“Positive Environmental Impacts” compels us to be responsible stewards of the natural environment by stocking and supporting producers while offsetting as much as possible the built-in negative impacts that come with operating in the grocery industry.
We acknowledge that all land in the United States is land stolen from Indigenous people, who are the original and continuing stewards of this particular natural environment we work in. It is important to acknowledge that we operate in an inequitable society with a deep history of exploitation. The Ends and sub points implicitly demand Seward Co-op to work against the violence of colonization.
Building on the discussion about Community Foods in the previous section: the “Sustainable” criteria considers organic certification, but also includes agroforestry, energy efficiency certification, integrated livestock crops, and integrated pest management. Our “Local” criteria is also vital to making positive environmental impacts because these impacts rely on robust and enduring relationships that take time and commitment to cultivate.
Measure 1: We source locally to minimize resource-intensive product transportation and support a robust local food economy.
• $16,619,233 of local products sold (40.7% of sales).
• 60% of our cheese and meat departments’ products are sourced locally
Measure 2: We support sustainable agriculture.
• $15,882,495 of organic products sold (38.9% of sales).
Seward Co-op supports local sustainable agriculture by offering farmers free CSA box drop areas at both stores. This service facilitates the connection between farmers and urban CSA subscribers, reduces food miles, and provides community members better access to wholesome food. Many of these farmers are also vendors who we source produce from, bolstering their ability to survive in a brutal industry. We honor these relationships by offering our annual CSA Fair.
Our 23nd annual CSA Fair in April was another big success, with 19 local farmers and CSA producers as well as 4 of our SEED recipients coming together with community members to share the importance of working together to build a strong local food economy.
Operationally, we must face the fact that operating two full-service grocery stores creates waste and that their refrigeration, heating, and ventilation needs require significant energy usage. Our Ends demand we do everything we can to offset this. In constructing the Friendship store and remodeling the Franklin store, we’ve come face to face with the paradox of energy modeling.
“This year we undertook a much-needed renovation of our Franklin Store. The Franklin store was constructed in 2008 and opened over 14 years ago. Most of the store’s systems and equipment had a life expectancy of 10-15 years so the store was experiencing a large number repairs and failures. New refrigeration systems as well as heating and cooling units were installed. The sales floor is in a more efficient layout which also lets in more daylight. The Franklin remodel has provided an opportunity to invest in maintenance and more energy-efficient systems that help the building operate more sustainably.”
-Eric Hatting, Initiatives Manager
Xcel Energy’s Renewable*Connect program is an option for customers to support clean energy sources and assist Xcel in developing these resources and supporting rural economies through tax revenue and jobs. A Renewable*Connect subscription helps the co-op meet its sustainability goals, earn LEED certification points and achieve our Ends.
Measure 3: We offset and minimize our energy usage.
• 100% of our energy comes from solar sources via Xcel’s Renewable*Connect program.
• 31,644 kWh generated by the solar panels on the Franklin store’s roof, 3.5% of the store’s energy usage and equal to about 3 typical houses’ worth of energy.
• 94 spaces for bike parking, 135 spaces for car parking.
We also host beehives on the roof at the Friendship and Franklin stores. With the proliferation of urban living and gardening and industrial-scale farming decimating natural rural environments, having bees at the co-op allows us to contribute to the local ecosystem and further our Ends.
Seward Co-op has produced its own cleaning solution and food production sanitizer for over 16 years. We lease equipment to make the solutions in house, called ZAP Water, and staff use the products daily. It is a solution that does not negatively affect our staff and customers like bleach does, and by producing our own cleansers daily, we significantly reduce our shipping cost and the amount of packaging we use.
Measure 4: We minimize non-recyclable packaging in our products and handle our waste responsibly.
• 76.6% of waste diverted from landfill.
• $2,512,686 in bulk products sold (6% of sales).
• 336,006 bags — total of $33,600 — given for reusable bags.
• 1193 reusable deli containers uses.
While an organic and local product selection at the co-op has always been something we have focused on, the means by which products are packaged has become, to many, equally as critical as the product itself. Like so many things since the pandemic began, our efforts to reduce plastic waste were interrupted. The disruptions in supply chains brought about by the pandemic have caused multiple challenges in sourcing packaging. Plastic containers have become both more expensive and less available, which has us looking for viable alternatives.
Due in part to customer feedback, we offer compostable bags in the stores’ produce departments. For many years, compostable plastic bags were price prohibitive and we did not have a reliable indicator that a more expensive store supply would be utilized by co-op shoppers. We suspect some customers are motivated to choose these bags because they are accepted in City of Minneapolis’ curbside compost program, allowing them to be reused at home. We often rely on NCG to help us find reasonable solutions. NCG sources a range of “compostable” deli packaging, some of which meets Minneapolis’ standards.
We also have done a huge amount of work over the history of our co-op to build a robust cull system for product that can’t be sold but might still be able to be used.
“Often when I’m stocking produce, a customer will notice a bucket of blemished produce on my cart and ask, concerned that it’s heading to the trash, 'Where is that going?' I proudly reply, 'We donate all of our culled produce to a local food shelf. Sometimes, we’ll mark it down for customers to buy as well!'
It sounds simple, but committing to reducing food waste isn’t always a walk in the park. It requires a well-organized pickup schedule from local food shelves with a range of partners each day of the week, and a backup list for on-call partners when we are really in a pinch to donate.
Last summer, the Produce department received two local watermelon bins (about 1,200 pounds of watermelon). Upon sampling the watermelon, we discovered it was past its prime and not of the quality our customers expect. After calling around to a few food shelves, I connected with Second Harvest Heartland and they came to our rescue, picking up all of the watermelon within hours in a big truck.
Our food donation partners are experts at reducing food waste, taking items that are a bit wilty or soft and turning them into meals like a delicious soup for community members to enjoy. They will often comment on how often consumers will underestimate the lifespan of produce, leading to unnecessary food waste.
All Seward co-op staff have access to culled items from across the store, from blemished produce to leftover Deli items to dented cereal boxes. I’ve learned more about strategies for reducing food waste and developed a better understanding of produce quality. For example, salad expiration dates are usually a few days premature. Once they expire and can no longer be sold, I take them home and make a delicious salad for dinner! Soft tomatoes cook down into pasta sauce, and one moldy strawberry doesn’t spoil the whole batch. Sometimes produce items are at their peak when they appear bad! Pineapple or muskmelon with a bit of mold on the bottom but a delicious fragrant smell? That’s how you know it’s perfectly ripe!
I’m so proud to work someplace that’s committed to making positive environmental impacts and serving our community, and that I get to contribute each day towards those Ends.”
- Lily, Franklin Produce Manager