The Co-op's "Secret Garden"
Did you know the Co-op employees have a small garden on our campus? Planning and management falls on our fantastic Co-op volunteer: Henry Herting.
Below, Henry shares some background on the garden, what it’s used for, and some additional tales from over the years.
Originally, the need for a kitchen garden arose from having a kitchen classroom in which culinary classes were being held. Visiting chefs have always been invited to use the garden for any ingredients they may have forgotten or items they could use as garnish for their dishes.
Over the years as the garden has improved in amendments, it has taken on its primary purpose as a refuge for AFC employees trying to enjoy a quiet lunch away from the busy activity of the store or as a private place to make a telephone call.
We had to enclose the area with a deer fence as the local deer were gorging themselves on our offerings. There was also a beautiful cat that thought the four raised beds should be used for his purposes only. He has, happily, been chased away by an occasional handful of critter-ridder.
We’ve added seating in the form of cedar rails at the tops of the raised beds and two benches: a rocking bench that we covered with a trellis, and a larger oak bench modeled after the one at the old Eagle Point Grist Mill (which burned to the ground one Christmas morning, taking the bench with it).
We’ve always been charged by the originators of the garden to do everything organically. If we use seeds, they have to be organically raised seed (in our case, from Siskiyou Seeds or Territorial Seeds). If we plant starts, they will be organically grown in organic soil mediums. Even the green paint we’ve added to the big trellis this year is old-time milk paint, appropriate for growing vegetables.
The garden isn’t a smoke break spot either. Plants are living organisms and it has been repeatedly proven do not do well with second hand smoke. They breathe in and out as we do.
Our big charge in the summer months has always been the Kids’ Camps, happening in late June this year. Currently, we are adding a lot of plants to draw in the pollinators in our quest to become a Certified Pollinator Garden. We hope also to have some ladybugs for the kids to release - it’s an experience that enraptures kids and connects them to the soil food web around them.
More Co-op News
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?
Rachel's Spring Produce Picks
Rachel Rose, Assistant Produce Manager, shares her spring produce picks.
Strawberries
Most people are surprised to know that early spring are two of the best months out of the year for tasty strawberries. The first batch out of California is usually so sweet and full of flavor that the rest of the year I often shy away from strawberries. They just don’t measure up to the fruit coming out early in the year.
5 Edible Plants to Start in Your Garden Now
Spring is most definitely upon us, and we are lucky enough to live in Southern Oregon where the weather during this time is usually (ahem) co-operative enough to let us get some plants in the ground in between the hail storms and rainbows. There are actually many plants that do quite well in this time of transition, as they prefer the cooler temperatures that we get here this time of year, before the real heat sets in. Here are a few that we have right now at the Co-op, direct from local, organic farms. Plant these in your garden now for best results!
UPDATED Organic Raw Macadamia Nuts Recalled Because of Possible Health Risk
UPDATED 3/17/16
Ashland Food Co-Op of Ashland, Oregon issues the updated press release to clarify that we re-packed and sold Organic Raw Macadamia nuts in random weight bags at our retail store in Oregon only between January 5th, 2016 and February 4th, 2016. We do not have any internet sale or distribute affected product outside Oregon.
Garden of Life Raw Meal Recall
Garden of Life has issued a voluntary recall on all Raw Meal products shipped after August 15, 2015.
Please see the below link to Garden of Life’s blog for all lot numbers that they are recalling, as well as details of the recall.
Let Thy Food Be Thy Medicine
Rachel Rose, Assistant Produce Manager, shares her winter produce picks.
The cells in our bodies are all made using the building blocks that we provide in the food that we eat, the air that we breathe and the water we drink. If we want healthy bodies, feeding ourselves and our families the cleanest healthiest foods is a real good start. We are what we eat!
Burdock root
Behind the Scenes: The Deli
Welcome back to our Behind the Scenes blog series. We recently took you into the colorful world of Produce. Now we’d like to introduce you to the department that enters beast mode daily: the Deli.
Did you know?
31 Reasons to Visit the Co-op
Happy 2016! It’s a brand new year, new month, new day. No doubt many of you’ve made a variety of resolutions to make this year the best yet. The Co-op can help you succeed. How? Let us tell you. Here are 31 reasons why you should visit the Co-op every day this month to improve your life and your community.
Behind the Scenes: Produce Department
You shop for groceries at the Co-op. For lunch, you often stop at the Deli for a quick meal from the Hot Bar. You meet friends outside on the plaza, give each other long hugs, and catch up on life. After a long week, you swing by for the Friday beer and wine tastings at the Kiosk. But how well do you really know the Co-op?
2015: A Year to Remember
Can it really be that time of year again? 2015 was full of so many things for which to be grateful. Here’s a list of some of the highlights.
We celebrated the 10-thousandth person to become a Co-op owner! Co-op ownership is a way to help create a more humane and democratic way to do business locally. A robust cooperative economy is one way to take a stand against corporate misbehavior.