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.
From nuts to pasta to olive oil to broths, all are on standby in my pantry looking forward to when they join a pot to make a yummy meal. My well stocked rice, quinoa, vinegar, dressings and beans eagerly await the day they will become a salad in that new ceramic bowl they’ve been making googly eyes with. All of these are Co+op Basics products and are going to save you heaps of money.
What is Co+op Basics?
Through the National Co+op Grocers, we have pooled our buying strength with over 150 food co-ops across the country to negotiate lower prices on essential daily products. When we save, you save, so we introduced Co+op Basics. Co+op Basics offers 260 staple food and household items at or below suggested retail cost.
But we decided to take it one step further. Our department managers said, "This is good, but we can do better." On top of the NCG negotiated low prices, each department at the Co-op has chosen popular must-have items and reduced their price (often dramatically) to give you more savings at the register.
From the pantry to medicine cabinet, Co+op Basics can save you money in every part of your home.
The Refrigerator
It’s where you start your day. Half-asleep, you prepare breakfast. You make coffee, scramble some eggs with splash of milk, sprinkle with cheese, and grab a yogurt and an apple for a mid morning snack. Guess what? All of these items are on Co+op Basics.
Beyond breakfast, Co+op Basics foods are also staple at my Sunday family dinners. Imagine feeding 50 Italians on linguini and meatball night? Thankfully, I can and not break the bank. From grass-fed beef to pasta sauce, almost the entire meal is cooked with Co+op Basics products.
Tip: Shop the purple Co+op Basics tags AND use your 10% owner's discount for extra savings. With the combined savings, you’re often getting your items below cost. Now that's exciting!
The Pantry
I learned at an early age that a pantry should be filled with a family’s favorite canned tomatoes and pasta for weekly marinara night. There’s nothing better than being the one who gets to choose which shape pasta the family will eat that night. From pasta sauces to olives to linguine to spaghetti to fusilli and penne, these staple Co+op Basic products make dinner fun and delicious.
Tip: Did you know that you can save 70% when you buy Co+op Basics pinto beans in bulk versus canned? And that you can save 55% when you buy quinoa in bulk versus a box off the shelf? Yes please!
The Bathroom
Shampoo, toothpaste, soap, toilet paper and tissues are all home essentials we’ve cut prices on to pass those savings to you. Interested in taking healthy supplements? Fill your medicine cabinet with over 80 Wellness items on Co+op Basics.
Tip: If your wellness/body care products total $100 or more, you get a 10% discount on those products. This happens automatically at the register for owners and non-owners. Imagine buying $100 of Co+op Basics wellness/body care products, getting your 10% wellness discount AND adding your 10% owners discount- we’re practically paying you to take those products home.
Storage Closet
Storage closets offer a central place to store our household items. Growing families will be happy to know that we have diapers, wipes, formula and baby food at reduced prices on our Co+op Basics program. In my family, we’re in love with Sappo Hill Soap. It’s in our shower, kitchen sink, bathroom sink and I’m pretty sure my husband sleeps with a few under his pillow. It’s local, has only a few ingredients and it’s on Co+op Basics.
Tip: Keep an eye out for manufacture coupons on Co+op Basic items. I buy my favorite Co+op Basic dish soap when it has a manufacturer’s coupon and it’s the best price in town.
Learn first hand how to plan and prep budget friendly meals using Co+op Basics products. Sign up for our Co+op Basics Cooking Class this Wednesday, September 28 at 6:30pm. FREE to Co-op Owners. Can’t make it then? We’ll offer another class after the first of the year. Stay tuned!
More Co-op News
Meet Board of Director Julie O'Dwyer
When not working on Board of Director efforts, my profession is an Interior and Building Designer. I own the Ashland Design Studio, located in the Historic Railroad District, and have a design services studio there - JulieO Design. I have been in the architectural design business my whole life; from crawling around my father's architectural studio to traveling around the world working on buildings large and small to now having created my own niche in the local building community. I took a few years off this path to own and run Tease Restaurant here in Ashland.
Nourish Your Family and Fight Hunger
The holiday season is upon us. Amidst the shopping frenzies, family gatherings, and parties it can be hard to remember this is also a season of giving. That’s why we want to make it easy for you to give back. So easy that it’s as simple as doing your everyday grocery shopping. You can nourish your own family and help fight hunger in the Rogue Valley.
For the month of November, we are once again teaming up with Smart Chicken® for the Smart Chicken® Smart Giving program.
Here’s how it works.
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.
From the General Manager's Desk
By Emile Armarotico
This spring, National Co-op Grocers recognized Ashland Food Co-op as a Co+efficient Sustainability Star for our excellent sustainability efforts.
Our Sustainability Vision aims at being carbon neutral by 2030. We’ve taken a great stride toward this by installing a 39 kilowatt solar electric system on our rooftop with the capacity to generate approximately 7% of our electricity usage. The cost was partially offset by a $27,000 REAP (Rural Energy for America Program) Grant.
Local Starts at the Co-op
When we say local, we mean local. We source our local goods from within 200 miles of the store. By purchasing goods from local producers, we aim to create and maintain a healthy local economy and support family farms. What could be better than helping your community by buying local goods?
With all the local products that we offer, it’s hard to pick a favorite. But that’s exactly what we asked our staff to do. Here are some of their go-to local eats.
Your Fruit. Your Cider.
How often can you browse the shelf at your neighborhood grocery store, see a bottle of hand crafted, local cider and say, “Hey, I help make that!” Well, at the Co-op you can.
Millions of Peaches, Peaches for Me
By Laura Pfister, Media Coordinator
Many of us wait all year for this moment. We spend the winter months dreaming of a certain fuzzy stone fruit, its sweet juices dripping from our face and the buttery golden pie crust those yellow-orange slices will inhabit.
Good news! The wait is over. That local, sweet orb of sunshine has finally arrived. That’s right. Rolling Hills peaches are here!
2017 Board Election Results
We're Sustainability Stars!
Deep in our hearts we've always known we were sustainability stars, but now we have an award to prove it.
We recently received a Co+efficient Sustainability Star award from National Co-op Grocers (NCG) recognizing our positive environmental and community impacts.
Co+efficient, NCG’s sustainability program, measures social, environmental and local economic impacts from participating food co-ops across the country.
Give Where You Live
It’s the most wonderful time of year! Yes, we know that phrase is generally reserved for the holiday season. But for us, this truly is the most wonderful time of the year. It’s OUR season of giving.
Dine In and Bike Your Way to Savings
Did you know that approximately half of our landfill waste stream is composed of Deli trash? A significant part of that is “to-go” containers, which are sometimes used for dining in and don’t end up “going” very far at all.
Sustainability matters in everyday actions and we want you, our customers, to help us reduce unnecessary waste and make the most ecologically sound choices possible.
Participate in YOUR Co-op!
Spring Picks
The sun is (mostly) out and the weather is finally getting warmer. That must mean summer is right around the corner, right? We sure hope so. We’re ready to grill, soak up some sun and enjoy the many fruits and vegetables that are in season. Our Floral Coordinator, Rachel Chastain, shares some of her favorites.
Be the Sustainable Change
By Laura Pfister, Media Coordinator
Sustainability is not a new concept at the Co-op. It has always been part of our DNA. We’ve been using sustainable business practices before it was the “cool”, “responsible” thing to do. In fact, the Co-op was founded 45 years ago largely on the principles of sustainable, local organic food production as an alternative to modern industrial agriculture.
A New Look
By Laura Pfister, Media Coordinator
For 45 years we’ve been loving local and fostering community. Throughout our almost half a century history, our identity and logo has gone through many iterations.
Some of you might remember the logo above from our newsletter in the early 1980s.
As we’ve done multiple times throughout our history, it’s time to refresh our brand and launch a beautiful, new logo to take us into the next decade.