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. 🌸🐝