Bicycle Benefits

Here at the Co-op we are on a mission to promote healthy lifestyles and sustainable practices within our community. One way we do that is with our continued participation in the Bicycle Benefits program which aligns perfectly with our commitment to sustainability.

Not familiar with Bicycle Benefits?

The Bicycle Benefits program is a community-driven initiative designed to encourage cycling by offering rewards and incentives to folks who ride their bike. You start by purchasing a Bicycle Benefits sticker (which you can do here at the Co-op) and then stick it on your helmet. This sticker serves as a membership badge that can be shown at participating local businesses, from cafes and restaurants to retail stores and service providers, all offering special deals to bikers who show their sticker. By promoting biking as a sustainable mode of transportation, Bicycle Benefits not only supports local economies but also contributes to healthier, more environmentally friendly communities.

To those who already participate, we appreciate your enthusiasm for the Bicycle Benefits program! Your participation helps promote a healthier lifestyle and supports our commitment to sustainability.

To ensure the program's integrity and fairness for all participants, we will be implementing a small change to our discount policy. Starting June 1, 2024, the 5% discount will be limited to a maximum of $5 per shop. 

We believe this change will help maintain the program's intended benefits, ensuring that the rewards go to those who are making an effort to bike to the Co-op and reduce their carbon footprint. And you can always stack your Bicycle Benefits discount with other discounts such as your Owner Coupon!

We always look forward to seeing our community riding their bikes to the Co-op and we thank you for being part of our journey towards a more sustainable future!

More Co-op News

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. 

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.

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.

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

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. 

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.

Co-op Owners Step-Up to Support the Ashland Emergency Food Bank!

AFC and AEFB Press Release - Local Strength!

Release Date: 5-26-2020

In April, the Ashland Food Co-op Board of Directors announced to the community that the Co-op would be returning 100% of the 2019 Patronage Dividend to its owners. The 100% Patronage Dividend return to Co-op owners converted to over $628,000.

The Co-op Board felt in this time of great need it was not the right time for the Co-op to put away funds for the future, but rather to support owners fully so they may have more strength to weather these stormy times.

Free Monday Night Lectures - virtual and recorded

Thanks to the many agile and adaptable experts in the Rogue Valley, the much-loved Free Monday Night Lectures live on - even if everything is moving online.

While we miss seeing community members with a joy of learning showing up at the Co-op Classroom, we hope these recordings teach and inspire you.