Meet your newly elected board members
Ed Claassen
What's your favorite meal/produce/item from the Co-op?
I love all the fresh organic produce, but my favorite is the Co-op brand granola in the bulk section. I ran into a fellow admirer a few months before Covid-19 shut down the self-serve. We shared our predilection for the granola and then he quoted the bin numner by heart as he saw me searching for it.
What's your favorite activity or place to visit in Ashland / the area?
I have a pre-Covid-19 and a post-Covid-19 response: before, it would be breakfast at Brothers, sure to include their fresh-baked scone of the day. Since the coronavirus, it has to be the view from Hobart Bluff, with Mt. Shasta to the south, Mt. McLoughlin to the east and the whole Rogue Valley opening to the northwest.
Do you have a favorite community organization you support in the Rogue Valley?
I have to mention two organizations. After facilitating some strategic planning for both Lomakatsi and Rogue Valley Farm to School, I found myself deeply impressed with their missions, their leadership, and the operational excellence of both!
Julie O'Dwyer
What's your favorite meal/produce/item from the Co-op?
My guilty pleasure is Honey Mama's Lavender Chocolate and fresh blueberries.
What's your favorite activity or place to visit in Ashland / the area?
If I could live on the patio of Irvine & Roberts, I would be a very happy person. But there are lots of wineries that take my attention away.
Do you have a favorite community organization you support in the Rogue Valley?
First and foremost, the Ashland Food Co-op! But after that it would have to be my new non-profit, Ashland Works.
Mark Gibbs
What's your favorite meal/produce/item from the Co-op?
You'll find me spending most of my time in the produce - I'm all about fresh berries, any and all!
What's your favorite activity or place to visit in Ashland / the area?
This is a toss up, depending on the season: either hiking with family and friends up Pilot Rock, or sunny winter days on Mt. Ashland.
Do you have a favorite community organization you support in the Rogue Valley?
It's hard to beat the long history and welcoming, inclusive work of Ashland Emergency Food Bank.
More Co-op News
Bicycle Benefits
Do you love to bike? Do you love to save money? Do you love the Co-op? Let us tell you about this awesome program at the Ashland Food Co-op! We all know biking is great for the environment and by joining Bicycle Benefits you'll be doing your part to reduce your carbon footprint, all while enjoying some pretty sweet perks.
So, what exactly is Bicycle Benefits? It's a program that rewards cyclists for their pedal power! Here's how it works:
1. Stop by the Co-op and buy your $5 Bicycle Benefits sticker
May 2023 Change for Good Partner: Talent Maker City
Talent Maker City's mission is to build a more connected, prosperous, and resilient community through hands-on creativity and innovative STEAM-based learning. (STEAM = Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, & Math.) They have a bustling Makerspace facility, brimming with creative energy in downtown Talent offering hands-on STEAM-based workshops and programming for curious minds of all ages!
Celebrating Cinco de Mayo
We're always learning and growing here at the Co-op and with the approach of Cinco de Mayo we thought we would share a (very) brief history lesson and some thoughts on celebrating this holiday here in the United States.
April 2023 Change for Good Partner: Pollinator Project Rogue Valley
From Kristina Lefever, Pollinator Project Rogue Valley President
March 2023 Change for Good: Klamath Bird Observatory
From Klamath Bird Observatory, March 2023's Change for Good partner:
Frederick Douglass And Co-ops in 1846
When Douglass Came to Rochdale, England a Slave and Left a Free Man
By David J Thompson
February's Change for Good partner: OHRA
OHRA helps low-income people build better lives through access to social service resources. By helping
people move from crisis to stability, OHRA builds more capable individuals, stronger families, and a
better community. We have three core programs:
January Change for Good Partner: Ashland Food Angels
December Change for Good Partner: Rogue Action Center
December's Change for Good Partner is
Rogue Action Center
The Rogue Action Center (RAC) builds organizing infrastructure, leaders, and community power for a just, inclusive, and sustainable Southern Oregon for everyone.
November Change for Good Partner: Vesper Meadow Education Program
October Change for Good Partner: AFC Gives Community Fund
October's Change for Good Partner is
AFC Gives Community Fund
September Change for Good Partner: Truth to Power
September's Change for Good Partner is
Truth to Power
Truth to Power cultivates teen activism and community participation through social justice podcasts and transformative projects.