May Day Community Block Party
Photography by Chelsea Whitney Art
On May 1st, several Southern Oregon businesses came together for a block party to provide a space to gather as a community after a rough spell due to the pandemic and fires. The May Day Block Party was hosted on Main St in Phoenix, where the scent of food trucks mingled with artisan goods such as local cheeses, locally farmed flowers, and even fresh-baked pastries.
April’s Change for Good organization, Pollinator Project Rogue Valley, provided information on their latest efforts to increase access to pollinator plants in the area.
Julie O’Dwyer, Board Vice-President and AFC Gives Committee Co-Chair represented The Ashland Food Co-op at the community-centric event.
The event generated activity for small businesses and provided the opportunity for them to connect with folks in attendance.
One group in attendance was a new initiative for the recovery of Almeda Fire victims: Zone Captains. Find more information about their ongoing efforts at ZoneCaptains.org
Photography by Chelsea Whitney Art
More Co-op News
Owner Benefits: Independence and Connection
By Julie O'Dwyer, Board Secretary, Chair of the Owner Engagement Committee
Meet Board of Director Trine Ostergaard
Trine Ostergaard is a newly elected Ashland Food Co-op Board of Director. She brings a world, literally, of experience to the table and has a sincere passion and love for the Co-op. We are thrilled to have her aboard and asked her to answer a few questions.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Meet Board of Director Dean Williamson
Dean Williamson is a newly elected Ashland Food Co-op Board of Director. He brings to the table a plethora of co-op experience and a love of chocolate chip cookies. We are thrilled to have him aboard and asked him to answer a few questions.
Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Staff Picks: Favorite Local Products
September is Love Local Month! All month long we’re celebrating our local farmers and vendors with demos, events and more. Here are some of our staff's favorite local products.
How Can I Reduce My Plastic Use at the Co-op?
By Rianna Koppel, Sustainability Coordinator
Plastic pollution today is a global dilemma. Did you know that more than 40% of plastic is used once, then tossed? In 2015, 79% of total plastic waste ended up in landfills or the environment. How can our co-op help reduce the amount of single-use plastics? Luckily, we offer a variety of options for owners.
Stainless Steel Straws
Meet Pachamama Coffee Cooperative
By Lauren Taber, Pachamama Coffee Cooperative
Pachamama Coffee Cooperative started in 2001 with a few simple questions in mind: what would it look like to take Fair Trade a step further? How can coffee farmers be in direct relationship with end consumers in the United States?
We found that the answer was even simpler: cooperative ownership. Pachamama Coffee has been 100% farmer-owned since day one, and is currently owned by 140,000 small scale family farmers across the coffee producing regions of the world.
Community Cider Backyard Fruit Drive
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.
2018 Board Election Results
The AFC Board of Directors is pleased to announce the results of the 2018 Board Election. There were three excellent candidates running for two Board positions. In total, 905 votes were cast.
Congratulations to the following candidates who will serve three-year terms on the Ashland Food Co-op Board of Directors.
Thank you for voting!
.png)
Meet Store Manager Barry Haynes
By Barry Haynes, Store Manager
Twenty three years ago my wife and I began our quest to relocate our family from the midwest to the west coast. We were looking for a beautiful area with an engaged community that would enable our children to thrive. Equally important, we wanted our new home to have a vibrant natural food store. When we arrived in southern Oregon, we felt as though we hit the jackpot.
Beat the Heat
When the heat of summer takes over, it can be hard on our bodies and moods. Don’t let the scorching temps get you down, cool off with one of these refreshing Staff recommendations.
Report from the Board of Directors: Strategic Plan Update
By Jeff Golden, External Relations Committee Chair
Ashland Food Co-op is striding into the future with careful intention. We’re especially focused on the three top priorities of our strategic planning process, a collaboration of our board and management team. A quick update:
Riding off into the Sunset
By Annie Hoy, Retiring Marketing Manager
Since I was born and raised in far West Texas, I cannot help but use some imagery from what is so familiar to me.
Report from the General Manager and Board of Directors
By Emile Amarotico, General Manager and Ed Claassen, Board President