Celebrating Indigenous Food and Traditions
Each October, when so many across the country celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day, the Ashland Food Co-op pauses to reflect on the land we call home, the people who've cared for it, and how food and connections to the land can help us return that inheritance in a positive way. This holiday isn’t just a request that we correct the record of history, but that we also plant a greater sense of home, appreciation, and responsibility. In southern Oregon, that means exploring the histories and teachings of the Shasta, Takelma, Latgawa, and other tribes whose ancestral lands include what is now Ashland.
Indigenous peoples in our region lived prior to Euro-American settlement in a deep relationship with food cycles and place. In the Rogue Valley and along the Table Rocks, the Takelma were sometimes called “Dagelma,” meaning “those who dwell by the river.” Life revolved around the waters and the changing seasons. Salmon filled their nets, while wild roots, berries, seeds, and game rounded out their meals. As the seasons changed, they followed the rhythms of the land, moving between elevations to fish, gather, hunt, and carefully store what they would need for the months ahead. Their activity wasn’t just for survival, but for reciprocity: farming soils, burning to maintain open meadows, incubating plant habitats, and honoring areas of ceremony. Their ways of tending the land remind us that we still have much to learn about balance, respect, and stewardship.
Deep disruption came in the mid-1800s: the Rogue River Wars of 1855–1856, when numerous Indigenous communities were forcibly relocated, treaties were violated, and war and disease devastated populations; the brief existence of the Table Rock Reservation was formed and abolished; and numerous descendants of these groups found themselves caught up in confederated treaties or relocated to other reservations. In spite of this break, Indigenous families still reside here, remember, revive language, and preserve cultural food traditions throughout Oregon today.
Food is one of the most powerful connections we have to memory, respect, and the planet itself. Here in Oregon, "first foods" like salmon, roots, berries, and game are still central to Indigenous food sovereignty.This work in southern Oregon centers on renewal: restoring native plants, rebuilding traditional harvesting, and restoring both cultural connections and care for the earth. By the fact that co-ops are community, we can be the change by learning about Indigenous foodways, finding Indigenous-grown produce when possible, and supporting organizations that uplift Native voices.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day reminds us that honoring the past is not only about memory, but also about the actions we take today. We encourage you and our community to become conscious of whose territory you stand on, to contribute financially to Native nonprofits, and to buy at Indigenous food producers. There's something good we can do towards reciprocity, justice, and healthier relations with people and places.
Sources:
- OSF Ashland Land Acknowledgment: https://www.osfashland.org/land-acknowledgment
- BLM Table Rocks History: https://www.blm.gov/programs/recreation/recreation-activities/oregon-washington/tablerocks/cultural-history/regional-tribes
- Rogue River Wars: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rogue_River_Wars
- Table Rock Reservation: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_Rock_Indian_Reservation
- Travel Oregon – Indigenous Foods: https://traveloregon.com/things-to-do/culture-history/celebrate-oregons-indigenous-foods/
- My Oregon – Indigenous Foodways in Southern Oregon: https://www.myoregon.gov/2022/12/20/how-indigenous-communities-are-reclaiming-knowledge-and-relationships-to-first-foods-in-southern-oregon/
More Co-op News
Thank YOU For a Wonderful Year!
2016 had many notable moments. We hosted many successful family friendly events, added 150 more solar panels to our roof, and earned 25% of our sales for local products. We proudly donated over $24,000 to area nonprofits through our Community Grants program. We welcomed 482 new owners and averaged 3,500 daily transactions.
Whew! And that is just a small sample.
Give Local
The food holiday season has finally arrived. This time of year is by far our most favorite. We’ve been dreaming of gingerbread cookies, pumpkin pie, mashed potatoes, turkey (or tofurky if that’s your fancy) and eggnog for months.
But beyond the holiday feasts, we love this time of year for another reason. It’s the season of giving. Amidst the shopping frenzies, family gatherings, and parties, giving back often becomes an afterthought.
Happy Thanks-chicken!
We know, we know, November is all about turkey. But let us not forget the other, other white meat this holiday season. Chicken. This poultry meat often gets the spotlight, but during the month of November it is well deserved. Why? Because all month long, every time you purchase a Smart Chicken® product at the Co-op you help feed a hungry family in the Rogue Valley.
Here’s how it works:
Co-ops Grow Communities
Co-ops around the world share a set of guiding principles including “cooperation among cooperatives,” and “concern for community.” We take these principles to heart.
When you shop at the Co-op, you aren’t just buying groceries. You are supporting a business that cares about people and contributes to a livable, sustainable Rogue Valley.
Did you know?
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In 2015, we donated over $24,000 to area nonprofits.
Feed an (Italian) army with Co+op Basics
My Italian Grandmother’s heart swells every time she sees my well-stocked pantry. I am prepared to feed an army at a moment’s notice, and sometimes that actually happens with my big family. But what my Grandma doesn’t know is how much I save by stocking my pantry with Co+op Basics products.
We Love Local
We take pride in supporting local farmers, producers, vendors and vintners. When we say local, we mean local. At some grocery stores, the word local gets thrown around like the word “natural,” ambiguously and with a broad definition.
But local means something to us. A definition we take meticulous pride in.
Local adjective
Any food or product grown, produced or made within 200 miles.
Let’s use it in a sentence. The Ashland Food Co-op supports an average of 250 local companies.
Wanted: Wormy Apples, Fallen Plums & Over Ripe Pears
Urban fruit is copious this time of year in the Rogue Valley. It’s hard, dare we say impossible, to make enough pies, cobblers, and salads to keep up with the backyard abundance.
So what do you do with all that unpicked fruit?
Instead of letting your pears, plums and apples go to waste, or to feed the deer, bring them to the Co-op for collection.
Apple Outlaw Cider, in collaboration with the local community, is setting out to create a one of a kind hard cider, dubbed “Apple Outlaw Community Cider”.
Fire Up The Grill
Break out of your dinner rut with something fast and juicy. The Meat Department staff share their go-to favorites to throw on the grill. Flame on, baby!
Brian Swift
Flat Iron is my favorite steak. So simple to cook. Just add salt, pepper, garlic, and cook it on a super hot grill. 5 minutes later you have an amazing steak.
Sam Roberts
TriTip marinated in our Kinders barbeque sauce, seared on both sides with a little pink in the middle, is what I really enjoy the most.
Summer Picnic Guide
Everyone loves a picnic. But some are better at organizing one than others. Make planning the perfect picnic a breeze with our easy picnic guide.
A Party for YOU
Each year we hold an Annual Meeting and Owner Picnic. This is our chance to catch up over a delightful picnic and most importantly update you on the recent year’s events and financials.
This year, we are changing things up a bit. The Annual Meeting and Owner Picnic will be more family friendly than ever before. We have a new menu designed to appeal to busy little (and big!) hands so you and your kiddos have time to enjoy one of our many family friendly activities.
6 Reasons to Buy in Bulk
Bulk bins have been a staple at the Ashland Food Co-op since we opened our doors in 1972. For good reason too, buying in bulk is better. Better for your pocket book, better for the environment, and better for your belly. Here’s why.
6 Reasons to Buy in Bulk
Co-op + Community = A Perfect Match
At the Co-op, we are all about community. After all, YOU are why we are here and providing healthy, organic food to the Rogue Valley.
As a cooperative enterprise, there are seven principles we follow. We use them as guidlines to put our values into practice. Principle 7, Concern for Community, affords us the opportunity to give back to local nonprofits that do so much good in this beautiful place we call home.
Jackfruit 101
You might have noticed a rather large, prickly fruit hanging out next to the apples, oranges, and papayas in the Produce Department. Meet the Jackfruit, the newest addition to the Produce Department. In case you don't know "jack" about Jackfruit, here is a crash course.
- The Jackfruit is native to South and Southeast Asia and is a close cousin of the fig.
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The Co-op sources the fruit from Patagonia Orchards. Their fruit is grown in the tropical rainforest of Nayarit, Mexico.
Get Your Garden On
This is one of our favorite times of the year. The sun is out and the days are longer, time to play in the dirt. Our Produce Staff share their favorite seeds and starts to help you get your garden going.
Meet the Meat Department
Welcome back to our Behind the Scenes blog series. So far you’ve meet the dynamic Produce and Deli teams. Next up, the department that is packed with protein, meet the Meat Department.
Did you know?