Bee the Change: Supporting Pollinators, Art, and Education with Bee Girl
Here at Ashland Food Co-op, we’re buzzing with excitement about our July Change for Good partner: Bee Girl / Bee Regenerative! This local nonprofit is doing some bee-autiful work to protect pollinators, restore habitats, and teach the next generation how to care for the tiny creatures that keep our food systems thriving.
Bee Girl + Bee Regenerative: More Than Just a Name
Bee Regenerative is the co-branded evolution of Bee Girl - founded and led by the ever-inspiring Sarah Red-Laird (aka The Bee Girl herself). While Sarah is still the lead worker bee, this mission has officially grown beyond the hive. Bee Regenerative brings together a team of staff, contractors, and collaborators who work shoulder-to-shoulder with ranchers, winemakers, universities, government agencies, and fellow nonprofits to tackle the biggest issues bees face in agriculture. Together, they’re creating real, lasting solutions that benefit both pollinators and producers.
Why Bees Matter (and Why Bee Girl Is a Hero)
Bees may be small, but they play a huge role in our ecosystem - pollinating one in every three bites of food we eat. That’s why Bee Girl and her team work tirelessly to create more places for pollinators to thrive right here in Southern Oregon.
Their mission goes beyond just saving bees - it’s about cultivating healthy ecosystems, supporting sustainable agriculture, and inspiring stewardship through science, education, and art.
Local Projects Making a Big Impact
🐝 Bee Friendly Vineyards
Local winemakers and grape growers are getting a pollinator-friendly upgrade thanks to Bee Girl’s collaboration efforts. This program brings habitat (think: blooming flowers, nesting spots, and clean water) directly into the vineyard rows. Cheers to bees AND better wine!
🌼 Bee Hopeful
This youth program teaches kids how important bees are - and how they can be bee heroes in their own backyards. With a focus on positivity and hands-on learning, Bee Hopeful empowers the next generation to protect what they love.
🎨 Bee Habitat in Cyanotype
Founder Sarah uses flowers and bees from real habitat projects to create stunning cyanotype art pieces that educate and inspire. It’s part science, part soul - and it’ll make you see pollinators in a whole new light.
Events to Check Out
📍 Pints for a Purpose
Thursday, July 3rd, The Phoodery in Phoenix, OR
Grab a drink, win gear from Patagonia and Sunday Afternoons, and support pollinators - it doesn’t get much more Southern Oregon summer than that.
🎨 Ashland Open Studio Tour
October 18–19, Enclāve Studios, Ashland, OR
Sarah’s studio will be open during this event hosted by the Ashland Gallery Association. Come see the “Bee Habitat in Cyanotype” exhibit in person and meet the artist behind the mission.
Bee the Change with Us
Every time you round up at the register in July, you’re helping Bee Girl expand their local impact. Whether it's teaching a classroom full of curious kids or planting habitat among the grapevines, your spare change is helping Southern Oregon bloom - literally.
Learn more about their work at www.beegirl.org, and stop by the Co-op to support Bee Girl through Change for Good.
Let’s pollinate some positive change - together. 🌸🐝
More Co-op News
August Change for Good - Partnering with ACCESS to Make a Difference!
We are honored to partner with ACCESS this August - a fantastic organization that has been serving our community for over four decades. ACCESS, which stands for "A Community in Action, Connecting, Empowering, and Strengthening Self-Sufficiency," is dedicated to addressing hunger, homelessness, and poverty in Southern Oregon.
Empowering Our Community: AFC's Community Grants Now Accepting Applications
As part of our ongoing commitment to supporting the local community, AFC is thrilled to announce the that we are accepting applications for our Community Grants program.
Ashland Food Co-op's Community Grants program is designed to foster meaningful change in the Southern Oregon region. Through these grants, we seek to support projects that align with our mission of promoting local and sustainable food systems, addressing food insecurity, and promoting community engagement.
July's Change for Good Partner - Maslow Project
Ashland Food Co-op is thrilled to partner with Maslow Project for our Change for Good program! Maslow Project is an incredible organization that works tirelessly to support homeless youth and families in Southern Oregon. Their mission is to empower individuals and families to achieve self-sufficiency, and they do this through a range of services including housing assistance, medical care, and educational support.
June 2023 Change for Good Partner: Southern Oregon Land Conservancy
The Ashland Food Co-op is teaming up with the Southern Oregon Land Conservancy (SOLC) as its Change for Good partner for this month. This collaboration aims to support SOLC's mission of conserving Southern Oregon's natural landscapes and habitats.
Bicycle Benefits
Here at the Co-op we are on a mission to promote healthy lifestyles and sustainable practices within our community.
May 2023 Change for Good Partner: Talent Maker City
Talent Maker City's mission is to build a more connected, prosperous, and resilient community through hands-on creativity and innovative STEAM-based learning. (STEAM = Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, & Math.) They have a bustling Makerspace facility, brimming with creative energy in downtown Talent offering hands-on STEAM-based workshops and programming for curious minds of all ages!
Celebrating Cinco de Mayo
We're always learning and growing here at the Co-op and with the approach of Cinco de Mayo we thought we would share a (very) brief history lesson and some thoughts on celebrating this holiday here in the United States.
April 2023 Change for Good Partner: Pollinator Project Rogue Valley
From Kristina Lefever, Pollinator Project Rogue Valley President
March 2023 Change for Good: Klamath Bird Observatory
From Klamath Bird Observatory, March 2023's Change for Good partner:
Frederick Douglass And Co-ops in 1846
When Douglass Came to Rochdale, England a Slave and Left a Free Man
By David J Thompson
February's Change for Good partner: OHRA
OHRA helps low-income people build better lives through access to social service resources. By helping
people move from crisis to stability, OHRA builds more capable individuals, stronger families, and a
better community. We have three core programs:
January Change for Good Partner: Ashland Food Angels
December Change for Good Partner: Rogue Action Center
December's Change for Good Partner is
Rogue Action Center
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The Rogue Action Center (RAC) builds organizing infrastructure, leaders, and community power for a just, inclusive, and sustainable Southern Oregon for everyone.
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