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
Farm Tour on the Shelves
The Farm Tour shines a spotlight on Southern Oregon - it represents the full range of products grown in the Rogue Valley. The Farm Tour isn't until July 14, but here's a list of tour activities for participating farms that are also on the shelves at the Ashland Food Co-op. Get an early taste of quality local goods!
Planning for Summer... and Smoke
By Emile Amarotico, General Manager
If we are lucky, we’ll only have another seven week smoke intrusion this summer. If we are not, we could be the next Paradise. In less than 13 hours, last November’s Camp Fire wiped out nearly 19,000 structures and more than 80 lives. With community help, we were able to raise over $14,000 to support Chico Natural Foods Co-op’s efforts to feed some of the nearly 20,000 displaced Paradise residents.
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.
Sustainable Ashland Food Co-op: You are the key!
By Steve Bowman, AFC Board Director
Tips for a Sustainable Kitchen
By Mahlea Rasmussen, Education Coordinator
Outside of work I spend a lot of time in the kitchen. I find it a soothing space to create nourishing meals and lasting memories. I find it essential to be as eco-friendly as possible and a few changes can transform your kitchen into a sustainable center of your home.
Earth Day Bulk Sale! April 17-21
Save money while working towards a more sustainable shopping experience! The Co-op bulk department is a great "first stop" for your grocery lists - everything from hummus mix to local honey to pet food is available. Plus there's less waste, all the way from shipping to ended up in your shopping cart.
Check out a quick tour below:
Film festival giveaway
Enter your name and email below to be entered to win two film vouchers for the 2019 Ashland Independent Film Festival.
No purchase necessary. Giveaway is not endorsed or sponsored by AIFF. US residents only. Entry will be closed at 5pm PT on Monday, April 15.
The state of plastics
Many Co-op owners and shoppers have shared their interest in reducing plastic usage in the store. From bioplastics, to compostable plastics to recycling options, the Ashland Food Co-op continues to research what works best as we move towards our goal of being a zero waste store. Here is where we stand.
Ashland Food Co-op Celebrates 20-year Partnership with ACCESS
We are proud of a partnership with ACCESS that has benefited the community immensely over the past twenty years. Read on for more about the partnership, or watch the short video below.
Food waste at the Co-op
By Rianna Koppel, Sustainability Coordinator
How many times in the past month have you reached back in the fridge to snack on some fresh strawberries only to discover… mold?! In the United States, 40% of food is wasted every year. Luckily, how we address food waste can have a major impact. According to Paul Hawkin’s Drawdown, reducing food waste is #3 on the list of best ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. At the Co-op, we use the EPA’s Food Recovery Hierarchy as a guide to bettering our own practices.
Meet Cooking Class Instructor, Gianaclis Caldwell
Get to know Gianaclis Caldwell ahead of her class, "Easy Mozzarella and Burratta - From Scratch!" on March 7. Gianaclis is the author of the award-winning book Mastering Artisan Cheesemaking and owner of Pholia Farm.
Tell us how your love of cooking (or cheese) and food began.
Wellness Secret Weapons
There are still plenty of colds and viruses making their rounds, and we want to help you better defend against them!
In January, we asked on social media what kind of secret weapons you use in the winter to stay healthy. We had a lot of responses, so we'll start with the All-Stars.
With your initial recommendations, our Wellness team reviewed the suggestions and picked the products with the highest quality standards and best feedback. Check those out below.
Mushrooms for wellness
You may have heard about the fascinating discovery that trees can communicate with each other. What’s the secret? The mycelia - tiny strands of fungus - in the soil form a vast underground network through which trees send chemical signals to their neighbors.
The mycelia differs from the fruiting body of the mushroom, which is the reproductive component that contains spores and is thought to be higher in Beta Glucans.
Meet class instructor, Joette Calabrese
This class instructor profile is connected to the February 27 free lecture, "You, Too, Can Beat the Flu!"
On an early Kolkata (Calcutta) morning, thick crowds gather outside the gates of the hospital while officials yell out "Brain tumor, kidney failure, cancer patients form a line here!” Hopeful patients, family members and caregivers arrange themselves by disease symptom.
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.