September 4th, 2017

5 Reasons to Love Co-ops

By Laura Pfister, Media Coordinator

October is National Co-op Month, so what’s the big deal? Being a co-op is special. Yes, we know we are biased, but being a cooperative enterprise means we do business differently. We don’t have a single owner living on their private island drinking margaritas all day without a care in the world. We are owned and governed by you, our 10,000 members. We share the burden in hard times and share the benefits in the good times. We put people, the planet and our principles before profit.

Co-ops come in more shapes and sizes than just natural food stores. From banks, dairy farms, child care and everything in between, cooperatives are an alternative business model to meet the social and economic needs of the communities they serve.

After hearing that and you don’t already love co-ops, here’s five more reasons why you should.

  1. We are member owned, member governed, and operate for the benefit of our members.
    Cooperatives are democratic organizations that are equally owned and controlled by a group of people. The Ashland Food Co-op is a consumer owned cooperative. Our members are the stakeholders, the shareholders and the governing board.

  1. Your investment in the Co-op is an investment in the community. 
    Because co-ops are democratically owned by community members, co-ops keep money and jobs in their communities. Twenty two percent of our total store sales come from selling local products. Every $1 spent at the Co-op has roughly 3 times the local economic impact as a $1 spent at a non-locally owned business.

  1. Co-ops provide practical solutions to many economic, environmental and social problems.
    In fact, that’s exactly how the Ashland Food Co-op was started. In 1971, a small group of Ashland families joined together to form a food-buying club. Pooling their resources, they purchased food in bulk directly from distributors, saving themselves money and getting direct access to good quality whole foods. In 1972, they opened a small retail store and the rest is history.

  1. Co-ops are part of an international grassroots movement that is growing in size and influence every day.
    There are one billion co-op members globally. In the Rogue Valley, we have several co-ops, including Rogue Credit Union, Grange Co-op, Medford Food Co-op, Siskiyou Sustainable Co-op, Medford Apartments and yours truly. From banking alternatives to farm supplies or housing, each of us fulfills a different need in the community.

  1. Co-ops strive to make our communities and economies more just and equitable, without exploiting people or the planet.
    The Ashland Food Co-op’s mission is to emphasize and source organically grown and ecologically sound products. Ninety nine percent of our produce is organic. Additionally, we plan to be a zero waste facility by 2030. Just last year, we recycled and diverted 81% of our discards from the landfill.

Across the Pacific Northwest, hundreds of co-ops provide goods and services as well as livelihoods for local workers. Each time you shop at AFC, you are part of a movement that believes business is better when it’s in the hands of the people. Go Co-op!

More Co-op News

October 28th, 2020

End of year wrap-up on Strategic Energy Management at the Co-op

Hi there. I hope this finds you well. It’s me, Nina Friedman, Strategic Energy Management (SEM) intern for the Ashland Food Co-op. The global and local crises have only devolved into further chaos since we last spoke. As we sit with the reality of coworkers, neighbors, and friends who’ve lost their homes and businesses to the recent fires, and thousands more across the nation losing their loved ones to COVID-19, I imagine many are feeling frozen and powerless to help those that are suffering.

October 28th, 2020

SNAP in the Co-op Kitchen and Thanksgiving

Use your SNAP EBT benefits for all Co-op Kitchen items through November 20th, 2020!

Recognizing the difficulties in food preparation for families who lost their homes in the local wildfires, the State of Oregon has expanded SNAP benefits to be used for hot foods, like made-to-order and hot bar meals from the Co-op Kitchen, through November 20.

And starting on November 16, you can get an early taste of Thanksgiving as the Co-op Kitchen hot bar rolls out the full Thanksgiving spread. 

October 7th, 2020

Black Lives Matter

We acknowledge that the Ashland Food Co-op has not had a culture where all employees and community members felt safe sharing their experiences of discrimination in our store. We apologize for this. We are on a learning journey. We have reached out for help, and are listening to our Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) employees and owners who want to be part of the positive change we seek.

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October 5th, 2020

Vendors & businesses donating to relief efforts

From day one of the Almeda Fires, the Co-op team wanted to help the community. They reached out to vendors across the region and country to ask for their help with products, supplies and food to get to the fire victims.

And that help came through in big ways, getting nutritious food to displaced families, home supplies in high demand, and wellness and food for first responders and firefighters. Thank you for supporting these businesses as thanks for their help in our community's relief efforts.

October 1st, 2020

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. 

September 23rd, 2020

Support Co-op staff to rebuild

The Ashland Food Co-op is dedicated to helping our community and our staff rebuild after the Almeda Fires in early September. 

For immediate support, the Co-op gave $1,000 to staff who lost their homes in the fires, as well as $250 for food and other household needs for anyone displaced due to a level 3 evacuation order.

August 27th, 2020

Change for Good in September: Southern Oregon Land Conservancy

For the month of September, Ashland Food Co-op shoppers can round up at the register to support Southern Oregon Land Conservancy. Since 1973, SOLC has been working on multiple fronts to improve land quality and conservation for humans and nature alike. Check out some of the projects below that SOLC has been working on recently. And mark your calendar for Saturday, October 24, as SOLC hosts an Open Lands Day hike and tour on the Rogue River Preserve.

August 5th, 2020

Chatting about community giving with JPR's "Jefferson Exchange"

Recently, Julie O'Dwyer, Ashland Food Co-op board vice-president, joined a panel of guests on Jefferson Public Radio's "Jefferson Exchange" to discuss how the pandemic has led to an even greater need for community giving and support of local non-profits.

JPR logo

July 7th, 2020

Get to know Ashland Emergency Food Bank

The sixth cooperative principle, "Concern for Community," has become even more important since the pandemic began and economies, locally and globally, started to constrict. To address this, the Board of Directors agreed in April to release 100% of patronage dividends and designate Ashland Emergency Food Bank as a donation option for those dividends - resulting in over $20,000 in donations. And with the early launch of Change for Good register round-up, AEFB was a natural choice to receive round-up donations. 

June 15th, 2020

2020 Co-op Election Results

2020 Co-op Election Results

Ashland Food Co-op owners voted for three open seats on the Board of Directors, and for ten non-profit organizations for the Change for Good register round-up program.

Click a name below to read more about that Co-op Board member.