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.

The local pears that come in September through October are fantastic. The Bartlett, Bosc and Seckel pears are wonderful but the Comice is my favorite. To find the perfect local sweet treat, lightly press on the neck for a bit of softness. Serve alongside some local Fromage Blanc from By George Farm for a decadent snack. Joe Reyes - Assistant Produce Manager
 

Adorned with colorful patterns and shades of fall, nothing signals the beginning of autumn like the arrival of local, organic winter squash. With its high nutrition content and adaptability to a number of diverse recipes, winter squash is a necessity in your seasonal pantry. Savory or sweet, you won’t run out of different ways to prepare this wonderful local treat. Stuffed and baked, roasted with root veggies, squash lasagna, pureed in a soup, made into bread, baked in a pie, cookies, pancakes, and more! My favorites are the Delicata and Sugarloaf varieties. Don’t forget that you can roast the seeds for a healthy snack. Barry Haynes - Produce Manager
 

ELAA Skin Care is handmade right here in Ashland. This is a wonderful line of environmentally conscious and good for you skincare. Jill Stacey is the founder and her goal is to create products that are beneficial for your skin while fostering a holistic sense of well being. Two of my favorites include Starlight Eye Cream and the Pineapple Illuminating Polisher. Courtney Greensill - Wellness Manager 
 

I love the locally made Pie and Vine Pizza Crust. It’s delivered fresh from the restaurant and is delicious topped with caramelized onions and Yumm! Sauce. Yumm! Sauce is a dairy free, nut based sauce used for dipping, spreading, or saucing. Highly addictive. Kelly McNamara - Specialties Manager

One of my favorite local products is the Emerald Hills 100% Grass Fed and Finished Bone-in Ribeye Steak. These cows are raised exclusively for the Co-op in Riddle, near Canyonville. They live on lush pastures next to Cow Creek where they have almost year round access to green grass. The cows are never given antibiotics or growth hormones.  The ribeye is delicious on the grill, lightly seasoned with salt and pepper. I love my ribeye grilled medium rare, served with grilled asparagus and a butter and garlic cauliflower mash. Derek Shilts - Meat Department Manager

More Co-op News

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.

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?