Supporting Stream Smart: Our June Change for Good Partner
We are delighted to announce our June Change for Good partner, Stream Smart, a remarkable local organization dedicated to improving the health of our streams and rivers.
What is Stream Smart?
Stream Smart is an educational campaign that empowers individuals to make environmentally conscious choices to protect and enhance our local waterways. Their mission is to increase awareness of how our daily habits impact our streams and rivers. By making simple changes at home—like picking up after pets, using porous materials in landscaping, and planting trees to restore riparian areas—we can all contribute to turning our streams from brown to blue.
Rogue Basin Salmon Watch Program: A Highlight of Success
One of Stream Smart's shining achievements is the Rogue Basin Salmon Watch program. This program has reached nearly 2,000 students and hosted 34 field days during the 2023-2024 season. It provides students with hands-on learning experiences about watershed health, water quality, and the importance of riparian areas. Students gain insights from local experts, including fish biologists, hydrologists, and botanists, who generously share their knowledge during these field trips. Best of all, this program is offered at no cost to schools, thanks to the generous support of numerous funders, partners, and volunteers.
Community Involvement: Making a Difference Together
Stream Smart also thrives on community involvement. Every spring and fall, hundreds of volunteers join forces to clean up local waterways, remove invasive species, and plant native trees and shrubs. These efforts not only enhance the beauty and health of our creeks and rivers but also provide essential habitats for a variety of aquatic plants and animals. The program supplies everything needed for these events, from tools and gloves to snacks and educational materials, ensuring that volunteers can focus on making a positive impact.
Recent Events: Celebrating Community Efforts
On April 20th, 2024, Stream Smart collaborated with the Bear Creek Stewards for the Bear Creek Stewardship Day, a biannual event in honor of Earth Day and National Public Lands Day. Over 100 volunteers gathered along the Bear Creek Greenway to remove several tons of trash, plant native species, weed pollinator gardens, and install bird nesting boxes. This massive effort spanned from Central Point to Ashland and significantly benefited both Bear Creek and its surrounding areas.
Similarly, on May 18th, the 32nd Annual Rogue River Cleanup and Let’s Pull Together Weed Pull saw over 150 participants come together to pick up trash, pull invasive weeds, and inventory aquatic invasive species along the Rogue River. This event not only cleaned up the river but also fostered a stronger sense of community and stewardship among participants.
Long-term Commitment: Adopt-A-River and Beyond
Stream Smart’s commitment to our waterways is unwavering. As part of SOLVE’s Adopt-A-River program, they have adopted a section of the Rogue River near Hog Creek County Park. This initiative has expanded their educational outreach and volunteer opportunities. From trail building to installing pollinator gardens, controlling invasive weeds, and setting up educational signs, Stream Smart continues to make a lasting impact.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2019, Stream Smart adopted a section of the Bear Creek Greenway and Riparian Corridor. Collaborating with various partners, they have restored the area affected by the 2018 Peninger fire, installed educational signs, hosted events, and planted native species to revive the ecosystem.
Join Us in Supporting Stream Smart
We at the Ashland Food Co-op are incredibly proud to support Stream Smart through our Change for Good program. Your contributions, simply by rounding up your purchase, directly support the amazing work Stream Smart does in our community. To learn more about Stream Smart or to get involved, visit their website at www.stream-smart.com or email them at [email protected].
Together, let's continue to make positive changes for our streams, rivers, and the entire Rogue Basin. Thank you for your generosity and support!
More Co-op News
On the Road to Sustainability
By Laura Pfister, Media Coordinator
Forty six years ago, a group of families formed a buying club to access sustainable, local organic food as an alternative to modern industrial agriculture. This humble foundation of social and environmental responsibility started the Ashland Food Co-op and has shaped every decision we’ve ever made. It’s how, over four decades later, that a small buying club became a 30 million dollar, 17,500 square foot Certified Organic Retailer diverting 82% of their discards from the landfill.
Staff Picks: Earth Friendly Products
In celebration of Sustainability Month in April, we asked our Sustainability Committee to share their favorite eco-friendly product.
2018 Kids Summer Camps
We’ve teamed up with Rogue Valley Farm to School to offer three different camps this summer. Each week campers will dive into food production, preparation and exploration, with a mix of farm and kitchen experiences that delight the senses and inspire the soul. Join Rogue Valley Farm to School staff as they cultivate the ability to grow and cook delicious, healthy, seasonal meals. Monday - Wednesday at the Co-op Community Classroom, Thursday & Friday at the Farm at SOU.
Update on our Strategic Initiatives
By Ed Claassen, Board President
Your Board and Management Team invested a significant amount of time in 2014 developing a set of strategic initiatives that we believe are vital in shaping the future of our business and furthering our mission. We formed a Strategic Planning Steering Committee consisting of 3 Board members and 3 Management Team members to guide the implementation of these initiatives.
2018 Electronic Coupon Schedule
To further our sustainability efforts and to serve you better, we began offering Electronic Owner Coupons in January 2017 at the register.
No more forgetting to bring your owner coupons. No more waiting for your newsletter to arrive. Cashiers simply ask if you want to use your owner coupons when you check out.
As we enter our second year of Electronic Coupons we wanted to share a couple of friendly reminders and the 2018 month by month schedule.
Please note:
What Does Democracy Have to Do with Cooperatives?
By Annie Hoy, Marketing Manager
We often refer to cooperatives as “democratic enterprises.” But what does that really mean? The Ashland Food Co-op, like all other co-ops in most economic sectors, is owned and controlled by the people who use its services.
Co+op Basics: High Integrity, Low Price
Looking to stretch your grocery budget? So are we! We've lowered the price on over three hundred items to create a set of high integrity staples for every shopper. Welcome to Co+op Basics.
Co+op Basics includes over 300 pantry and household staples. From beef to milk to cereal, we’ve lowered the margin and price on all those items to make organic, healthy food accessible to every shopper.
Co+op Basics Staff Favorites
After the holidays, we usually find our pocket books a little lighter. Here are a few favorite Co+op Basics items our staff turn to when the money is a little tighter.
Proposals Sought for the 2018 Community Grants
The funding cycle for the 2018 Co-op Community Grants for nonprofit organizations is now open.
Every spring, for more than 20 years, we’ve been donating to area nonprofits through our Community Grant program. We are committed to creating healthy, sustainable communities and this program helps us fulfill that commitment by supporting the amazing work of local nonprofits. The Community Grant program is also the highlight of Cooperative Principle 7, Concern for Community, and is something we take to heart.
From the General Manager’s Desk
By Emile Amarotico
As we commence our lap around the sun in 2018, I wish to recognize the longstanding contributions of an amazing group of professionals. We are blessed with the dedication of eleven department managers expertly coordinating the daily flow of people, products and services that breath life into our Co-op!
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Lynne (35+ years’ tenure) our Grocery Manager oversees keeping the aisles abundant with shelf stable products and coolers full of fresh perishables.
The Role of the Board in Co-op Governance
By Gwyneth Bowman, Vice President
After serving on the AFC Board for fourteen years my passion for the Co-op model has strengthened my commitment to the Cooperative Principles and Values. Of special importance is how we work together as a governing body with one voice. We are the ultimate decision-makers of our Co-op and hold a trusteeship for the benefit of our owners and community.
Fall Favorites from the Co-op
Like it or not, the cool weather has arrived. Whether you are heading out for a hike or enjoying a good book by the fire, the Co-op Deli has what you need to fuel your favorite fall activity. Stay warm with these comfort food recommendations from the Co-op Deli.
From the General Manager's Desk
By Emile Amarotico
A recent visitor commented that our parking is totally inadequate to our business volume. What’s true is that we cannot create more parking due to space and municipal code constraints. Thus, the value of each available space is increasing over time. Assuming only half of Co-op shoppers use automobile parking, each space supports at least $200,000 in annual sales.
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.