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.
On January 18th, that committee invited the entire Board and Management Team to meet, review our progress and make any adjustments needed. Together we developed “report cards” on each of the initiatives. We agreed that all of them continue to be important.
Not surprisingly, the initiative with greatest importance continues to be solving our space and parking constraints. Everyone felt that good progress had been made, and that we need to press forward until this initiative achieves some major improvements.
Significant results have been achieved on our food production and customer education initiatives. Of particular note is the development of a real social media impact and the acquisition of an “on-campus” food production facility that will double our capacity to produce healthy prepared foods.
Finally our initiative to catalyze local understanding and interest in the cooperative movement was able to make some vital connections and begin to foster some valuable partnerships.
More Co-op News
February Change for Good Partner: Rogue Farm Corps
January Change for Good Partner: Rogue Climate
January's Change for Good Partner is
local nonprofit Rogue Climate
Rogue Climate was founded in 2013 in the Rogue Valley of Southern Oregon.
August Change for Good Partner: Community Works
August's Change for Good Partner is
November Change for Good Partner: Southern Oregon Climate Action Now
November Change for Good Partner: Southern Oregon Climate Action Now
November's Change for Good Partner is
October Change for Good Partner: AFC Gives Community Fund
October's Change for Good Partner is
September Change for Good Partner: Center for NonProfit Legal Services
September's Change for Good Partner is
Center for NonProfit Legal Services
The Center for NonProfit Legal Services has provided free/low-cost civil legal assistance to low-income persons and seniors residing in Jackson County since 1972.
August Change for Good Partner: Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center
August's Change for Good Partner is
Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center
(KS Wild)
KS Wild's mission is to protect and restore wild nature in the Klamath-Siskiyou region of southwest Oregon and northwest California.
July Change for Good Partner: Southern Oregon Land Conservancy
July's Change for Good Partner is
Southern Oregon Land Conservancy
Protecting and enhancing precious land in the Rogue River region
to benefit our human and natural communities since 1978
Meet the 1st Street Beet
Welcome to the newly redesigned and reimagined newsletter from the Ashland Food Co-op: 1st Street Beet.
Think of this publication as a resource to know what’s going on in every level of the community: at the co-op, around town, in the region, and on Earth!
June Change for Good Recipient: Our Family Farms
June's Change for Good Recipient is
Our Family Farms, an Oregon 501(c)3 non profit organization, is hard at work educating and inspiring farmers, policy makers and the community at large to support regenerative agricultural practices.
Capiche Conversations: Interview with Tracy Kaiser, Marketing & Education Manager of Ashland Food Co-op
Our own marketing manager, Tracy Kaiser, was interviewed by Melissa L. Michaels for Capiche Conversations.
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.
May Change for Good Recipient: Rogue Valley Farm to School
May's Change for Good Recipient is
Rogue Valley Farm to School educates children about our food system through hands-on farm and garden programs, and by increasing local foods in school meals.