Co-op + Community = A Perfect Match
At the Co-op, we are all about community. After all, YOU are why we are here and providing healthy, organic food to the Rogue Valley.
As a cooperative enterprise, there are seven principles we follow. We use them as guidlines to put our values into practice. Principle 7, Concern for Community, affords us the opportunity to give back to local nonprofits that do so much good in this beautiful place we call home.
This year, we donated $24,040 to 32 area nonprofit organizations at our annual Community Grants Dinner. The Community Grant Program is the highlight of Principle 7 and the most visible way we give back to the community.
Each year, the Co-op Board of Directors set aside a small percentage of sales from the previous year to fund the program. There are four categories for grants: environmental stewardship, environmental/sustainability education, education programs focused on food, nutrition and health, and food or supportive services for people in need.
The maximum grant any nonprofit can receive is $1,500. The Grant Committee, which includes AFC board members, staff, and community members, reviewed all grants and allocated the funds.
Congratulations to the following nonprofits who received Community Grants this funding cycle.
Ashland Food Angels
Southern Oregon Education Service District Migrant Education Program
ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum
Klamath Bird Observatory
Boys & Girls Clubs of the Rogue Valley
Options for Homeless Residents of Ashland (OHRA)
Ashland Parks Foundation, on behalf of North Mountain Park Nature Center
Natives of One Wind Indigenous Alliance ~ Red Earth Descendants
Children's Advocacy Center of Jackson County
Rogue River School District #35
Outdoor Discovery Program Parent Advisory Committee
Multicultural Association of Southern Oregon/KSKQ Community Radio
Rogue Community College Foundation
ACCESS
Ashland Middle School- Rain and Fire-Wise Garden
Civil Liberties Defense Center
Asante Ashland Community Hospital
Pacifica, A Garden in the Siskiyous
Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center
Southern Oregon Regional Environmental Education Leaders
Bellview Grange #759
White Oak Farm and Education Center
Lotus Rising Project
Bee Girl
Ashland Middle School- School-Wide Composting Project
The Siskiyou Field Institute
Southern Oregon University Foundation
The Family Nurturing Center
Southern Oregon Land Conservancy
The Rose Circle Mentoring Network
Rogue Climate
Lomakatsi Restoration Project
The next funding cycle for Ashland Food Co-op's Community Grant program will begin in February 2017.
More Co-op News
Community Cider Backyard Fruit Drive
How often can you browse the shelf at your neighborhood grocery store, see a bottle of hand crafted, local cider and say, “Hey, I help make that!” Well, at the Co-op you can.
2018 Board Election Results
The AFC Board of Directors is pleased to announce the results of the 2018 Board Election. There were three excellent candidates running for two Board positions. In total, 905 votes were cast.
Congratulations to the following candidates who will serve three-year terms on the Ashland Food Co-op Board of Directors.
Thank you for voting!
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Meet Store Manager Barry Haynes
By Barry Haynes, Store Manager
Twenty three years ago my wife and I began our quest to relocate our family from the midwest to the west coast. We were looking for a beautiful area with an engaged community that would enable our children to thrive. Equally important, we wanted our new home to have a vibrant natural food store. When we arrived in southern Oregon, we felt as though we hit the jackpot.
Beat the Heat
When the heat of summer takes over, it can be hard on our bodies and moods. Don’t let the scorching temps get you down, cool off with one of these refreshing Staff recommendations.
Report from the Board of Directors: Strategic Plan Update
By Jeff Golden, External Relations Committee Chair
Ashland Food Co-op is striding into the future with careful intention. We’re especially focused on the three top priorities of our strategic planning process, a collaboration of our board and management team. A quick update:
Riding off into the Sunset
By Annie Hoy, Retiring Marketing Manager
Since I was born and raised in far West Texas, I cannot help but use some imagery from what is so familiar to me.
Report from the General Manager and Board of Directors
By Emile Amarotico, General Manager and Ed Claassen, Board President
Ashland Food Co-op Signs Contract to Purchase Property
The Ashland Food Co-op expects to soon complete the purchase of an undeveloped lot at 120 Clear Creek Drive in Ashland. The parcel is located directly behind Ashland Lumber. This purchase is a major step in the Co-op’s vision for growing its downtown presence.
Staff Picks: Summer Hikes and Trail Snacks
Our staff loves to head outside and enjoy the gorgeous Oregon outdoors. Here's a few of their favorite trails and the Co-op snacks they like to take with them.
Be a Zero Waste Hero in Four Easy Steps
By Stephanie Koerella, Education Coordinator
Reducing our waste has continued to be of greater concern for Rogue Valley residents, especially since January, when options for recycling became even more limited. While the Ashland Food Co-op is ramping up our efforts to reduce waste as a business, there is a lot that our community can do at home to help the cause.
On the Road to Sustainability
By Laura Pfister, Media Coordinator
Forty six years ago, a group of families formed a buying club to access sustainable, local organic food as an alternative to modern industrial agriculture. This humble foundation of social and environmental responsibility started the Ashland Food Co-op and has shaped every decision we’ve ever made. It’s how, over four decades later, that a small buying club became a 30 million dollar, 17,500 square foot Certified Organic Retailer diverting 82% of their discards from the landfill.
Staff Picks: Earth Friendly Products
In celebration of Sustainability Month in April, we asked our Sustainability Committee to share their favorite eco-friendly product.