September Change for Good: Siskiyou Field Institute

This month, your Change for Good donations support Siskiyou Field Institute (SFI), an organization that helps people connect with one of the most biodiverse regions in North America: the Klamath-Siskiyou ecoregion.

Their mission
To increase understanding of and connection to this incredible region through education, scientific research, and public engagement.

For more than 20 years, SFI has been inspiring people of all ages to learn from nature, not just about it. From youth programs and outdoor school to hands-on workshops and conservation projects, their work brings science and wonder to life in the great outdoors.

SFI just launched its Fall and Winter Adventure Learning Programs, and they’re full of amazing opportunities to experience the natural world. Here’s what’s coming up:

  • Geology of Mt. Shasta on September 18 and 20

  • Fall Mushrooms of the Cascades on October 5

  • The Magic of Nature Journaling on October 12

  • Guided Forest Therapy on October 19

  • Botanical Inks on October 25

  • Fall Mushrooms of the Siskiyous on November 2

  • Trees to Know: Native Conifer Identification on November 15

If you’re curious about conifers, love the idea of nature journaling, or want to learn the science behind Mt. Shasta, these classes are for you. See all the details here.

When you give to Change for Good this month, you help support SFI’s youth programs, Outdoor School, and conservation work:

  • Outdoor School gives 5th and 6th graders an unforgettable experience in place-based education. Students learn about fire ecology, watershed health, and local plants and animals while staying in yurts or bell tents in the beautiful Illinois River Valley.

  • Day Programs bring science to life for K-12 students through nature hikes, ropes courses, and interactive field classes.

  • Conservation efforts at SFI make their campus a model for sustainability and regenerative development. The land is protected by a conservation easement and is home to rare plant communities, wetlands, and healthy riparian zones.

When you round up at the register, you’re helping to keep these programs strong for future generations.


Thank you for supporting education, conservation, and the incredible natural heritage of our region! Learn more about Siskiyou Field Institute at thesfi.org.

More Co-op News

Wellness Secret Weapons

There are still plenty of colds and viruses making their rounds, and we want to help you better defend against them!

In January, we asked on social media what kind of secret weapons you use in the winter to stay healthy. We had a lot of responses, so we'll start with the All-Stars.

With your initial recommendations, our Wellness team reviewed the suggestions and picked the products with the highest quality standards and best feedback. Check those out below.

 

Mushrooms for wellness

You may have heard about the fascinating discovery that trees can communicate with each other. What’s the secret? The mycelia - tiny strands of fungus - in the soil form a vast underground network through which trees send chemical signals to their neighbors.

The mycelia differs from the fruiting body of the mushroom, which is the reproductive component that contains spores and is thought to be higher in Beta Glucans.

What to do with all this citrus?!

So you grabbed a few too many extra oranges and grapefruits and lemons (and some finger limes, and some satsumas…), and rather than watch them go bad, we want to provide you with some ideas on how to reduce waste. You’ll also get to enjoy citrus in a lot of new ways!

There are many guides and recipes across the internet (like this one by our friends at Grow Forage Cook Ferment), so here are a few ideas to get your creative and citrus juices flowing.

Update from the General Manager: "Food for Paradise" campaign

Ashland Food Co-op's General Manager, Emile Amarotico, ends 2018 on a very uplifting note with a report back on the "Food for Paradise" donation campaign. Watch the video below, or read on for an extended written update.

Hello, this is Emile Amarotico, the general manager of Ashland Food Co-op with an update on the Co-op’s Food for Paradise initiative.

5 Fresh Ways to Save at the Co-op

We’ve all been there: your bank account is looking thin after a month of celebrations, but you’ve made a New Year’s resolution to save up for a big purchase later in the year

Now’s the time to make some changes to your spending - but that doesn’t mean you have to skimp on quality goods at the Ashland Food Co-op.

These are some lesser known ways to save at the Co-op. Think of them like ordering off the secret menu. 

Savings Level: $

4 Ways to Reduce Your Food Waste

It’s the New Year, our favorite time for goal-setting, making positive resolutions, and shifting our impact. One of the Co-op’s goals is to become a Zero Waste facility. Our staff works to divert as much food waste as we can - and we hope our member-owners will join us in this goal too.

Meet Cooking Class Instructor Charlie Douglass

Many talented local chefs share their expertise in the Co-op Kitchen. Charlie Douglass is no exception. As the former Master Chocolatier at Harry and David, Charlie knows a thing or two about chocolate and candy making. 

Tell us how your love of cooking and food began.

Meet Cooking Class Instructor Tiazza Rose

From bread baking to Moroccan cooking, many talented local chefs share their expertise in the Co-op Kitchen. We'd like you to meet a few of them. Tiazza Rose has been teaching the Ashland community the art of Moroccan cooking for years. If you haven't taken a class from Tiazza yet, you should. Here's why.

 

Tell us how your love of cooking and food began.

Give the Gift of Wellness

 

Finding the perfect gift for a friend or loved one is an art. This winter, we carefully selected these assortments for those who love some good self-care, are working in partnership with their gut health, or for those making efforts to reduce their pain. Each of these gift ideas will help you make your loved ones feel extra special and extra healthful.

 

Give the Gift of Good Food

During the month of November, Co-op shoppers can nourish their own families and help fight hunger in the Rogue Valley. We’ve teamed up once again with Smart Chicken® for the Smart Giving Holiday Challenge.

Here’s how it works.

  • For every 10 pounds of Smart Chicken® you purchase from the Meat Department or the Deli, Smart Chicken® will donate one pound of chicken to a local non profit

We're All Turtles

By Dean Williamson, Board of Director

My grandmother loved to talk. Oh, could she talk! And she had one expression that I’ve always really liked. “If you come across a turtle on top of a fence post, you can be pretty sure it didn’t get there by itself.”