November Change for Good Partner: Vesper Meadow Education Program
November's Change for Good Partner is
Vesper Meadow Education Program
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The Vesper Meadow Education Program is building a culture of land stewardship and nature connection. They demonstrate biocultural restoration through Tribal partnership, collaborating with a broad network for land stewardship, community involvement in scientific monitoring, and sharing our work through nature-inspired art and creation of education materials.
Funds raised from November will help support their work with the Southwest Oregon Indigenous Gardens Network.
The Indigenous Gardens Network (IGN) serves as a hub of collaborative, Indigenous-led land projects that aim to restore traditional gathering areas throughout Southwestern Oregon (SWO) so that First Foods and plants of cultural significance can be cultivated, harvested, and made accessible to Indigenous partners. The IGN mobilizes new and existing resources in innovative ways to create project-based and experiential learning opportunities that address the urgent issues of food security, climate change, and Indigenous food sovereignty. The project represents a regional partnership that brings diverse partners together (Tribes, educators, conservation organizations) to address barriers to First Food access and cultivation.
Read the IGN Press Release, December 2020
The IGN is a partnership between the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon, Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, Southern Oregon University (SOU), Vesper Meadow Education Program, and other regional partners that received funding from the Oregon Cultural Trust to initiate the Indigenous Gardens Network.
Since 2019, Vesper Meadows has worked with the Native Studies Department at SOU to envision and support the development of the IGN. In the winter and spring of 2020/2021, they engaged in six listening sessions with Grand Ronde and Siletz Tribal members to collectively develop the vision and structure of this Indigienous-led network.
During the summer of 2021, Vesper Meadow served as a pilot site for the IGN, providing Indigenous partners with unique opportunities that are often hard to come by in Southwest Oregon:
- ease of land access to the 950-acre Preserve
- opportunities to create, lead and enact native plant restoration plans
- safe spaces for culturally significant activities
Vesper Meadows continues to provide fundraising and logistical support for the IGN and for trips to SWO by IGN partners living elsewhere. The Vesper Meadow Restoration Preserve serves as a primary location
Vesper Meadow’s primary outpost is the Vesper Meadow Restoration Preserve, a 1,000 acre mix of upland wet meadows, conifer forests, and open shrub-steppe hillslopes in the heart of the Cascade-Siskiyou region. The Vesper Meadow Restoration Preserve is recovering from over a century of heavy forest and meadow use, and now serves as a biocultural restoration demonstration site for the Vesper Meadow Education Program. All restoration efforts are made with the intention to restore and enhance:
- the natural hydrology of Latgawa Creek
- the native plant community, and biodiversity reflective of the greater Cascade-Siskiyou region
- Indigenous connections through Tribal partnership and self-determined goals for First Food land management
- imperiled wildlife habitat for Mardon Skipper, Vesper Sparrow, and other rare species detected through ongoing monitoring efforts
- the ecological integrity of the creek, meadow, and forest-slope habitat for climate resiliency
- creating enhanced opportunities for human relationship with the land
To learn more about this local nonprofit, the work they are doing in our community and get involved in upcoming restoration projects, please visit vespermeadow.org
Vesper Meadow Education Program was chosen by our owners in our 2022 election to be a Change for Good Partner. Through the cumulative register round up donations over the course of this month ~ our shoppers will help support this local nonprofit organization and the work that they are doing in our community.
2020 was the first year of Change for Good, a register round-up program to benefit a slate of ten organizations, voted on by Co-op owners, through the cumulative donations of shoppers choosing to round-up their shopping total to the nearest dollar.
From one cent to 99 cents, it all adds up to feeling good about supporting the community.
More Co-op News
Tips to Stay Safe and Limit Waste
By Mahlea Rasmussen, Education Coordinator
Inspired by Bea Johnson's Zero Waste Home
We are in uncertain times and some of you may be second-guessing some of your zero waste practices and replacing them with safety measures for you and your family. I was proud not to have chemical cleaners in my home and never used plastic gloves - but now those products are being suggested for staying clean and safe. Here are some tips to keep your home safe while working towards more sustainability.
Ashland Food Co-op employees are heroes, worthy of respect and gratitude
Until a crisis like this occurs, few think of Grocers as essential service providers. However, our employees have been here day in and day out, risking their health and the safety of their loved ones, to provide food for our community. This is not a job that can be done from home or from what is now considered a safe social distance. Our employees have worked with the utmost professionalism, care, and concern for shopper well-being.
Meet Reagan Roach, AFC Executive Chef & Prepared Foods Manager
The Co-op's general manager, Emile Amorotico, sat down with the newest addition to the co-op's management team, Reagan Roach. Get to know Reagan in the interview below - and say hi when you see him in store!
5 Things You Didn't Know the Co-op Carries for Cold, Flu & Immune Protection
- Wishgarden Herbs - Kick Ass Immune: Your total frontline immune defense!
- Oshala Farm - Oshala Fire Cider: Locally made in the Applegate. It tastes so good you could craft a healthy dressing with this fire cider!
- Mickelberry Gardens - Elderberry: Great Immune support for kids and adults. Made in Oregon.
Choose To Reuse
by Rianna Koppel, Co-op Sustainability Coordinator
At the Ashland Food Co-op, we are committed to becoming Zero Waste by 2030. Along the way, we’ve learned a lot about packaging and single-use at our store. Our owners care deeply about reducing plastic waste, and we do too!
Reusable Bags
At the co-op, we have many different bag options… So what's the best choice?
Lisa Beam: Why I'm a Board Member
Why serve on the Board of Directors at the Ashland Food Coop? This was the question that I was faced with about a year ago.
I have lived, worked and shopped in Ashland for the last 20 years. Many of those years I have actively participated on non-profit boards, civic organizations and committees. However, in the last few years I stepped away from those responsibilities to focus on family and business life.
Henry in the Garden: The Pollinator Plan
By Henry Herting, Co-op garden volunteer
It's that fun time of the year when we get to plan our gardens. This year since our pollinators are taking such a hard hit, we are planning a pollinator garden.
Some plants that are considered good for pollinators are not so good fo the gardeners. They are invasive; they are weeds. Nobody likes weeds in their garden - who likes getting down on their knee pads and clawing at deep-rooted weeds growing in places where you don't want them?
Rogue To Go at the Co-op
We are excited to announce the official launch of Rogue To Go at the Ashland Food Co-op!
Rogue To Go is a reusable container pilot program. The pilot connects five participating restaurants by offering a reusable container that can be used for meals to-go and help eliminate single-use boxes. These O2GO containers are made locally in Bend, Oregon by OZZI. The bright green containers are 100% recyclable through a specialty recycler - truly zero waste!
How can you start using Rogue To Go? Check out the steps below and follow along with a walk-through video.
Apply for an AFC Gives community grant
For over 25 years, the Ashland Food Co-op has been re-investing in the local community by awarding grants to non-profit organizations doing important work in the Rogue Valley. Putting the seventh cooperative principle, "concern for community," into action, over $30,000 was donated in 2019 - and in 2020, there are even more opportunities for non-profits.
The Co-op is getting a refresh
We are giving our store a much-needed fresh coat of paint. We think you'll enjoy the changes!
When
The painting team will begin our project on February 5th, 2020 with a start time of 9pm.
Where
The entire retail store, deli serving area and interior seating area will receive a fresh new coat of paint.
Timeline
If all goes as planned, our painting project should be finished by February 20.
Will Store Hours Change?
No. We will be painting from 9pm to 5am.
Explore citrus!
Looking to explore some new citrus varieties? Know more before you go! Check out the many types of sweet, sour and somewhere in between that you can enjoy at the Co-op! (Availability may vary due to seasonality.)
Taste for Life winter wellness giveaway
It's a month of giveaways from Taste for Life!
Giveaway #1 has finished up - so it's time for #2! This giveaway runs 1/27-2/2, so sign up below.
This package includes: NOW's Sabucus Zinc-C lozenges, Mushroom Wisdom's SX-Fraction, Bluebonnet's Stress Release formula, ChildLife's First Defense immune formula, Vitafusion's Organic Women's Multi vitamin, Quantum Health's Eye Health supplement, Kyo-Green Sprouts Blend digestion supplement, Solgar's full spectrum Curcumin supplement, and Solgar's No. 7 joint comfort supplement.
Rogue Co-ops College Scholarship
As part of the Rogue Co-ops, a group of Rogue Valley cooperative businesses that includes Ashland Food Co-op, Grange Co-op, Medford Food Co-op, and Rogue Credit Union, we're excited to offer a scholarship opportunity to local high school students planning on attending college.
The Rogue Co-ops have collectively funded a $2,000 scholarship (and Grange Co-op offers an additional eight $1,500 scholarships) for students (in public, private or home school settings) who meet the following requirements:
Become an Owner-Volunteer with the AFC Board
The AFC Board of Directors is looking for owner-volunteers for three board committees: the Owner Engagement Committee (OEC), Board Development Committee (BDC), and AFC Gives Committee.