October news at the Co-op
October is typically Co-op month, to highlight how differently cooperatives do business. But instead of talking about the 7 Cooperative Principles, or the ownership benefits of being part of the Co-op, we only need to look at the past four weeks to see what being a cooperative really means.
As part of the co-op family, you've helped the entire community immensely.
You are stepping up for the seven Co-op employees who lost their homes by donating to GoFundMe accounts. As part of our staff, they each received a separate $1,000 relief check from the Co-op, along with gift certificates for food and temporary housing arrangements.
You are helping the most impacted directly. With over $75,000 in donations to the Ashland Food Co-op Almeda/Glendower Fire Relief Fund, nearly half has already been distributed to trusted recovery organizations on the ground: MRG Foundation, Unete, SO Education Service District, Phoenix / Talent Schools, Family Nurturing Center, La Clinica, and Maslow Project. And as the rebuilding mission comes into focus, the Co-op will be dedicating your donations help towards new housing efforts.
Out of the 7 Cooperative Principles, we pride ourselves particularly on "concern for the community" at the Co-op. A healthy community leads to a healthy co-op, and vice versa. Thanks for being a part of that.
There's another cooperative principle, "Cooperation among cooperatives," that has also stood out in the past month. Everyone is looking out for one another, cooperating on fundraising and relief efforts. For example, our friends at Coos Head Co-op in Coos Bay are donating round-up donations from their store to Ashland Food Co-op's fund as well as Medford Food Co-op. Additionally, the Co-op has joined Rogue Food Unites to make sure that with everything else going on, food and good nutrition isn't another worry for displaced families.
On top of all this, a huge list of the vendors and producers from the region and nation have asked, "How can we help?" And they've helped in a big way. Read more here about the many donations we've received and distributed to the community - these businesses have definitely earned a huge thanks.
The Co-op will continue to raise relief funds through October as part of the Change for Good register round-up program, and we'll keep everyone updated on social media and our weekly sales flyer email about relief fund recipients and other initiatives. We'll also have some other ways you can help out this month, so stay tuned - and thanks for being part of this caring community.
More Co-op News
Your Fruit. Your Cider.
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.
Millions of Peaches, Peaches for Me
By Laura Pfister, Media Coordinator
Many of us wait all year for this moment. We spend the winter months dreaming of a certain fuzzy stone fruit, its sweet juices dripping from our face and the buttery golden pie crust those yellow-orange slices will inhabit.
Good news! The wait is over. That local, sweet orb of sunshine has finally arrived. That’s right. Rolling Hills peaches are here!
2017 Board Election Results
We're Sustainability Stars!
Deep in our hearts we've always known we were sustainability stars, but now we have an award to prove it.
We recently received a Co+efficient Sustainability Star award from National Co-op Grocers (NCG) recognizing our positive environmental and community impacts.
Co+efficient, NCG’s sustainability program, measures social, environmental and local economic impacts from participating food co-ops across the country.
Give Where You Live
It’s the most wonderful time of year! Yes, we know that phrase is generally reserved for the holiday season. But for us, this truly is the most wonderful time of the year. It’s OUR season of giving.
Dine In and Bike Your Way to Savings
Did you know that approximately half of our landfill waste stream is composed of Deli trash? A significant part of that is “to-go” containers, which are sometimes used for dining in and don’t end up “going” very far at all.
Sustainability matters in everyday actions and we want you, our customers, to help us reduce unnecessary waste and make the most ecologically sound choices possible.
Participate in YOUR Co-op!
Spring Picks
The sun is (mostly) out and the weather is finally getting warmer. That must mean summer is right around the corner, right? We sure hope so. We’re ready to grill, soak up some sun and enjoy the many fruits and vegetables that are in season. Our Floral Coordinator, Rachel Chastain, shares some of her favorites.
Be the Sustainable Change
By Laura Pfister, Media Coordinator
Sustainability is not a new concept at the Co-op. It has always been part of our DNA. We’ve been using sustainable business practices before it was the “cool”, “responsible” thing to do. In fact, the Co-op was founded 45 years ago largely on the principles of sustainable, local organic food production as an alternative to modern industrial agriculture.
A New Look
By Laura Pfister, Media Coordinator
For 45 years we’ve been loving local and fostering community. Throughout our almost half a century history, our identity and logo has gone through many iterations.
Some of you might remember the logo above from our newsletter in the early 1980s.
As we’ve done multiple times throughout our history, it’s time to refresh our brand and launch a beautiful, new logo to take us into the next decade.
Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili
Turkey and Sweet Potato Chili is one of my favorite Co+op Basics recipes. It is full of flavor, color and shatters the myth that a healthy meal has to cost a fortune and take all day to prepare. This recipe is also a clever way to use sweet potatoes, which are not only tasty but high in fiber and vitamin A.
Looking to Save Money at the Co-op?
By Laura Pfister, Media Coordinator
We hear from time to time that people feel the Co-op is higher priced than other stores. In the past, we may have earned this perception. But not anymore. We took a long, hard look at ourselves and we talked with other Co-ops across the country. Together, we are pooling our resources to bring you organic, household staples at everyday competitive, low prices. Welcome to Co+op Basics.
45 Years Strong
On Valentine’s Day, the Ashland Food Co-op turns 45 years old.
It’s hard to imagine we’ve been providing healthy, organic food to the Rogue Valley for almost half a century. From our humble beginnings as the Ashland Community Food Store to now a thriving Co-op with over 10,000 owners, it has been an honor to serve this community.
Let’s take a brief stroll down memory lane and see how far we’ve come in 45 years.
Saving Paper One Coupon at a Time
To further our sustainability efforts and to serve you better, we began offering Electronic Owner Coupons this month at the register.
No more forgetting to bring your owner coupons. No more waiting for your newsletter to arrive. Cashiers will simply ask if you want to use your owner coupons when you check out.
A few key points to remember:
Thank YOU For a Wonderful Year!
2016 had many notable moments. We hosted many successful family friendly events, added 150 more solar panels to our roof, and earned 25% of our sales for local products. We proudly donated over $24,000 to area nonprofits through our Community Grants program. We welcomed 482 new owners and averaged 3,500 daily transactions.
Whew! And that is just a small sample.