A dozen local favorites to explore this summer

The Co-op has always had a focus on supporting the strong local scene of growers and producers - and in these times, it's even more important. Here is just a small selection of some of our favorites from the area.  Help support local businesses next time you stop by the Co-op by picking one of these products.

Siskiyou Seeds

Siskiyou Seeds
With growing season upon us, it's a good time to get planting! Grown locally, organically, and without any GMOs, these are seeds with proven success in the region.

Fry Family Farm flowers

Fry Family Farm flowers
By buying flowers locally, you can be sure of a long-lasting display of peak blooms. Always cut in-season to reflect the Rogue Valley's beauty.

Blue Fox Farm greens

Blue Fox Farm greens
From start to finish, Blue Fox Farm focuses on quality: from seed to harvest to packing, everything takes place on the farm. Sustainable, Certified Organic by Oregon Tilth, and certified Salmon-Safe.

Pennington Farms fig conserve

Pennington Farms fig conserve
Sustainably grown berries and fruits grown by the Pennington family - plus they do muffins, pies, ice cream, and flowers!

Banyan Botanicals' Ayurvedic herbs & oils

Banyan Botanicals' ayurvedic herbs & oils
As the first USDA certified organic Ayurvedic massage and herbal oils, Banyan Botanicals focuses on providing high-quality products and education on Ayurveda. Get support from a 5,000 year old tradition by exploring their entire line.

Luna Verde Designs felted soap

Luna Verde Designs felted soap
From our neighbors in Northern California, this felted soap is vegan, with a coconut & olive oil base. Luna Verde comes from a permaculture mini-farm where they also offer classes in McCloud, CA.

Mix breads

Mix breads
Already an Ashland favorite, these breads are minimally processed to create rustic, irresistible loaves.

Pie + Vine pizza crusts and focaccia

Pie + Vine pizza crusts and focaccia
Scratch-made Italian breads are just one of Pie + Vine's specialties. Enjoy on its own, or as a base for a personal pizza.

Walkabout Brewing beers

Walkabout Brewing beers
With over 20 years experience brewing in Southern Oregon, you can't go wrong with a classic like the Worker’s Pale Ale or Jabberwocky English Strong Ale. Well-balanced and highly enjoyable, these could be your go-to summer brew.

Apple Outlaw ciders

Apple Outlaw ciders
You may know Apple Outlaw because of our collaboration on the annual Community Cider, made from donated backyard apples and pears. They also do a lot of other unique ciders which stand out on their own.

Quady North wine-in-a-can

Quady North wine-in-a-can
An always-enjoyable local winemaker, Quady North is now offering some of their classics in a can. Take one with you for your next mountain summit adventure.

Upper Five wines

Upper Five wines
Upper Five is unique for its certified-biodynamic vineyards, for ethical and sustainable land stewardship, and natural winemaking process, using native yeasts.

More Co-op News

What to do with all this citrus?!

So you grabbed a few too many extra oranges and grapefruits and lemons (and some finger limes, and some satsumas…), and rather than watch them go bad, we want to provide you with some ideas on how to reduce waste. You’ll also get to enjoy citrus in a lot of new ways!

There are many guides and recipes across the internet (like this one by our friends at Grow Forage Cook Ferment), so here are a few ideas to get your creative and citrus juices flowing.

Update from the General Manager: "Food for Paradise" campaign

Ashland Food Co-op's General Manager, Emile Amarotico, ends 2018 on a very uplifting note with a report back on the "Food for Paradise" donation campaign. Watch the video below, or read on for an extended written update.

Hello, this is Emile Amarotico, the general manager of Ashland Food Co-op with an update on the Co-op’s Food for Paradise initiative.

5 Fresh Ways to Save at the Co-op

We’ve all been there: your bank account is looking thin after a month of celebrations, but you’ve made a New Year’s resolution to save up for a big purchase later in the year

Now’s the time to make some changes to your spending - but that doesn’t mean you have to skimp on quality goods at the Ashland Food Co-op.

These are some lesser known ways to save at the Co-op. Think of them like ordering off the secret menu. 

Savings Level: $

4 Ways to Reduce Your Food Waste

It’s the New Year, our favorite time for goal-setting, making positive resolutions, and shifting our impact. One of the Co-op’s goals is to become a Zero Waste facility. Our staff works to divert as much food waste as we can - and we hope our member-owners will join us in this goal too.

Meet Cooking Class Instructor Charlie Douglass

Many talented local chefs share their expertise in the Co-op Kitchen. Charlie Douglass is no exception. As the former Master Chocolatier at Harry and David, Charlie knows a thing or two about chocolate and candy making. 

Tell us how your love of cooking and food began.

Meet Cooking Class Instructor Tiazza Rose

From bread baking to Moroccan cooking, many talented local chefs share their expertise in the Co-op Kitchen. We'd like you to meet a few of them. Tiazza Rose has been teaching the Ashland community the art of Moroccan cooking for years. If you haven't taken a class from Tiazza yet, you should. Here's why.

 

Tell us how your love of cooking and food began.

Give the Gift of Wellness

 

Finding the perfect gift for a friend or loved one is an art. This winter, we carefully selected these assortments for those who love some good self-care, are working in partnership with their gut health, or for those making efforts to reduce their pain. Each of these gift ideas will help you make your loved ones feel extra special and extra healthful.

 

Give the Gift of Good Food

During the month of November, Co-op shoppers can nourish their own families and help fight hunger in the Rogue Valley. We’ve teamed up once again with Smart Chicken® for the Smart Giving Holiday Challenge.

Here’s how it works.

  • For every 10 pounds of Smart Chicken® you purchase from the Meat Department or the Deli, Smart Chicken® will donate one pound of chicken to a local non profit

We're All Turtles

By Dean Williamson, Board of Director

My grandmother loved to talk. Oh, could she talk! And she had one expression that I’ve always really liked. “If you come across a turtle on top of a fence post, you can be pretty sure it didn’t get there by itself.”

The Power of Principle Seven

By Emile Amarotico, General Manager

As we approach the holidays, I’d like to invoke the spirit of the Seventh Cooperative Principle: Concern for Community. The International Cooperative Alliance defines Principle Seven as when “cooperatives work for the sustainable development of their communities through policies approved by their members.”

So how does that work? How does Ashland Food Co-op demonstrate concern for community?

Love Local with the Local Guy

Throughout September, we will be celebrating all things local. And no one loves local or is more local than our Temporary Demo Coordinator, Brighton Litjens. He was basically raised at the Co-op, has a strong passion for local farmers and producers and loves delighting shoppers with delicious samples and great deals. Who better to tell us about loving local than the "Local Guy" himself?

Tell us a bit about yourself.