(Photo courtesy Isuroon Ethnic Food Shelf)

We’re pleased to announce the recipients of Seward Community Fund (SCF) grants for 2014. Grants funded by SCF are awarded annually to organizations whose work aligns with our Ends Statement:

Seward Community Co-op Ends Statement: Seward Co-op will sustain a healthy community that has equitable economic relationships; positive environmental impacts; and inclusive, socially responsible practices.

Additionally, organizations that meet the following requirements are given preference in SCF grant-making:

• Based in the communities served by Seward Co-op.
• Reflect the cultural diversity of our communities.
• Use the funding for specific projects rather than general operating costs.
• Nonreligious and nonpartisan.
• Registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations.

Granting funds through the SCF embodies our co-op’s commitment to grow, not just as a business, but as a resource for organizations whose work aligns with our vision for a healthy community.

Below are this year’s 2014 SCF recipients:

AfroEco ($4,000)
AfroEco is actively organizing with partners to develop a local food system in North Minneapolis that co-produces community health and wealth.

Ananya Dance Theatre ($5,000)
Ananya Dance Theatre’s choreographer Ananya Chatterjea, visual artist Seitu Jones, and behavioral artist Marcus Young will partner with Frogtown Farm, Afro Eco, and the Indigenous Peoples Task Force to produce an evening performance reflecting and honoring the age-old work of women who cultivate, nurture and protect land and agriculture.

Cedar Cultural Center ($4,000)
Midnimo (Somali word for “unity”) builds knowledge and understanding of Somali Muslim culture through music. Midnimo consists of week-long artist residencies featuring Somali musicians from around the world that include public concert performances and activities in the classroom and the community.

Centro de Trabajadores Unidos en Lucha (CTUL) ($5,000)
CTUL is a low-wage worker-led group organizing for fair wages, fair working conditions, and a voice in the workplace for all workers in the Twin Cities.

“Radical Roots” ($4,000)
“Radical Roots” is a documentary film that will explore the origins and future of the American natural food movement by uncovering the drama behind its most dynamic center: the food cooperatives of the Twin Cities. It’s a tale of hippies and draft resisters, Black Panthers and organic farmers, and a takeover attempt by a secretive Marxist organization, setting in motion a debate over race, class, health, and democracy.

Hmong American Farmers Association ($5,000)
The Hmong American Farmers Association (HAFA) is a membership-based, social justice minded nonprofit organization that works with Hmong American farmers in the Twin Cities and the surrounding metropolitan area.

Isuroon ($5,000)
Isuroon is dedicated to building Somali women’s self-sufficiency so that they can lead healthier, more productive lives in Minnesota, nationally and in Somalia. Funding will support the creation of an ethnic food shelf serving the Somali Community in South Minneapolis.

Native American Community Development Institute (MACDI) ($4,000)
NACDI is committed to transforming the American Indian community to effectively respond to 21st-century opportunities. Funding will support the launch of the Anpetu Was’te Cultural Arts Marketplace, which will serve as a gateway to the American Indian Cultural Corridor at the Franklin Light Rail Transit Station.

Trans Youth Support Network (TYSN) ($5,000)
TYSN’s mission is to make it possible for trans and gender non-conforming youth to survive adultism, racism, sexism, and economic injustices in systems they must engage with in order to get basic needs met. Funding will support a youth leadership development program.

Waite House Neighborhood Center ($4,000)
Waite House’s Community Culinary Arts program embodies Seward Co-op values and vision around P6 principles through training young chefs for careers and life, including a 10-week apprenticeship with Executive Chef Austin Bartold, through which young people learn how to promote food justice in a commercial kitchen.

WE WIN Institute ($5,000)
WE WIN Institute is dedicated to the academic and social success of all children. This funding will support our summer Youth Gardens enrichment program.

(SCF recipients are announced at the annual meeting in October. The deadline for applications each year is June 30.)

On March 18, 2014 from 6–8 p.m., Seward Co-op convened a community meeting to discuss the new Friendship Store. The meeting, held at Sabathani Community Center, was designed and facilitated by Yvonne Cheek of Millennium Consulting Group. The community had the opportunity to submit questions to Seward Co-op covering a range of topics. Seward Co-op management and staff collected these questions. They have provided their answers below.

Q: In the Bryant-Central neighborhood and the broader Powderhorn community there is a growing awareness among young people regarding the importance of healthy eating. This awareness is supported by the proliferation of urban agriculture projects and community gardens that are led by youth groups across the community.

One of those groups is the WE WIN institute, our April 2014 SEED grant recipient. We are committed to work with groups like WE WIN in order to enhance access to healthful food and increase the presence of urban agriculture in the community.

Over the past three years, Seward Co-op has contributed to a number of youth-oriented agriculture and food education programs. Each of the recipients below received at least $1,000 from Seward Co-op:

• Midwest Food Connection
• Youth Farm and Market
• WE WIN Institute
• Seward Montessori School
• Trans Youth Support Network
• Seward Childcare Center
• AchieveMPLS
• YEA Corps
• Nawayee Center School
• Kaleidoscope Place

Additionally, we realize that parents and caregivers work hard to provide for their families. Our new Nourish initiative, which we will introduce this summer, will help shoppers identify products in the store that can be used in the creation of affordable meals.

Q: In what ways does an expanding co-op market share (both for Seward and metro-wide) help bring prices down?

In the short run, Seward Co-op’s expansion, along with the expansion projects by other Twin Cities co-ops, will not have a significant impact on our prices. In the long run, we hope our growth, and the growth of the cooperative economy, will encourage more affordability in the natural foods world.

Seward Co-op prices products in a manner that allows us to pay farmers and producers a fair price for their product, provide a fair wage and benefits to our employees, and bring value to our owners and shoppers. We work with over 300 vendors and farmers. The majority of these farmers and vendors are small, independent operators. As we continue to grow, our hope is that our farmer and vendor partners will grow with us. We have invested in several of our partners’ projects, which include the installation of solar panels, the construction of hoop houses, and pre-harvest financing for small farmer co-ops.

Seward’s largest supplier is United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI). UNFI supplies us with a significant portion of our overall grocery and wellness products. Our contract with UNFI is negotiated by National Cooperative Grocers’ Association, which brings together the purchasing power of more than 100 food co-ops from around the country. Seward Co-op is already one of the largest retail natural foods cooperatives in the United States, and currently pays the lowest cost on products from UNFI available through our contract. Unfortunately, a second location will not improve our pricing from UNFI.

Seward Co-op remains committed to working with small, local, and cooperative farmers and vendors. If you see the P6 logo next to a product on our shelves, you know it came from a farmer or vendor with two of those three characteristics. Our hope is that the Friendship store will provide more market opportunities for new farmers and for vendors in the area of the Friendship store. While an expanding co-op market share is not likely to lower prices, it will instead raise the individual — and commonwealth — of our farmers, vendors, employees and owners.

Q: How many new members do you project the new store will bring?

Since moving to our current location in January of 2009, we have grown from 4,500 to nearly 12,000 owners. This growth includes a surge in new ownerships in the months following our opening. Currently about 15% of our owners reside in the neighborhoods surrounding the Friendship store location. We anticipate many of those owners will shop at the Friendship location. However, it is difficult to accurately estimate how many new owners will join. We encourage everyone to become an owner of Seward Co-op. We offer three options of payment. More information can be found on the ownership page on our website or at the Franklin store Customer Service desk.

Q: Have you considered 10-20 cross-cultural staple items and really bringing those prices down?

We are developing a program called Nourish that will roll out this summer. As part of Nourish we will highlight around 50 of our most affordable staple items throughout the store with signage at the shelf. We will lower our price on many of these items.

Q: Could some features of the new store highlight the area’s rich history and people who contributed to it? – Former Mayor Sayles Belton, Playwright Kim Hines, mainstays of the NAACP would be some examples. So would the history of King Park, the 35W project, Central High School, and Bryant Jr. High.

Yes. We have designed the exterior of the building to include two locations for large murals. We will conduct a community procedure around determining the process for what will be displayed at these locations. There may also be interior wall locations where the area’s history can be highlighted. Once the interior design is complete we will have a better understanding of the potential locations.

Q: Will the Friendship Store have as much bike parking as the Franklin Store?

Not right away. In its first year, we anticipate the number of shoppers at the Friendship store will be fewer than half that of the Franklin store. Over time, we have added a significant number of bike racks at the Franklin store as the number of shoppers has increased. There are currently 66 racks at the Franklin store. We plan to have 30 bike racks at the Friendship store on opening day.

Q: How could you encourage customers to use alternate forms of transportation?

In addition to a large number of bike racks (30 racks, which is 25 more than required by the city), we will also continue our employee and customer biking incentive program. The program reimburses staff who regularly ride to work for bike-related expenses. We will add showers to the employee areas of the store for staff who bike to work, and we will reach out to Nice Ride and Hour Car about offering their services at the Friendship store. The Friendship store will be on a number of existing bus lines. We will assist any effort to improve or add bus shelters along 38th Street.

Q: How often will Sean and other managers be at the Friendship Store?

The Friendship managers and staff will be trained and empowered to operate the Friendship store in line with Seward Co-op values, policies and guidelines. We anticipate that the administrative managers — such as Sean, the General Manager, or Nick, the co-op Operations Manager — will frequently attend meetings and offer significant support during the start-up phase.

Q: Is there any chance the name for the store could reflect the area – like the name “Southside Coop”?

Though Seward Co-op will have two stores when the Friendship store opens, we will remain one organization governed by one board of directors (any owner can run for the board). The look of the Friendship store will be distinct from the Franklin store, but it will carry forward some of the elements that people have come to associate with Seward Co-op, including the name of the organization. We will, however, call the new store the “Friendship” store in acknowledgement of the former church building’s history and our commitment to build strong relationships within the community.

Q: Do you advertise in local community media?

Yes. We run regular ads in the “Minnesota Spokesman Recorder” and we air spots on KMOJ from time to time. We also plan to work with Spanish language media in order to reach out to the Latino community. We will continue to look at advertising options in neighborhood media as we move towards completion of the store.

Q: How can you compete with Sam’s Club or Costco where many local people go to buy food in bulk at low cost?

We cannot compete with them on price. These stores are essentially wholesale warehouses moving huge volumes of product. Economies of scale, along with their business models, reduce their costs and allow them to set low prices. It’s difficult to compare Seward Co-op with these warehouses because we are so different.

At Seward Co-op you’ll find local and natural products at competitive prices (please see other responses in this series for more information about our pricing and affordability strategies). You will also find helpful and knowledgeable staff. Seward Co-op is owned by those who use the business — our shoppers. Profits stay in the community through support for small local vendors, living-wage jobs, and profit sharing. While we may not be able to compete with Sam’s Club or Costco on price, we believe that Seward Co-op provides a different kind of value which enhances the health and economic well-being of our community.

Q: Outreach to Latino community

We continue to work at reaching out to the Latino community. We have translated several of our brochures into Spanish. Spanish language interpreters have been present at all of our meetings.

As a part of our outreach efforts, we plan to partner with Latino media (radio and print) to help us get the word out about the store, our events and meetings. Additionally, we will host Spanish language classes and meetings designed to encourage more interactions with the Latino community. We also work with HIRED, an area provider of job-skills and employment training, in providing job opportunities for individuals in the Latino community.

Q: How do I, a local vendor, get my product on the shelves of the store?

At Seward Co-op we are always interested in products that meet our customers’ needs and align with our values as a trusted retailer of local, organic and natural products. We welcome the opportunity to meet with producers and vendors and discuss potential partnerships.

The Grocery and Produce departments prioritize local products and are usually open to solicitations. The Grocery department looks for unique products that fulfill customers’ needs. Before carrying a product, they review ingredients, costs, and ordering and delivery systems. Additional consideration is given to local providers if their products are familiar (through exposure at farmers markets, for instance) or if the product has been requested by our customers. They may also ask providers if they are available for in-store samplings, so as to give their product increased exposure.

The Produce department is especially concerned with season extension (produce that’s available near the beginning or the end of the typical growing season). Although Produce has contracts and agreements with close to 30 local growers, we are always open to hearing about new products and ways of producing organic and sustainably grown produce. Like Grocery, Produce also likes to work with vendors who are able to come into the store and promote their products. Every year we hold our Know Our Grower Program, wherein several area providers come into the store to offer samples of their products and talk about what they do.

Find more information about becoming a vendor.

Q: Some of us would like to know more about how having the store in this neighborhood could lead to gentrification.

The topic of gentrification is a complex issue. The question of what is appropriate development is certainly an important topic in our neighborhoods. We are not interested in creating a situation wherein property values and rents make the community unaffordable. This issue is bigger than the co-op deciding to build in the Bryant-Central neighborhood. At the root of this issue is the price of real estate and whether it goes up or down. Prices are driven more by interest rates and public policy. Basically, the problem is an economy built on greed. We only need to look at the foreclosure crisis we all recently lived through as an illustration of our individual and collective vulnerability to the economic system.

We believe that cooperatives are a solution, not a contributor, to this problem. Co-ops build community-owned wealth that remains in the community. We believe that more neighborhoods need cooperatives because community ownership assures local control of the business. The profits of the business stay in the community because co-ops pay living-wage jobs, buy products from small, local producers (which keeps the money in our community), and share the profits earned with the owners who shop in the store.

Our mission, or Ends, states that “Seward Co-op will sustain a healthy community that has equitable economic relationships; positive environmental impacts; and inclusive, socially responsible practices.” Our intentions are not gentrification, but rather the improvement of access to healthy foods for current co-op owners and the broader community residing in neighborhoods near the Friendship site. We intend to build a store that is warm and inviting to all. We do not intend to force out any existing businesses or residents. We welcome everyone and look forward to learning more about how we can better serve the community around the Friendship site.

Q: Tell us more about the construction phases and agreements with contractors. Will they be hiring women and people of color?

Yes. We will require the general contractor to follow the hiring strategy in our Construction Workforce Plan. It stipulates a minimum of 32% of workers be minority, and a minimum of 6% of workers be women.

Q: I’d like to have a community agreement plan that addresses jobs.

Seward Co-op’s Scorecard provides a variety of measures that demonstrate our commitment to our mission: “Seward Co-op will sustain a healthy community that has equitable economic relationships; positive environmental impacts; and inclusive, socially responsible practices.” We recently revised the Scorecard to incorporate elements from our Long-term Hiring Strategy that outlines the co-op’s plan to more closely align our staffing practices with our mission.

Q: Co-op grocery prices are not cheap. How will the Friendship Store adjust prices to make fresh good food affordable for this neighborhood?

We strive to offer local and natural products at competitive prices. Because our mission compels us to have equitable economic relationships, we price products in a manner that allows us to pay fair prices to producers, pay fair wages to our employees, and bring value to our shoppers. We price strategically and intentionally in order to ensure the sustainable operation of our co-op. We regularly visit local natural foods retailers and conventional stores to compare prices on hundreds of key items. Our total price for a “market basket” of about 150 staple items is lower than the same total at other stores we audit. This strategy, and similar pricing, will apply at both the Franklin and the Friendship stores.

This summer we will roll out our Nourish initiative, which we hope will help customers shop affordably at the co-op. Nourish will highlight some of our most affordable product options with signs at the shelf. The program will include recipes, sampling, and classes that will help shoppers plan budget-friendly meals and stretch their grocery dollars at the co-op.

Nourish will complement some of the other things we are already doing to help ensure that co-op products are accessible to shoppers of all income levels. Currently we offer co-op ownership purchase options and an everyday discount for shoppers who have financial need (visit our Customer Service desk for more information and applications). Owners receive a 10% discount on one entire shopping trip each quarter. We support WIC (Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children) and SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). We offer promotional savings on many items throughout the store along with bimonthly coupon books, and we make it easy to comparison shop by posting the price per ounce for most products. We hope that these commitments and programs serve Seward Co-op shoppers well.

Q: Will this building have a second story? If not, can you construct the building so that it will support an additional floor or two for expansion?

Yes. The Friendship store will have a second floor for staff offices, meetings, and breaks, just like our Franklin store.

Q: I would love to see a commercial kitchen where one could buy a large quantity of veggies to can in the late summer/fall so that we can enjoy the bounty over the winter and do it relatively inexpensively.

This is a great idea, and one that we have considered in the past. Unfortunately, a shared commercial kitchen is expensive to construct and maintain. It would require a consistent revenue stream in order to sustain it, which is something we cannot count on. The Friendship store also will have limited space for such a facility, as most of it will be occupied by sales and production spaces.

Q: Once I am educated on how to shop, I can save more.

Please join us for our “Shop the Co-op” class. This class is offered on a regular basis and includes a store tour and tips for shopping on a budget. We have also created the program Nourish that will roll out this summer. This initiative will include classes, product sampling, and recipes focused on affordable meal planning.

From early on in its history, Seward Co-op has made it a priority to give back to the community. “Concern for Community” is one of the seven fundamental principles of cooperation and in that spirit, the co-op launched SEED in 2011. SEED is a fundraising program that provides customers an opportunity to round-up their bill for organizations that share Seward’s commitment to a healthy community.

Now we are proud to announce this community giving program has surpassed $1 million in donations! Since SEED’s inception, more than 40 percent of co-op owners and shoppers have made upwards of 2 million individual donations. Over time, the co-op has also seen significant growth in total donations. When the SEED program was launched, the average total donation was around $8,000 per month. Since opening the Co-op Creamery Café and the Friendship store, the monthly average has increased to more than $23,000! The $1-million-dollar milestone and the growth of SEED has been possible because of you, co-op owners and shoppers. Thank you!

A few SEED highlights from over the years:

Donations from SEED have benefited more than 35 different community organizations and seven different emergency relief efforts. Over the years, there have been disasters —near and far —that have warranted preempting a recipient in order to use SEED dollars for disaster relief. In each instance, the response from co-op customers was astounding.

Since 2011, the Brian Coyle Center has been a SEED recipient 15 times, and they have received the most donations of any recipient, totaling more than $260,000. The Brian Coyle Center is located in the heart of Cedar-Riverside and strives to unite people across ethnicity and generations. The funds raised for Brian Coyle have specifically supported its food shelf, wherein $1 has the capacity to purchase more than a pound of food. The support of Seward customers has made a significant difference in the lives of individuals who benefit from the Brian Coyle Food Shelf. We look forward to rounding up for them again in September.

Since opening the Friendship store in the Bryant neighborhood, we have prioritized supporting organizations near there. Sabathani Community Center’s food shelf has been a recipient four times, and they will be a recipient again in December. Customers have donated more than $79,000 to Sabathani since May 2014. Sabathani provides a space where residents can gather in a welcoming environment, build community, conduct business, and receive programs and services that move people forward.

Co-ops set a standard for the surrounding business community by our commitment to environmental and social responsibility. The cooperative principle of “Concern for Community” guides us to work for the sustainable development of our communities. When we pool our resources, particularly through efforts like SEED, we make progress towards this end. Kudos to Front End staff, including cashiers and customer service staff at Franklin and Friendship and servers at the Creamery Café. They are the engines that drive our successful SEED program!

Become a SEED recipient–we are now accepting applications for 2017. The application deadline is August 1, 2016.

Seward Community Co-op launched the Seward Community Fund (SCF) in 2005. The establishment of the SCF embodies our co-op’s commitment to grow not just as a business, but also as a community resource for organizations whose work aligns with our vision for a healthy community.

SCF grants are awarded annually in amounts up to $5,000 each. Applications are reviewed by a grant committee comprised of co-op staff, and recipients are announced at the annual co-op owners meeting in October. The next application deadline will be in early summer 2016. Click here for more information.

Grants are given to organizations whose work aligns with our Ends Statement:

Our Ends Statement

Seward Co-op will sustain a healthy community that has:

• Equitable economic relationships;
• Positive environmental impacts; and
• Inclusive, socially responsible practices.

In addition, priority will be given to organizations that:

• Are based in the communities served by Seward Co-op.
• Reflect the cultural and racial diversity of our communities.
• Use the funding for specific projects rather than general operating costs.
• Are nonpartisan and do not advocate a particular religion.
• Are registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.

2015 Seward Community Fund Recipients:

Alliance of Early Childhood Professionals
$5,000
We will use this grant to revitalize Dakota and Ojibwe languages at the early childhood levels, as MN’s First languages; Dakota and Ojibwe are critically endangered. We are using an analogy of a tropic cascade when speaking of revitalizing Dakota and Ojibwe as current data points towards numerous cognitive benefits, cultural self efficacy and community well being.

Ananya Dance Theatre
$3,000
Ananya Dance Theatre is a contemporary company of women artists of color. Grant funds would support the creation and presentation of our 2016 production, “Horidraa: Golden Healing.”

Dream of Wild Health
$5,000
We work to restore health and well-being of the Twin Cities Native American community by increasing access to healthy fresh foods through our farm production, market and CSA outlets and donations; providing educational programs in organic farming, healthy indigenous foods, cooking skills and nutritional knowledge; and by creating opportunities for youth educational summer enrichment, employment and entrepreneurship programs.

Frogtown Green/Asian American Elders Garden
$3,500
We seek support for coordination, infrastructure and supplies for the Asian American Elders Garden, a space where elderly refugees build social connections and economic resilience by growing produce for household consumption and occasional sales. The Garden, a Frogtown resident-led initiative, also enhances cultural interaction and learning, by showcasing Asian farming techniques and produce.

Kente Circle
$5,000
Kente Circle, an African American owned mental health organization, is obtaining 501(c)(3) status for a new training institute and community gathering place – Kente Circle Training Institute (KCTI). KCTI’s work will align with the Seward Co-op ends statement in that it will be geared toward culturally inclusive trainings, research and community building in the Twin Cities and more specifically in the community where the new Seward Co-op Friendship Store is located.

Mashkiikii Gitigan: 24th Street Community Urban Farm
$5,000
The Mission of the Mashkiikii Gitigan is is to create and nurture the culture and practice of local food production, healthy eating, healthy living and related activities along the 24th Street Wellness Corridor and throughout the Phillips Community. These funds would go towards hiring a local resident, market supplies and “Karma Market Bucks” to support our “Karma Market” where communit members can contribute what they can afford for healthy, organic produce from our Urban Farm.

MSPCC/Sunshine Tree Child Development Ctr.
$5,000
We are an Early Childhood Development Center that provides sustainable Early learning services for Children from a diversity of families in our community. The funds will be used to upgrade our facility and enhance the materials used for the learning of our Children to make them exceptionally Kindergarten ready and also assist those that are in school to have successful educational and social experiences.

Permaculture Research Institute-Cold Climate
$4,500
PRI will provide full scholarship tuition for training eight new urban farmers from low-income, immigrant, and/or native communities, and will provide them with access to land and the training needed to launch businesses, to become teachers, and grow healthy food in their neighborhoods. Collectively, these eight new farmers will gain the leadership skills and experience to transform eight new farms and teach an additional fifty new community members over the course of their learning.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park Legacy Council
$4,000
We will use the funds to landscape an area around the Freedom Form II sculpture in the park. This is a special place, sacred ground containing the sculpture donated upon the re-dedication of the park in Dr. King’s name and then enhanced with granite and metal benches inscribed with quotes from Dr. King and responses from the community. The final touch would be landscaping.

Seward Longfellow Restorative Justice Partnership
$5,000
SLRJP provides a restorative conference process, as an alternative to the juvenile justice system, to neighborhood youth who have been arrested for lower level offenses including shoplifting, property damage and theft. Funding will be used to grow a new partnership with the Center for Multicultural Mediation and Restorative Justice in order to provide culturally-informed restorative conferences in Somali to referred youth, with participation of a Somali co-facilitator and Somali community members.

The Cedar Cultural Center
$5,000
Launched in 2014 in partnership with Augsburg College, Midnimo is a program featuring multi-week residencies with Somali artists from Minnesota and around the world that include public performances, workshops, discussions, and activities on campus and in the community. The proposed funding will support the growth and continuation of Midnimo, and build on its momentum as a platform for developing the social connections and cultural touchstones that promote unity and the celebration of our community’s diverse cultural assets.