
Sustainability Update: Energy efficiency and zero waste
Energy Efficiency
We are happy to announce that we are a member of the Energy Trust of Oregon’s Strategic Energy Management program. This is a free program available to customers of Avista and Pacific Power, which offers awesome incentives including a paid internship!
The Co-op has partnered with other organizations including Standing Stone Brewery, the City of Talent, Rogue Community College, Oregon Shakespeare Festival, and many more to reduce our commercial natural gas usage and focus on energy conservation. Together, we are the Southern Oregon Cohort!
We are welcoming Nina Friedman as our new Strategic Energy Management Intern, and are working on an Energy Policy and Action Plan.
Zero Waste
Last fall, we introduced two reusable bag options for customers. We also removed four plastic bag stands from the Produce department. We have two great options: a white bag made from recycled plastics, or a cotton bag. Each bag costs only 25 cents!
Our cotton bags come from an amazing company in India called Royal Jute. One hundred percent of the profits from Royal Jute go directly to Kiva, a non-profit that funds small business loans to women all over the world. With each cotton bag that you purchase, you are making a real impact on the lives of women worldwide. Not to mention, reducing plastic!
This month, we are focusing on a take-back program with the Seattle Tacoma Box company. A lot of our produce comes in big plastic boxes that say they are “100% recyclable”. Unfortunately they are not recyclable in our region, and usually end up in the landfill. Luckily, there is a way to return and recycle these boxes by transport up to Salem. Through take-back programs like this, we can take bigger steps toward our Zero-Waste goal.
We are also beginning a store-wide waste audit - starting with the Deli! With the help of Recology, we will look deep into the realms of our trash bags… and see how we can get better at diverting recycling and reducing our waste.
If you would like to hear more about our sustainability initiatives, contact Rianna at [email protected].
More Co-op News
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: $

Board Report: How "Food For Paradise" Got Started
By Mira Wonderwheel, Board of Directors

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.

2019 Community Grant Applications
The funding cycle for the 2019 Co-op Community Grants for nonprofit organizations begins in February.

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
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.
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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.”

The Power of Principle Seven
By Emile Amarotico, General Manager
As we approach the holidays, I’d like to invoke the spirit of the Seventh Cooperative Principle: Concern for Community. The International Cooperative Alliance defines Principle Seven as when “cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies approved by their members.”
So how does that work? How does Ashland Food Co-op demonstrate concern for community?

The Co-op is Certified Organic! What does that mean?
By Barry Haynes, Store Manager
Did you know that the Ashland Food Co-op is the only Certified Organic Retailer in southern Oregon. Well, that’s great! But what does that actually mean?

Love Local with the Local Guy
Throughout September, we will be celebrating all things local. And no one loves local or is more local than our Temporary Demo Coordinator, Brighton Litjens. He was basically raised at the Co-op, has a strong passion for local farmers and producers and loves delighting shoppers with delicious samples and great deals. Who better to tell us about loving local than the "Local Guy" himself?
Tell us a bit about yourself.

Owner Benefits: Independence and Connection
By Julie O'Dwyer, Board Secretary, Chair of the Owner Engagement Committee