generation to generation. The fish are wild-caught by tribal fishermen, employing local knowledge and ancestral practices to deliver quality fish products in the most natural way. In doing this the tribal-owned company is helping the local Red Lake economy grow, by providing many jobs, and reinvestment opportunities in their small community.

Wozupi Tribal Gardens is an organic farm committed to growing food in a way that nourishes the earth, the community, and people’s minds and bodies. Using environmentally-sustainable and fair labor practices, they grow vegetables, herbs and fruit, produce eggs, honey, and maple syrup, and provide educational, therapeutic, and fun opportunities at the farm and through community outreach.

Autumn Harvest—Ronda and Randy Beaulieu are proud to offer wild rice that is hand-picked by members of the Ojibwe Nation. The rice is then “parched” or finished, in Sawyer, Minnesota. Traditional wild rice is dramatically different than paddy-grown “cultivated” wild rice and offers a true taste of Minnesota.

Seward Co-op’s annual Know Our Grower program hosts local farmers who supply our stores and kitchen with produce grown using sustainable practices, soil restoration, organic pest control methods, and more. In addition to those farms growing during temperate months, we also work with growers that push the limits of our northern growing season by using hydroponic systems and greenhouses. Visit our Classes and Events calendar often this summer to read about our featured Know Our Grower producers. We’ll have lots of opportunities to meet farmers in the stores, sample unique and delicious recipes using their produce, and get great sale prices on selected items.

The first farm we’re featuring is Keewaydin Farms out of Viola, Wisconsin. Rufus Haucke from Keewaydin will be sampling on Thursday, May 17 at the Franklin store from noon-2 p.m. and at the Friendship store from 3-5 p.m. Check out the Eating Wild class Rufus is hosting that evening from 6-7:30 p.m. in the Friendship classroom.

About Keewaydin Farms

At the end of Haucke Lane in southwestern Wisconsin, you’ll find Keewaydin Farms, home to 15 acres of organically certified market garden produce, maple sugaring operations, a 40-cow dairy, grass-fed chickens, and a herd of swine. Founded in 1976 by Richard and Mary Haucke, Keewaydin Farms is second-generation owned and operated by Richard and Mary’s children, Jacob, Rufus and Jessica Haucke. In 2008, Keewaydin Farms began reaching out to neighboring certified organic farms. Jason and Jennelle Thimmesch grow Swiss chard, parsley, and cilantro on Thimmesch Farm. EZ Farming is a collaboration between Brian Wickert and his sons Zach and Ethen, who grow summer squash, beets, shallots, cabbage and winter squash. Tilth Farm grows around 20 acres of certified organic asparagus. Keewaydin Farms is honored to work with neighbors to provide fresh organic produce to stores like Seward Co-op. They believe farming is about community, that cooperation and sharing of markets makes us all stronger in the long run.

Take Action: call Governor Dayton and ask for his commitment to VETO any packaging preemption bills.

Seward Co-op opposes preemption on single-use packaging fees and sustainable to go food containers. We’ve joined a large community of neighbors, local officials, environmental justice activists, public health advocates, businesses, and restaurants to stand together and oppose legislative measures seeking to prohibit cities’ authority to reduce packaging waste. (See full list of coalition members at right.)

• Eureka Recycling
• Seward Community Co-op
• Women’s Congress for Future Generations
• Environment Minnesota
• Minneapolis Climate Action
• Sierra Club North Star Chapter
• Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy

Seward Co-op supports the City of Minneapolis regarding ordinances like Green To Go and in any efforts that encourage more sustainable choices. We believe that the State should not revoke municipal movements towards environmental sustainability. Join us by asking MN Governor Mark Dayton to veto packaging preemption bills no matter where they show up. Cities should have the ability to respond to the needs of their community members and that includes regulating unsafe/unhealthy packaging and products that can harm people in their communities and their environment. Based on what we learned last year, we anticipate these measures to be added to omnibus bills that will be passed by the House and Senate, so we need the Governor’s commitment to oppose these measures.

Please call Governor Dayton and ask him to veto ALL packaging preemption bills: 651-201-3400

SF 3253/ HF 3814 would prohibit a fee on single-use bags or any problem food, beverage, or food/beverage packaging, but also prohibits going to the legislature to ask for a tax (money that would go to the city to support programs like litter cleanup) on problem food, beverages, or food/beverage packaging. We are expecting this will show up in the tax omnibus bill.

HF 3606/ SF 3135 would prohibit the regulation of single-use food and beverage containers and would overturn Minneapolis and St. Louis Park’s “to-go” packaging ordinances as well as not allow a city to place a fee on single-use bags. This bill has passed through the House Government Operations and Elections Policy Committee and we are watching for where it goes next.

Seward Co-op’s primary partner in this legislative advocacy is Eureka Recycling. Please reach out to Allison at Seward: 612.436.4043 or Megan at Eureka: 612-490-2900 with questions.
Thanks for joining us!

Bruce Bacon is the only hero I ever got to meet. The rest come from books and history. What’s more, he knew me before I knew him; a testament to the Seward Co-op’s commitment to the local food economy and the sanctity of sustainable soil. He knew what we were up to…

We met on April 11, 2010 following my brief presentation on creating a local, retail buying program at the Sustainable Farming Association’s Crow River Chapter Spring Social. My talk focused on how retailers and providers can work symbiotically and the event was titled “Cooperative Retailers Joining Sustainable Providers.” From that point on, I was happy to join Bruce by supporting the purchase of Garden Farme goods and walking his land as part of my training as a herbalist with Lise Wolff. He also taught me how to speak for the soil.

I’ve always been awed by Bruce’s dedication to his land and regard Garden Farme as one of the most diverse plots of soil in the upper Midwest. Bruce clearly knew and loved his trees; bringing in some nice, big cherry trees (not the kind you harvest but the wild kind). He was real happy about the spreen in his garden (a purple variety of cultivated lambsquarter) and he was one of the first to grow Gete Okesomin (a one-of-a-kind squash with an ancient history). He was also quite fond of mustards that would self-sow, adored sorrel and had a fancy for his basil patch…so colorful.

Bruce was always trying to get me to visit and bring my son. Last time I visited, summer of 2016, Bruce wasn’t able to walk me around, so we trilled around in his van astounded by the variety of insects flying in the windows; hallmark of a healthy ecosystem. Later, my son got to drive down the Garden Farme road; his first time behind the wheel.

Bruce’s dedication to the land made him heroic for me; forever postulating on the benefits of diversity, no-till soil and creating habitat for pollinators. As a single dad, he also made me feel like a hero; always asking about my boy and always telling me it was going to turn out alright. It did.

He was organic before anyone owned the term. He was building the soil poetically before there were many words for what he was doing. He was farm to table before it occurred to anyone to trend it and make it hip. He was practicing permaculture before anyone set down instructions. He was composting before there was enough compost to compost. He supported artists and the community before community was a catch phrase. His honey is still at the Seward; best honey there is.

And, wow, could he throw a party…

Celebrate Bruce Bacon — Support Garden Farme!
Events on Sunday, December 10, 2017:

MUSIC, FUN, AND FUNDRAISING FOR GARDEN FARME
2–5 pm at Hook & Ladder, E. Lake Street & Minnehaha Av.
Local musicians – film clips of Bruce and the farm – admission by donation.
Garden Farme honey and soil science posters for sale.
All funds after expenses will go to Garden Farme.

SHARING FOOD AND STORIES IN MEMORY OF BRUCE BACON
5–9 pm at Powderhorn Community Center, E. 35th Street & 15th Av.
Bring a story to tell, bring a dish to share, everyone welcome!
Potluck food and drink, stories of Bruce, Garden Farme honey sales.

Introducing a two-part story from Jim VanDerPol, who owns Pastures A Plenty together with his wife, LeeAnn, and children, Josh and Cindy VanDerPol. Seward Co-op has purchased pork from Jim and his family for 18 years, and our staff is grateful to build our knowledge of soil health thanks to him! Look for part two from Jim in our spring Sprout!.

The impact of soil biology upon its chemistry has guided recent thinking in farming circles about soil. Since the end of World War II, we have learned to associate increased production of field crops with proper amounts and balances of three main elements in soil: N(nitrogen), P(phosphorus) and K(potassium). In the last several decades, we’ve begun to pay attention to other minor elements in soil such as sulfur, copper, iron, magnesium and manganese. These were all thought to exist in measurable quantities in the soil, and for years it was thought that fertilizers containing these elements could be added as needed without paying a great deal of attention to factors such as tillage, tractor traffic, diversity of plant life, internal and external drainage, and weather.

There were always difficulties with this view, and those difficulties have been adding up. Applying fertilizer rarely appears to be tightly correlated with harvesting successful crops. Some soils produce good crops without tests showing a great amount of the main nutrients in the soil. Other times the elements could be in surplus, and yet the yields are mediocre, as other factors were evidently in play. Considering soil biology brings some of this into better focus.

There are quite probably thousands or tens of thousands of tiny species in the soil, many of which have not yet been recognized or completely categorized (which is hard to believe in this time of detailed information about so much!). It is these tiny critters whose activities provide some of the answers to the gaps in our understanding of our soils and our farms. Some are visible and others not, they are predator and/ or prey, and they need to be in some kind of balance to best do the work we would like them to do. We don’t entirely understand what that balance should be because we don’t know what these tiny plants and animals are, or what they all do.

Pastures A Plenty tries to operate now with these five general soil health practices:

1. Keep the soil covered;

2. Minimize soil disturbance (tillage);

3. Increase crop diversity;

4. Keep living roots in the soil; and

5. Integrate livestock.

I believe these general practices enable us to foster our farm’s biological health without yet completely understanding what we are doing. We think that enhanced soil life serves as an intermediary between chemical nutrients and plant growth. We talk much about carbon movement now, both out and particularly into the soil, and about the movement of water. It is exciting, and the learning will extend well into the future. Soil health is a hot topic, especially in grazing circles. We’ll be studying at several workshops and meetings each winter. In the next part of this story (be sure to read the spring issue of Seward Co-op’s newsletter), I’ll share details about Pastures A Plenty’s evolution from a conventional farm focused on mainly on corn and soybeans to pasture-based livestock farming.

Working on your gut this season could mean a lot of things. Maybe you are adjusting your workout routine to strengthen your core muscle groups. You could be, ahem, adding a few inches to your waist because it would be quite rude to not at least try each seasonal and celebratory treat you come across this winter. Turns out that fermented foods are another way to work on your gut, improving digestion and giving your immune system the support it needs. If you do a quick search on the Internet or stroll down the co-op aisles, you will see that there are an incredible number of fermented foods and beverages out there, too.

Fermentation, in the broadest sense, is the transformation of food by various fungi, bacteria and the enzymes they produce. Examples of this impressive transformation are turning cabbage into sauerkraut, jalapenos and carrots into a lacto-fermented hot sauce, or grapes into wine. Depending on the desired outcome, the enzymatic process can take anywhere from a couple of days to many weeks. The transformation, in turn, is able to offer nutrients and good bacteria to which our bodies would otherwise not have access. Also, keep in mind that while fermented foods are often acidic, they actually produce an alkaline effect in our bodies because the fermentation process makes alkalizing minerals accessible to us.

Currently, it is believed that the average human digestive system contains 300–500 types of bacteria! Sickness, antibiotics or excessive consumption of sugary foods are just a few of the ways this bacterial complexity can shift to an imbalance. This shift can affect not only how your abdomen feels, but it also can produce side effects like brain fog, inflammation throughout the body, bad breath, a weak immune system, or a prolonged low mood or energy level. Fermented foods and beverages are certainly not the single magic ingredient that makes everything better, but when used moderately with other habits of self-care, they are essential pieces of the puzzle.

You would be hard pressed to find a culture that does not have a signature fermented food or beverage. Many places, like the co-op, make it easy to swing by the store and pick up a bottle of beet kvass, a jar of curtido, a pack of injera, or a block of blue cheese. One of the great things about fermentation is that you don’t have to purchase it—this is your opportunity to become a culinary scientist! The next time you are invited to a holiday meal, or are hosting one yourself, you can provide, with very little effort, a creation of your own. If that piques your interest but you are unsure where to begin, click on the photos for recipes to try or attend our Winter Ferments class led by the Creamery Café’s Chef de Cuisine, Matt Kappra.

Putting together a cheese platter for a holiday gathering is sure to make you a popular host or guest at any event this season. This task may sound overwhelming to some, but by following a few simple guidelines, we can help anyone put together a delicious cheese plate. At the end of the day, you want a medley of cheeses that can be displayed harmoniously together with varying textures and taste. By convention, a cheese platter should contain three to five cheeses. To learn more, two Seward Co-op cheesemongers are hosting a class at the Franklin Store on Tuesday, Dec. 12—sign up here. Any cheese specialist at either of our stores is also happy to assist you in making your selections.

The general strategy we employ that ensures variety is choosing one cheese from the following groups: fresh, blue, soft-ripened, washed rind, semisoft, and hard. Choosing cheeses with different milks, textures and ages affords variety as well. Consider adding a blue or a flavored cheese to add some additional flavor dimension. To ensure your platter is enticing and appetizing to all, we recommend selecting at least one familiar cheese. A standby for us is an aged cheddar or Parmigiano-Reggiano. The ages-old question—how much cheese to serve—always comes up at the Cheese counter. If cheese is the star of the menu, we suggest buying three pounds for every eight people. Plan to bring four ounces per person if this is one of many dishes to choose from at a gathering. Here at the Co-op, our focus is on local cheese, below are our picks for a devilishly delicious P6 cheese platter: Jeff’s Select Gouda (hard), Prairie Breeze Cheddar (hard), Grazer’s Edge (washed rind), Maytag blue cheese (blue), Bent River Brie Camembert (soft-ripened).

If you find that once all of your cheese selections are displayed the platter looks like it’s still missing something, our Grocery, Produce, and Meat & Seafood departments have jams, vibrantly colored local herbs, and cured meats that will add a nice flavor depth and color contrast to the plate.