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.
1971 A small group of Ashland families joined together to form a food buying club.
1972 Membership grew rapidly and within a year’s time, a store front opened on North Main to accommodate the demand.
Mid 70s Business grew and soon a larger store was needed and operations moved to a larger location on 3rd and Lithia Way, currently the Ashland Outdoor Store.
Mid 80s The volunteer labor that helped shape the Co-op was phased out and replaced by paid staff to meet the growing needs of the store.
1987 The first General Manager was hired.
1988 The store was extensively remodeled by expanding retail, office and warehouse space. A community room was also added which was available at low or no cost for community sponsored events and classes.
1990s The store was thriving! But the staff of 50+ people and the space could barely keep up with the demands.
1993 In April, we broke ground on our current location and in November we opened the doors.
2002 The 4500 square feet addition was completed that now houses our Deli, Produce and Meat departments.
2003 After many years of debate, research and surveys, we made the full transition from the Ashland Community Food Store to the Ashland Food Co-op. On January 1st, 2003, we re-incorporated as a cooperative enterprise and began taking memberships in our newly formed co-op.
Today 10,000 owners strong and growing!
In celebration of our 45 year milestone, we invite you to join us for free birthday cake on February 14th from 1pm - 4pm at the Tasting Kiosk. Additionally, we’ll be offering special, “45”-centric birthday sales on some of your favorite foods and products all month long.
Throughout this anniversary year we will be refreshing our brand and launching a new, beautiful logo to take us into the next decade. We look forward to celebrating our history and contributions to the Ashland, and greater Rogue Valley, community throughout the whole year.
Stay tuned for more birthday and new brand celebrations!
More Co-op News
September Change for Good: AFC Community Fund
As we enter the beautiful month of September here in Southern Oregon, we're excited to share that our Change for Good partner this month is our very own Community Fund. As many of you know, the Community Fund allows us to support amazing local projects and organizations doing great work right here in Southern Oregon.
August Change for Good - Partnering with ACCESS to Make a Difference!
We are honored to partner with ACCESS this August - a fantastic organization that has been serving our community for over four decades. ACCESS, which stands for "A Community in Action, Connecting, Empowering, and Strengthening Self-Sufficiency," is dedicated to addressing hunger, homelessness, and poverty in Southern Oregon.
Empowering Our Community: AFC's Community Grants Now Accepting Applications
As part of our ongoing commitment to supporting the local community, AFC is thrilled to announce the that we are accepting applications for our Community Grants program.
Ashland Food Co-op's Community Grants program is designed to foster meaningful change in the Southern Oregon region. Through these grants, we seek to support projects that align with our mission of promoting local and sustainable food systems, addressing food insecurity, and promoting community engagement.
July's Change for Good Partner - Maslow Project
Ashland Food Co-op is thrilled to partner with Maslow Project for our Change for Good program! Maslow Project is an incredible organization that works tirelessly to support homeless youth and families in Southern Oregon. Their mission is to empower individuals and families to achieve self-sufficiency, and they do this through a range of services including housing assistance, medical care, and educational support.
June 2023 Change for Good Partner: Southern Oregon Land Conservancy
The Ashland Food Co-op is teaming up with the Southern Oregon Land Conservancy (SOLC) as its Change for Good partner for this month. This collaboration aims to support SOLC's mission of conserving Southern Oregon's natural landscapes and habitats.
Bicycle Benefits
Here at the Co-op we are on a mission to promote healthy lifestyles and sustainable practices within our community.
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
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The Rogue Action Center (RAC) builds organizing infrastructure, leaders, and community power for a just, inclusive, and sustainable Southern Oregon for everyone.