1st Street Beet- The Earth Issue by ashlandfoodcoop

Spring 2022 VOLUME No. 5

ary

Annivers

Celebrate

Earth Day

JUMP IN

SPRING 2022 VOLUME No. 5

WHAT’S INSIDE THE ISSUE

The EARTH Issue

STAY A WHILE with Rianna Koppel

HARVEST REPORT Meet Firebird Farms

THE REAL DEAL:

Things Our Shoppers Love About AFC

HERE & NOW

Community Grant Reports

YUM! RECIPE Rising Sun Farms Pesto Pasta

HIGHLY RECOMMEND Mother’s Day Gift Ideas

A BRIGHT IDEA Sustainable Switches

GOOD CLEAN FUN Earth Day 2022

IN OUR CIRCLE

Interview with Eight Dollar Mountain’s Phil Johnson

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FROM THE BOARD

Upcoming Election Updates

COMING UP

@ashlandfoodcoop

Upcoming Events

ASHLAND FOOD CO-OP • 1ST STREET BEET NEWSLETTER

STAY A WHILE with Rianna Koppel

Earth Day is like the Super Bowl for sustainability advocates. We prepare all year, incorporating compost into our routine, choosing glass over plastic, and compiling knowledge and resources every chance we get. Sustainability initiatives are important every day (even more so with each passing day) but during Earth Month, we take the time to celebrate all of the ways we can create a more sustainable co-op, community and world. At Ashland Food Co-op, we all play our part to contribute to the store’s sustainability but one person serves a special role: Rianna Koppel, our Sustainability Coordinator. You’ve probably seen Rianna if you follow us on social media touting the rewards of carbon-reducing programs like Bicycle Benefits and Rogue to Go. She’s a superstar in front of the camera, but what you don’t fully get to see is the deep well of knowledge that gets “cut for time.” Rianna grew up in Fairfield, Iowa in a curious little community: a center forTranscendental Meditation in the midwest. Surrounded on all sides by GMO corn, hog farms, and confined animal feeding operations, Rianna learned to love “local, small scale organic milk”, Ayurvedic principles, vegetarian meals of dahl and rice, and the value of peace and meditation. It was in Iowa that she took her first Permaculture Design class, required for the Sustainable Living department at Maharishi International University, and learned truly how interconnected we are with our environment.

She also credits a bio-intensive farming workshop she took, after moving out west (yes, she remembers Ashland before the smoky summers) for offering a more solutions-oriented approach to sustainability. She highly recommends reading The One-Straw Revolution by Masanobu Fukuoka, a Japanese no-till farmer. Having done her own composting for over ten years now, she insists that “soil is disappearing. It’s our responsibility to recreate it!” Although Rianna has dedicated her life to helping to make a cultural shift towards green energy, fossil fuel reduction, and more equitable distribution of power across sectors, she still has a humble approach to encouraging others to join the cause. Serving on the board of Rogue Climate and joining friends and neighbors to help write a clean energy action plan for the City of Talent, helped her understand firsthand that organizing for more sustainable communities should mean hearing and supporting the needs of the entire community. Her biggest advice for anyone looking to celebrate Earth Day this weekend or all year? “Get outside. Cultivate a relationship with nature. Put your hands in the soil! Plant something! Tend to the Earth in a way that is nourishing to you… make time for that!” Thank you, Rianna, for all that you do to support sustainability at the Ashland Food Co-op. Happy Earth Day!

ASHLAND FOOD CO-OP • 1ST STREET BEET NEWSLETTER

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ASHLAND FOOD CO-OP • 1ST STREET BEET NEWSLETTER

@GREEN_REDHEAD

@ALLIE1ROSE The co-op staff is full of about our community!

good people who really care

Great organic produce, lots of local products, kind staff, COVID aware, try the vegan chocolate zucchini muffins with walnuts- a favorite for 20 years.

ANN R.

@SARAH.LECOMTE

ing c food includ dgeion of organi owle Great select coming, kn el W . ts uc prod to get fresh/local great place ees. And, a able employ ls! mea snacks and

The best produce in Ashland, lots of great locally made goodies and the friendliest staff!

CONNIE G .

The hea lth is staffed and beauty secti on w and frien ith knowledgeab dly profe le ssionals willing to assist an d answe your que r stions.

JOHN H. Totally world-class.

MIKA N.

to shop. Always a welcoming place

@LINDAPETERS

ONADAMS

Real Food, Real G ood Checkers, an d Real proud to be a mem ber.

@EVERYDAYDETOX “Sometimes I go to the coop more than I go to the office”

THE REAL DEAL:

THINGS OUR SHOPPERS LOVE ABOUT AFC EET_DEE W S _ G O @ local food grocery t The bes r. er hot ba with a kill

VICTORIA S. My FAVORITE co-op out of ANY Co-op I have ever visited! From the strong support of local producers of food and crafts, and monthly fundraisers for local nonprofit to carrying the BEST produce & providing a deliciously diverse organic Deli/Hot bar & the ONLY ready to go organic rotisserie chicken in the valley there are SO MANY reasons to vote with my $ here.

RUTH T. The co-op has high quality nutritious food, and wonderful friendly people, both working there as well as shopping there. It is fun to shop there, it feels like a real community.

@INYREYE

p-shop AFC is the best little one-sto . gon Ore rn in Southe

@ARTISTSILVIATRUJILLO

There are so many items which are either less than, or equal to prices of regular markets. Great deals on specials!

@HOLLYSHAWHUNTER A magical land

@GOURMETLADYJ

The best produce & seafood in the Rogue Valley & friendly staff.

ASHLAND FOOD CO-OP • 1ST STREET BEET NEWSLETTER

AURA

The c in th o-op ha e va s lley, the be st hand s do produc e wn!

@RND_L Citrus m

OVE

onth!!!!

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ASHLAND FOOD CO-OP • 1ST STREET BEET NEWSLETTER

YUM! RISING SUN FARMS

PESTO PASTA FEATURING RISING SUN FARMS GARLIC PESTO

Fans of super simple, fresh, and GARLIC-y dishes, rejoice! Local herb-experts at Rising Sun Farms have been making amazing nut-free sauces since the mid-80s and their passion for pesto shows in this easy and pleasing recipe:

INGREDIENTS 8 oz Organic Pasta (GF optional) 3 oz Rising Sun Garlic Galore Pesto 2 oz Plain Chevre (Goat Cheese) 2 oz Organic Sundried Tomatoes 2 tbsp Oil from Sundried Tomato container Water for boiling pasta Reserve 1 cup of pasta water Salt and Pepper to taste Optional Grilled Chicken

INSTRUCTIONS 1) Cook pasta as directed (7-10 min). 2) While pasta is boiling, dice sundried tomatoes and crumble chevre. When pasta is al dente, drain and return to the pot. 3) Add about 2 tbsp of oil from the jar of sundried tomatoes, the entirety of the Rising Sun pesto sauce, diced sundried tomatoes, and the crumbled chevre to the pot. If moisture is needed, slowly incorporate pasta water 1 tbsp at a time. Serve family-style along with a salad, grilled chicken, or all by itself.

ASHLAND FOOD CO-OP • 1ST STREET BEET NEWSLETTER

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HIGHLY RECOMMEND

Treat your Mom on

Mother’s Day Every Mother-figure deserves a little “me” time. This selection of snacks from Woman-led companies are just the thing to surprise your mom on May 8th.

Rising Sun Farms Torta Black-Owned Business

Moonshot Crackers

Health-ade Kombucha

Curly Top Bakeshop Cinnamon Roll PAGE 8

ASHLAND FOOD CO-OP • 1ST STREET BEET NEWSLETTER

Higher Power Raw Foods Gluten-Free Crackers Thistle Sweets Gluten-Free Cake Slice

Nixie Sparkling Water

Miyoko’s Cashew Milk Dairy Free Cheese Spread ASHLAND FOOD CO-OP • 1ST STREET BEET NEWSLETTER

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HARVEST REPORT Did you know there is a woman-owned and operated, sustainable Yak farm in the hills above Ashland?

MEET FIREBIRD FARMS! 100% grass fed, free of GMOs, and never treated with antibiotics or hormones: find Firebird Farms yak meat in the freezer on aisle 7 at Ashland Food Co-op.

Learn more about Sophia Weiss and Firebird Farms Yaks at firebirdfarms.com and @firebirdfarms on Instagram PAGE 10

ASHLAND FOOD CO-OP • 1ST STREET BEET NEWSLETTER

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HERE & NOW Community Grant Reports from AFC Gives Bee Girl used Community

Grant funds to support thousands of local bees by planting flowers in pastures to feed honey bees, native bees, and local livestock.

La Clinica

Happy Smiles Dental Assistant, Muna, collects treatment consent forms and prepares charts for students to receive dental health education, dental screenings, and preventive dental services at a local elementary school.

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ASHLAND FOOD CO-OP • 1ST STREET BEET NEWSLETTER

Ashland Schools Foundation

Bellview Elementary School students building a Hugelkultur to retain water and offer nutrients to the berries that will be planted there later this month.

A very nice man with a host of health issues is living in his vehicle. He was out of gas and waiting for his monthly check. He asked our volunteer for a gas card, and when she also offered a Co-op gift card, he broke out in tears and hugged her.” -from St. Vincent De Paul

Emerging Futures Network

Karen Taylor from Rogue Community College facilitates building water swales to divert and maximize rain water and Grange gutter water to plants in the Emerging Futures Network Food Forest. ASHLAND FOOD CO-OP • 1ST STREET BEET NEWSLETTER

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Rogue Action Center

Rogue Action Center used Community Grant funds to open a resource and navigation center in Talent where fire recovery staff is meeting with survivors to fill out housing applicants, Oregon rental assistance applications and connecting them to other housing and financial assistance resources.

‘Hope for the Holidays’ provided ten families, who were survivors of the Almeda Fire, with holiday meals. The wish behind the program was to provide a few comforts of “home” during the cold winter months for families who lost their homes and are still in temporary housing. -from Heart Rising

Asante

Oftentimes, students come to the Asante Ashland Community Hospital School Nurse Program with physical ailments such as headaches, stomach aches, and fatigue requesting medication to alleviate their symptoms, when their symptoms are actually caused by a lack of food or hydration. Having gift cards from the Co-op has given students access to healthy snacks and reduced the need for unnecessary over-the-counter medication administration, while providing an opportunity to educate students regarding the direct relationship between food/nutrition and how they feel. PAGE 14

ASHLAND FOOD CO-OP • 1ST STREET BEET NEWSLETTER

JoCo Food Bank

Josephine County Food Bank made their first purchase of biodegradable containers. They are “so excited to accomplish their primary goal of feeding people and at the same time relieved that [they] are not contributing plastic to the landfill.”

Rogue to Go

Be the Change Rogue used these funds to promote Rogue To Go. Marketing the program has been helpful in reaching a wide audience, both eaters (customers) and eateries (participating restaurants), to help expand Rogue To Go across the Rogue Valley and reduce single use waste for to-go meals.

Walker PTO

Any of Walker Elementary’s 225 students who find themselves without a snack at school are able to have a good one, thanks in part to these funds! Walker PTO particularly appreciates the nut-free and gluten free snack options the Co-op stocks, to enable them to feed all Walker students regardless of dietary restrictions.

ASHLAND FOOD CO-OP • 1ST STREET BEET NEWSLETTER

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Pollinator Project Rogue Valley Pollinator Project Rogue Valley utilized the funds to put in a 27’ x 18’ seeding area at the Ashland Emergency Food Bank to grow native pollinator plants to share with the community. Assuming success, the plants, and later their seeds, will be shared through plant sales and also garden contributions through their ‘From Fire to Flowers’ program.

Change for Good candidates are still on the ballot in May! This is your chance to make an impact and choose which local nonprofit organizations will be supported by the donations of Ashland Food Co-op shoppers. Previous Change for Good partners received an average donation of $4,674 during their month. The electronic ballot (open from May 24, 2022-June 6, 2022) will ask that owners vote for 10 organizations out of 20 candidate organizations. Please contact ownerservices@ashlandfood.coop to update your email address and receive a ballot in your inbox.

February 2022 Change for Good partner: Rogue Farm Corps. Photo by Shawn Linehan ASHLAND FOOD CO-OP • 1ST STREET BEET NEWSLETTER PAGE 16

ary

Annivers

OPEN HOUSE HIRING EVENT April 28th, 2022 10am-2pm Community Classroom 300 N. Pioneer St

Bring your resume or fill out an application at the open house event. visit ashlandfood.coop/JobFair forBEET more information ASHLAND FOOD CO-OP • 1ST STREET NEWSLETTER

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A BRIGHT IDEA

Sustainable Switches on aisle 4

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ASHLAND FOOD CO-OP • 1ST STREET BEET NEWSLETTER

Party in my Pants pads are made

in the other Ashland (Ashland, WI). We love that this Women-Led company helps people with periods reduce waste and there’s a size for everyone!

Shampoo & Conditioner Bars

Plastic-free hair care technology has come a long way. For the moisture-seekers and scalp-concerned alike, there’s a shampoo and conditioner bar for everyone.

Soap Ends

If you haven’t gotten into Sappo Hill bulk soap ends yet, WYD? Locally made with organic ingredients in a nearly zero-waste facility, the sensitive-skin friendly rounds are perfect for any area that calls for a little sudsing. ASHLAND FOOD CO-OP • 1ST STREET BEET NEWSLETTER

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Reusable Cotton Swabs

Think of how many cotton swabs go in the trash can every day. Nip that in the bud with these easy-to-clean, reusable ‘cotton’ swabs.

Plant-Based Loofa The word ‘loofa’ (or luffa) actually comes from the gourd that all loofas are based on. Get your exfoliation on with a sustainably grown loofa, a washcloth, a felted soap, or a homemade scrub- no plastic necessary!

read more about AFC's Sustainability Initiatives at https://ashlandfood.coop/sustainability-reports

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ASHLAND FOOD CO-OP • 1ST STREET BEET NEWSLETTER

good clean fun Join us for the Earth Day Celebration at the Ashland Food Co-op on April 24th, 2022 at noon!

Play with giant bubbles, create chalk art, pick up an eco-friendly seed kit, learn about recycling, hang with some goats, and much more!

ASHLAND FOOD CO-OP • 1ST STREET BEET NEWSLETTER

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In Our Circle IN CONVERSATION WITH

EIGHT DOLLAR MOUNTAIN’S PHIL JOHNSON Our multi-talented Technology manager, Phil, hosts Bluegrass Brunch every Sunday morning from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on KSKQ Community Radio. Tune in at 89.5 FM Ashland, 94.1 FM Medford or online at KSKQ.org every Sunday! PAGE 22

ASHLAND FOOD CO-OP • 1ST STREET BEET NEWSLETTER

How did you become a musician?

Who are your musical inspirations?

My dad had an old Mexican nylon string guitar sitting around the house when I was a kid that he never played. I remember picking it up one time as a teenager and just playing around with it to the radio. I figured out a few notes to a song that was on and it blew me away. After that a friend's dad had several cool old guitars and let me borrow one of them to pique my interest. I started playing along to Pearl Jam, Nirvana and all the great 90s guitar rock.

Oh man, I can get deep into the weeds with this question. Bluegrass wise, I like to say my show plays everything from Bill Monroe to Billy Strings, but I really love the old analog sounds of the Stanley Brothers, Jimmy Martin, Flatt & Scruggs, Country Gentlemen, Red Allen, Cliff Waldron and so much more. If you listen to my show you'll get the idea. Outside of bluegrass I've been 100% obsessed with Phish since I was a teenager and I still listen to them all the time. I could easily host a radio show about them as well. We have a huge record collection at home that encompasses everything from Jazz, Folk, Blues, R&B, any music with feeling and soul to it can literally bring a tear of joy to my eyes.

When I went to college in Austin, TX and played with other people for the first time, that was it, I knew I wanted to play in a band. We had a friend who played the banjo and started playing some bluegrass songs. Someone had a dusty mandolin sitting around and we didn't need 2 guitar players, so I picked it up and learned to play it with those guys, and we became the Shoal Creek Mudstompers. We had such a great time learning and playing bluegrass together, and I've been playing bluegrass now for over 20 years. When I moved to Ashland in 2006 I found some guys who worked here at the Co-op that played bluegrass and we started a band called The Mighty Lonesomes. After a few years studying traditional bluegrass and having a blast, some of those guys moved away and a few of us from that band morphed into Eight Dollar Mountain and we've been a band ever since.

The moments where our whole family plays music together are some of the best ever.

You met your wife working at a Co-op in Austin and now both play in local bands. How does a mutual love of music and ‘co-op life’ play into your love story? My wife asked me out on a date when I was a cashier at Wheatsville Co-op in Austin, TX and she was going through my checkout line. We got married and I ended up getting her a job there (that's another good story...). The Ashland Food Co-op was a huge part of us deciding to move to Ashland, and I know that's the case for a lot of other people here as well. We both have a deep love of music of all kinds and have had a lot of our life revolve around music; everything from buying an entire record store inventory (remember Talent House in Talent anyone?), to traveling across the country to see concerts and festivals. I bought her a bass for her birthday years ago because I selfishly wanted someone to play with when my band wasn't around. She happily picked it up and currently plays upright bass with Wild & Blue, I get to play with them sometimes and that's always a treat. I could talk about music all day, so I guess it's a good thing I have a radio show as an outlet for that….

ASHLAND FOOD CO-OP • 1ST STREET BEET NEWSLETTER

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Speaking of which, what is your radio show ‘Bluegrass Brunch’ like? I really love digging out old songs and bands that you can't find streaming on Spotify or whatever. I take it as a challenge to always find something new and interesting to play. I have hundreds of old bluegrass records and love searching for lost music that probably wouldn't see the light of day if it wasn't for community radio and shows like mine. KSKQ is all volunteer and 100% listener supported, such a special and unique station with lots of one-of-a-kind programming providing a voice to the community in the Rogue Valley.

You’re also a dad of two. Do you see budding musicians in your kids? Absolutely! My son Austin is 11 and daughter Eliza is 7. Eight Dollar Mountian's first gig was at Austin's baby shower before he was born and he's been a music lover ever since. He has a great ear for music and plays guitar and some piano and can pick out songs by ear. Eliza has a great voice and loves to sing along to Taylor Swift. The moments where our whole family plays music together are some of the best ever. I just want them to have fun with it and feel encouraged if they want to do it, but they have both started music younger than I did so I imagine it will be a big part of their lives as well.

Finally, what would you say to anyone interested in taking up music? Do it! Playing music is the best, don't be shy. Playing music with other people has been some of the most absolute joys of my life and it is the best way to learn. Creating collaboratively with others in the moment is such a beautiful experience like no other, it's hard to describe. All of the best experiences in my life have revolved around music in one way or another. Unlike rooting for your favorite sports team, when it comes to music, everyone wins. Listen to Phil’s full archive of Bluegrass Brunch at www.mixcloud.com/kskqbluegrassbrunch/ and tune in every Sunday morning on KSKQ radio.

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ASHLAND FOOD CO-OP • 1ST STREET BEET NEWSLETTER

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From the

Board

FROM THE BOARD

ar s r e v i n n A

2022 Election Begins in May! Update on Board of Director election: The Board Development Committee has completed the process of inviting, interviewing, and vetting candidates for the four open Board of Director positions. Five qualified candidates applied to run in the election in March. All five applicants went through a thorough review process and all five were invited to be listed on the ballot. One candidate withdrew, leaving four candidates for four open seats. As a result, there is a full slate to fill the four open positions and a general election is no longer needed. Therefore, AFC bylaws determine that in the case of an “uncontested election” attendees of the Annual Meeting vote with a show of hands to approve the slate of future directors. The four future directors who will be joining the Board in June are: Bob Kaplan, Joanna Wnorowski Pecoraro, Melissa Scudder and Erica Thompson. PAGE 26

ASHLAND FOOD CO-OP • 1ST STREET BEET NEWSLETTER

CHANGE FOR GOOD CANDIDATES

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100% fair trade, organic, small producer certified and shade-grown by indigenous cooperatives.

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ASHLAND FOOD CO-OP • 1ST STREET BEET NEWSLETTER

Learn about their holistic approach to climate change at CafeMam.com/pages/Climate-Change-Mitigation-Fund

ASHLAND FOOD CO-OP • 1ST STREET BEET NEWSLETTER

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ar s r e v i n n A

tastes like spring is here

Community Owned Grocery, Kitchen and Bakery 237 N. First St. Ashland, Oregon • (541) 482-2237 PAGE 30

ASHLAND FOOD CO-OP • 1ST STREET BEET NEWSLETTER

ary

Annivers

COMING UP Save the Date for these Upcoming Events April 24th, 2022

Ashland Food Co-op Campus 12PM to 3PM

June 3rd, 2022 ary

Annivers

Food • Music • Fun Ashland Food Co-op Campus 5PM to 8PM

July 17th, 2022

Jackson & Josephine County Farms 10AM to 3PM

Co-op Love: 50 Years and Counting Thank you for supporting us. ASHLAND FOOD CO-OP • 1ST STREET BEET NEWSLETTER

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ary

Annivers

EARTH DAY

GET

celebration

• GET G

O R

april 24, 2022 12PM–3PM • CO-OP STORE MORE INFORMATION AT ASHLANDFOOD.COOP/EARTHDAY2022 PAGE 32

ASHLAND FOOD CO-OP • 1ST STREET BEET NEWSLETTER