Both stores will be closing early for inventory:

Eastside Co-op
Saturday October 3rd at 6pm

Westside Co-op
Thursday October 1st at 7pm
Friday October 2nd at 6pm

Bottled Water and Beyond
Megumi Sugihara, PhD
Former Olympia Food Co-op Grocery Co-manager West
PDF of article includes footnotes

In early summer 2019, news arrived at the Olympia Food Co-op that Cowlitz tribe members and residents of Randle, Washington had taken a stand to stop the Crystal Geyser Roxane (CG Roxane LLC) proposed water bottling facility on the Cowlitz river. At that time, the Co-op was still carrying Crystal Geyser Alpine Spring Water, a product of CG Roxane LLC. The Eastside store immediately stopped carrying it in solidarity with the Lewis County Water Alliance—the citizens’ group comprised of Cowlitz tribe members and Randle residents. The Westside store took a little longer trying to identify viable alternatives. The question in the minds of the Westside managers was “how can we avoid moving from one undesirable product to another?” While we wanted to show solidarity with the Lewis County Water Alliance, we wanted to make sure that we were not complicit with negative impacts of other water bottling operations at other locations, either.

It is easy to say that bottled water is evil and the Co-op should not carry it at all, especially water in plastic bottles. The comments that the Co-op received over Facebook in Fall 2019 showed large support for stopping the sale of bottled water. However, the reality is that bottled water SELLS. The Olympia Food Co-op Westside store alone sold 176 one-gallon bottles of Crystal Geyser Alpine Water between January and July 2019. In 2020, we have sold 253 one-gallon jugs of Mountain Mist Spring Water between January and May. These numbers do not include sales of other bottled waters.

Good sales usually means that there is a steady demand among our members for that product. Consumers in America are reported to purchase bottled water for various reasons, among them, a healthier choice than sodas, safer water than municipal tap water, being influenced by enticing images due to clever marketing, and convenience. Nationwide in the US, bottled water sales exceeded that of soft drinks for the first time in 2016, and the trend continues. In 2018, 13.85 billion gallons of bottled water were sold in the United States.

As a grocery co-manager at the westside store, I have witnessed some members purchase bottled water for other reasons. Some have adverse health reaction to tap water. Others point out the physical challenge of filling containers with purified water at the store. Yet some others have particular sensitivity to the taste that even purified water is intolerable. Knowing that, how could we self-righteously judge them for buying bottled water? I cannot.

At the Co-op, our desire to support Lewis County Water Alliance and to reduce the use of plastic containers in general, eventually led to discontinuing the sale of all bottled water in single-use plastic bottles in early 2020. Yet, there was still a nagging question: Is avoiding plastic single-use bottled water good enough?

As I researched, I discovered that the issue of bottled water is surrounded by a lot of misinformation. For example, contrary to the common belief that bottled water tastes better than tap water, multiple blind-tasting tests show that consumers often cannot tell the difference or even prefer the taste of the tap water. Or even without labeling them as “mis”information, the issue is so multifaceted that it is hard to know what some claims really mean. For instance, can we consider certain containers sustainable only because they can be recycled in many locales? The information that matters is often not found easily and I had to pay attention to what is missing as much as what is stat-ed. As much as I wish I could write this article with certainty and recommend good bottled water to buy, it is not that clear cut. All I can do here is to present some pointers that members might take into consideration when (or if) purchasing bottled water.

Types of water
The Safe Drinking Water Act defines bottled water as a food product. Much like other food products, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has jurisdiction over bottled water. FDA defines bottled water as “water that’s intended for human consumption and sealed in bottles or other containers with no added ingredients, except that it may contain a safe and suitable antimicrobial agent.” Spring water, mineral water, well water, and artesian well water are four types of bottled water under this definition. In addition, purified (or sometimes even untreated) municipal tap water, such as distilled water, is considered bottled water. What is not considered bottled water is flavored and unflavored sparkling water, such as Ever & Ever and La Croix. They are considered soft drinks.

The different types of bottled water become important when considering the environmental impact and quality. From the environmental stand point, pumping out ground water seems to have more impact on the aquifer than surface water or spring water , which by definition flows out of the ground naturally. Implications on water quality will be discussed later under “Quality and Safety.”

Source
Many readers probably already know that the photos and/or illustrations of mountains on the container do not mean the water came from those mountains. It is also known that product names, such as “Poland Spring,” do not indicate which specific springs the water came from. Indeed finding out the exact source of the bottled water from in-formation on the containers or product websites can be challenging because they often give general descriptions like “at the root of Mount Shasta” or “near the 850,000 acre Sumter National Forest.” But why is it important to know the exact location of the source?

A few reasons. First, transparency. Consumers have the right to know if the water comes from multiple spring sources or tap water, how the water is treated (or not), or how the water source is protected. Some believe company transparency is a good indication of a company’s trustworthiness.

Second, the exact location could indicate potential ground water contamination. Factory cattle farming, conventional agriculture, and fracking in a nearby area could have adverse effects on the water quality. Or does it matter if the bottled water was welled in the middle of an industrial park? Consumers can make informed choices if they are given access to the information of water source.

Another reason to find out the source of the water is to avoid contributing to local water deprivation. We should know if the water is coming from a draught-stricken area or an area where their municipal water is unsafe. Whenever possible, it is a good idea to check if there is any dispute between the local residents and the bottling company. If we do not know where the water is coming from, we won’t be able to do the research.

Further, from the environmental standpoint of reducing carbon footprint, it is probably a good idea to choose water coming from somewhere closer to us than farther away. The shorter distance and travel time would also reduce the risk of water contamination during the transportation. I will discuss more on this in the next section.

Quality and Safety
As mentioned earlier, the quality of the bottled water is supposed to be monitored and regulated by the FDA. However, there are many reasons why the water we find in the bottles could be less than optimal in quality and safety.

First, FDA regulations apply only to those products that are sold across state lines, which accounts only for about 30% of bottled water in the market. Even for those 30%, with 2 staff at FDA overseeing more than 700 brands of bottled water, the actual number of bottled water monitored is likely minuscule.

Second, FDA regulations only set the acceptable upper limit of ninety-one contaminants, including coliform bacteria, arsenics, lead, and benzene. Some bottled water manufacturers claim that their spring water is pure and clean because it is filtered through the natural filter of the earth’s layers. To that claim, James Salzman, author of the book Troubled Water, warns that “many things in nature that are water soluble are not good for us. [Also] teeming numbers of microorganisms live in water”. One study by an environmental group, NRDC, reported that 22 percent of more than a thousand bottled waters tested contained more than acceptable levels of chemicals.

Many information sources sensationally report that quite a few bottled waters are in-deed filtered tap water. It is upsetting to know that the tap water that costs $0.01 per gallon is sold at $1.33 after filtration. Yet, when it comes to the safety, filtered tap water is more strictly regulated than spring water. It is ironic that the very chemical agent, chlorine, that many shoppers try to avoid, was what made tap water safe in the US. The safe tap water reduced the sale of bottled water in the early-to-mid 1900s.

This is not to say that all spring water is unsafe or that tap water has better quality. However, just like we do not drink any spring water along our hiking trails, we need to be aware that “fresh water from the ground” is not synonymous with clean and safe drinking water.

Lastly, even when water at the source is of high quality, and the source is protected, the water still faces a risk of contamination during the transportation and storage. The chemical bleaching from the container into the water increases as it travels for a long
time. Further more, contamination could occur if the water is stored in high-temperature environments. This is another reason why the distance between the source as well as the container material matter.

Container
When plastic bottles were first introduced, they were considered a revolutionary solu-tion. Unlike glass they won’t break easily, they are light, and “cheap” to produce. As environmental and health issues around plastic—from pollution during production, chemical contamination of contents during use, and post-usage disposal—become more publicly known, many bottled water manufacturers are moving away from plastic containers. Aluminum, paper, and plant-based plastics are some of the alternative materials for the containers, each claiming “environmentally friendly,” “sustainable,” “re-newable,” “compostable,” and so forth. When looked closely, once again it is not that simple. For instance, the leading paper container, Tetra Pak, is actually made up 74% of paperboard (none of which is recycled from post consumption Tetra Pak,) 22% poly-ethylene (plastic!), and 4% aluminum foil. Furthermore, biodegradable bioplastics are not recyclable in many cities, including Olympia, and will break down only in a high-temperature industrial composting facility, not in your compost bin. While it still seems a good idea to avoid single-use plastic bottles, it is not that simple to pick the best alter-native container.

Manufacturer
Lastly, I highly recommend that consumers run a background check on the manufacturers, in particular their affiliation to multinational corporations. For instance, Crystal Geyser Water Company (a related but separate entity from CG Roxane LLC) is an affiliate of Otsuka Holdings whose parent company is Otsuka Pharmaceutical, a Japan-based multinational corporation. It is important because the issue of ownership is a matter of control. When water is becoming more and more scarce with climate change, and treated as a global commodity much like oil, consumers should be aware of who owns and controls the water.

At the time of this writing (June, 2020), Olympia Food Co-op carries nine bottled waters. The following shows how those products fare with the above-mentioned pointers:

Protecting Washington’s Water
Let us go back to where we started with this article. The Co-op’s decision to stop carrying single-use bottled water in plastic containers was propelled by the desire to support Lewis County Water Alliance’s effort to stop CG Roxane’s proposed bottling facility. The Lewis County Water Alliance’s goal, however, was to further protect their water and rural environment. On February 24, 2020, their efforts bore fruit as Lewis County Board of Commissioners voted to amend Chapter 17.10 of the Lewis County Code, prohibiting the extraction of water for commercial bottling purposes.

At the state level, on January 14, 2020, the Committee on Agriculture, Water, Natural Resources & Parks (Senators Carlyle, Braun, Van De Wege, Rolfes, Nguyen, Saldaña, Das, Billig, and Hasegawa) introduced the bill SB6278 “Concerning water withdrawals for commercial bottled water production” in the Washington State Senate. The bill, which originally stated “any use of water for the commercial production of bottled water is deemed to be detrimental to the public welfare and the public interest,” was clearly intended to protect Washington’s ground and surface water from commercial bottling for good.

The bill passed the Senate with minor amendment and went to the House. In the House, where water bottling companies lobbied heavily, it was amended to protect only surface water. With that, what could have been the ground breaking bill to protect water statewide was considered dead. While Water Alliance was successful in protecting Cowlitz River basin, Washingtonians unfortunately failed to be a national leader in protecting their water from commercial bottling operations.

Water as Basic Human Rights
On July 28, 2010, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution declaring access to clean and safe water as a basic human right. Often times, this declaration is used as the foundation to argue against bottled water across the board. The argument is that water should not be considered a commodity and bottled water — the epitome of the commodification— must be prohibited. Respecting the spirit of the declaration, yet taking a slightly different angle, I wonder what is the role of the Olympia Food Co-op in making desired water more acceptable to the members? The Co-op already offers a reverse osmosis water filter system and BPA-free water containers at both stores. If that is not meeting the needs of the members, what else is needed? In addition to choosing the bottled water wisely, the Co-op might have to consider providing service that makes it easier for the members to take filtered water home. Or can some-one perhaps go fetch water from Olympia’s artesian well for minimal fee? Swimming in the murky water of bottled water issues, creative solutions, like so many other areas of life, might need to be called forth.

SELECTED REFERENCES

Books:
Barlow, Maude. 2013. Blue Future: Protecting Water for People and the Planet Forever
— Monde Barlow is the world leading advocate for the water as basic human rights.

Feldman, David Lewis. 2012. Water
— Good resource for the basics of drinking water from global perspective.

Salzman, James. 2013. Drinking Water: A History
— Historical perspective on drinking water with focus on the USA. Some surprising facts about bottled water long before the modern popularity.

Siegel, Seth M. 2019. Troubled Water.
— Great resource on the safety of drinking water, municipal and bottled.

Videos:
ABC 20/20 Bottled Water vs Tap Water. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3tmdg0Oh7o

Flow: For the Love of Water. official trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGd9D4J0lag

Tapped. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzntuXdE8dY\

The Story of Bottled Water. https://www.storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-bottled-water/
— also on the Story of Stuff Project website are three very informative short documentary videos on water.

Websites:
“Beverage Container Showdown: Plastic vs. Glass vs. Aluminum,” Lauren Murphy, Earth 911, March 27, 2019. https://earth911.com/living-well-being/recycled-beverage-containers/

“Bill Preventing Commercial Water Extraction Dies in House,” Colton Dodgson, The Daily Chronicle, May 13, 2020, http://www.chronline.com/news/bill-preventing-commercial-water-extraction-dies-in-house/article_6a7db46a-6589-11ea-a71e-8358aff452c5.html

“How sustainable are biodegradable and plant-based plastics?,” Tom Szaky, Sustainable Packaging, May 30, 2017, https://www.packagingdigest.com/sustainable-packaging/how-sustainable-are-biodegradable-and-plant-based-plastics-2017-05-30

“Human Rights to Water and Sanitation,” UN Water, https://www.unwater.org/water-facts/human-rights/

“In What World Can You Call Tetra Pak Green?,” Lloyd Alter, Tree Hugger, October 28, 2009, https://www.treehugger.com/corporate-responsibility/in-what-world-can-you-call-tetra-pak-green.html

“Lewis County Leads Bottled Water Battle,” Colton Dodgson, The Daily Chronicle, February 24, 2020, http://www.chronline.com/news/lewis-county-leads-bottled-water-battle/article_af5be0a6-576b-11ea-b001-f3573cdf5d10.html

“Plastic from Plants: Is It an Environmental Boon or Bane?,” David Biello, Scientific America, October 26, 2010, https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-plastic-from-plants-good-for-the-environment-or-bad/

“Tetra Pak v Plastic Bottles Water: Which is Better for the Environment?,” Leon Kaye, The Guardian, May 10, 2011, https://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/tetra-pak-versus-plastic-bottles-water

“The Tetra Pak Versus Plastic & Glass Containers,” Laura Anaya, Drafting Utopia, April 19, 2018, https://draftingutopia.com/2018/04/19/the-tetra-pak-versus-plastic-glass-containers/

“Washington State Committee Fails to Protect Public Water from Bottled Water Extrac-tion,” The Food and Water Watch, February 28, 2020, https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/news/washington-state-committee-fails-to-stop-water-bottle-extraction

Washington State Legislature. SB 6278 Concerning water withdrawals for commercial bottled water production. https://apps.leg.wa.gov/billsummary/?BillNumber=6278&Year=2020&Initiative=false

PDF of article includes footnotes

Thank you to all who participate in our register Round Up! program, contributing to the Community Sustaining Fund’s ability to provide grants for our community!

News from the 2020 Spring Grant of the
Community Sustaining Fund
June 13, 2020

Community Sustaining Fund Spring Grant recipient “Books for Prisoners” gets requests from inmates around the country. With a chapter in Olympia, their work is handled totally by volunteers. A social change aspect of their work centers around their efforts to give marginal communities the opportunity to ask for, and have their needs met. And with the current political strife taking place, not only in the US but globally, their work also addresses the systemic issues of mass incarceration in our prison system, especially the disproportionate number of black people imprisoned.

Prisoners in our various prison facilities are able to request specific books, or simply receive 3-4 books from this organization. These can often serve as a lifeline to the outer world. If a specific book is requested, the volunteers will do their best to find that book, or something similar, sometimes from their own pockets. The only type of books they do not send are ones that promote white supremacy and racism.

Their funding comes primarily through yard sales and benefits, with some of their books coming from Dumpster Values in downtown Olympia. Because of the pandemic, they have not been able to bring in the money regularly needed to ship out books to prisoner requests.

Because the work they are doing for our community was deemed very valuable, because they humbly asked for even less than the grant limit, and because so few applied during this grant cycle, it was decided through our consensus decision-making process to award Books to Prisoners the full amount possible—$1,000, with the stipulation that $250 of those funds be set aside to purchase specific books not available from their book stockpile.

Remaining funds from this cycle will be carried over to add to whatever comes to CSF from Round Ups at the Register at the Olympia Food Co-op. Our next cycle will be held in the Fall of 2020. All donations to CSF are gratefully accepted, whether from Round Ups or from larger donations. We now have PayPal available for donations. www.oly-wa.us/csf

The Co-op will be
CLOSED
on Friday, June 12th, 2020
in solidarity with the
Statewide Silent March and General Strike
Black Lives Matter Seattle-King County

First of all, we thank you wholeheartedly for being loyal members of the Co-op as we all face the difficulties and impacts of the current pandemic. Whether you are able to come shop in our stores or use our Order for Pickup System, we really appreciate your continued support and understanding. We know it can be frustrating when we are experiencing disruptions in the supply chain that impact our ability to provide certain much-needed products.

As we have changed hours and procedures with little notice, your flexibility is recognized and appreciated; and as we move forward, we will strive to improve numerous programs and procedures designed to support the safety of our operations and the community we serve.

We want to say a special thank you to the members who have been making masks for staff and volunteers working in the stores. Your thoughtful efforts mean so much to us. We also want to give special recognition to two local restaurants, Vic’s Pizza and Miso, for generously bringing food to be shared by staff and in-store working members. In times like these it is amazing to be remembered by and reminded that we are part of an incredible community that shows up again and again in kindness and consideration. Thank you all so much.

We are pleased to announce that the Co-op applied for and received a loan through the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) administered by the Small Business Administration and our local bank. The PPP was designed to provide funding so that small businesses can continue to keep their workers on the payroll rather than forcing them into lay-offs and other reductions in force.

The Co-op has a very generous benefits package that includes multiple policies that support family and medical leave. The combination of school closures and the health threats implicit for folks with various medical or age-related needs leads to us paying our workers not only for working but also for staying home caring for their own health and the health of their families. The increased labor costs in a time of reduced sales related to the need for folks to Stay Home/Stay Healthy led us to be concerned about the financial health of the organization. We are grateful that we were able to take advantage of PPP at this time.

We know of so many small/local businesses, for whom this program was designed, that have been unable to access this much needed revenue. We encourage you all to support our local small business community and our local economy by shopping locally whenever possible; many of these businesses are using on-line and/or call-in ordering with curbside pick-up and/or home delivery to ‘keep their doors open’ during this difficult period.

The Board is particularly appreciative of the extraordinary effort that has been put forth by our staff.  A staff task force was quickly organized to deal with the operational challenges that this pandemic has caused. Many staff have worked many overtime hours and all have had to deal with the multiple challenges that COVID-19 has presented us with. All this happened rapidly and the Board is grateful for the resilience, adaptability, and capacity of our staff.

Thanks again for supporting the Olympia Food Co-op.
The Olympia Food Co-op Board of Directors

The Community Sustaining Fund, a continuous recipient of the Co-op’s Round Up! at the registers program, is now accepting applications for their 2020 Spring Grant Cycle.

Special note: in addition to projects meeting the standard criteria, the Community Sustaining Fund is interested in projects geared to address the social and health concerns of the covid-19 pandemic in Thurston County.

2020 Grant Application
Community Sustaining Fund

For more information about the Community Sustaining Fund, here is an article by Desdra Dawning, former Olympia Food Co-op Board Member, from our quarterly Table magazine, published a while back.

Table – Spring 2016 (PDF)

Rounding Up: Community Sustaining Fund at the Co-op Register
By Desdra Dawning, Board Member

As a member of the Co-op Board, I am gifted with many opportunities to engage in community activities. I recently volunteered to serve as an OFC representative at grant cycle meetings of the Community Sustaining Fund (CSF). For some time, I have known about the Round Up at the Register program that the Co-op offers in collaboration with CSF and how it brings in much-needed seed and sustaining funds for local organizations, and occasionally I remember to say “round me up for CSF” when checking out.

However, it took attending two of their meetings to understand how vital to the community their work is, how many organizations depend on their help from time to time, and how our Round Up program can quite easily, with member participation, help bring in these needed funds. With less than a dollar for every “round up,” we can all afford to help!

The most recent grant cycle for CSF—held twice a year— was during the month of November, and with more than 6 groups requesting financial help, I learned that “the ask was double the $2,700 that had been gathered in the last 6 months.” The maximum usually awarded in most cases is $1,000, but with limited funds, all valid requests ended up receiving less than they asked for, with careful consideration over how much could be awarded
to each grantee.

Following an initial meeting with the vetting of applications by the CSF leadership team, six very local groups were determined for funding: Stonewall Youth, South Sound Estuarium, Fertile Ground, Lacey Loves to Read, the Nisqually Land Trust, and Art Forces/Olympia Rafa Mural.

Eric Mapes, fellow OFC Board member, and I sat in on interviews with representatives for each organization. We both have an interest in how the Co-op can more effectively raise funds for the Community Sustaining Fund in our on-going Round Up at the Register program.

Much of the funding for these grants comes from money collected at the Co-op through the Round Up at the Register program. I think of this system as a way that all of us shopping at the Co-op can offer up some “spare change” each time we shop, giving less than a dollar each time, to help build the coffers at CSF and support these and many other local groups who are all doing their best to offer their amazing services to our community.

Mostly, for me, it is about remembering to say “round up for CSF” when my groceries are being checked out at the Co-op check-out line. Simple enough, now I just need to learn to make it a habit to remember, knowing how far my coins can help CSF to spread the wealth!

Did you know the
garden center at the westside is OPEN
5 days a week, 8 hours a day!!
11am – 7pm
Thursday – Monday
(closed Tuesday & Wednesday)

And, did you know you can Order for Pickup?!

The Co-op is offering order/pickup service to members
during the COVID-19 pandemic at our
Eastside location Google maps

Please be aware that this is an emergency system, created in haste, so that the greatest number of members can access food from the Co-op while promoting social distancing. We are not able to list specific items for sale, and we cannot guarantee that your choices will be available. Sorry, we cannot accept returns for order/pickup purchases.

The procedure for using this service is as follows:

1. You place an order using our online form. For each item, you’ll specify whether or not you’re willing to accept a substitute. If you’re willing to accept a substitution, we will make every attempt to find a suitable one. You’ll be charged for the substitute item.

2. Orders placed by noon will be filled that evening for you to pick up the next day. You will get a confirmation Email several hours after you submit your order. Our system is completely manual – not automatic! Please be patient and do not call the store to confirm your order.

3. After you’ve placed your order, a staff member will shop for and pack up your groceries. Staff will contact you by telephone within one day to let you know the total cost, and to take your card payment by phone. Sorry, we cannot accept cash or checks for order/pickup purchases.

4. Once you’ve paid for your order, the staff member will let you know when and where to pickup your order.

5. You’ll come to the back door of the Co-op at the specified time and pickup your order.

*** These times are approximate. Due to unprecedented demand and our own capacity, it may take as long as 48 hours before your order is ready. We so appreciate your patience and understanding as we try to meet the needs of everyone. ****

****PLEASE NOTE*****

Some Select FROZEN FOODS are Available
Click here for more info

MEMBERS ONLY

NO REFUNDS/RETURNS

NO ADD-ONS AFTER YOUR ORDER IS PLACED

NO SPECIAL ORDERS OR FULL CASES, AND NO BULK QUANTITIES GREATER THAN 5 LBS.

Order for Pickup at the Eastside
ORDER FORM

The Olympia Food Co-op
will be closed May 1st
for International Workers Day in solidarity with striking workers around the world

OLYMPIA FOOD CO-OP
COVID19 RESPONSE & PROTOCOLS

Dear Co-op Community,

The health and well-being of our customers, staff, volunteers and suppliers is our utmost concern at this time. We are working quickly to respond to ever changing conditions and want to update you on our current protocols in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our goal is to keep both of our stores open and safe to provide food and essential supplies. Social distancing and sanitizing routines are our priorities to achieve that goal. We are asking customers to cooperate with the following requests and changes:

Store Hours Have Changed
Eastside open 9am – 7pm
Westside open 9am – 1pm and 2pm – 7 pm

• • Our supply chain has been stressed by recent weeks of heavy shopping. As stated by Governor Inslee, “There is no need to hoard food or supplies. Everyone needs to only buy what they need, and they need to remember when they overbuy, those things are taken away from their neighbors and others who need them now.”
  • Do not come to our stores if you are sick and displaying communicable symptoms or are in high-risk categories. We are working on an order and pickup system of groceries for those who cannot or should not come into the stores; we hope to have it in place next week. If you have friends or neighbors you can ask to shop for you until then, please do so.
  • We are limiting the number of customers shopping at one time. Customers will be limited to 20 shoppers at the Eastside and 10 at the Westside.Please send in only one person per household if possible.
  • Maintain social distance with other shoppers and staff as much as possible. At least six feet of space is recommended.
  • Gloves have been provided for customers throughout the store, we ask you to use them especially for bulk and produce shopping
  • Plexiglass has been installed at registers to separate Cashiers from Customers
  • We are asking that you stand six feet from Cashiers after placing your items on the conveyer belt
  • We are asking customers to suspend the use of reused containers and bags at this time, though using your own shopping bags for self bagging is acceptable. Our reused container areas have been closed until further notice
  • The eating area at the Eastside store is closed until further notice
  • In an effort to make more food available to more people, we are not able to take special orders for our bulk department at this time. This includes any bags or boxes in bulk quantities and other special orders may be affected as well
  • All sampling and tabling has been canceled. Health and body care testers have been removed
  • Please avoid touching your face while at the Co-op, and utilize hand washing stations as much as possible

Staff and Working Member Protocols

• • We are asking any worker who is sick or concerned about exposure to stay home. We offer comprehensive sick leave to our staff
  • Workers are being asked to frequently wash hands using soap and water or hand sanitizer during shifts as recommended by health officials and to wear gloves and masks when appropriate as well
  • We are increasing our emphasis and frequency of cleaning and sanitizing, especially for those items that are commonly touched by customers or staff alike
  • Workers are encouraged to use social distancing best practices and any possible remote work and meetings conditions are being utilized

Online Order for Pickup Service

We are offering order/pickup service to members during the COVID-10 pandemic. Please be aware that this is an emergency system, created in haste, so that the greatest number of members can accesss food from the Co-op while promoting social distancing. For more information, visit  Order for Pickup

More changes and protocols may be developed as are changing quickly. Thank you for your support, understanding, flexibility and patience with our workers and with each other as we work together to make it through this difficult time.

In Cooperation,
The Staff Collective of the Olympia Food Co-op

The Westside Garden Center is still Open!
Thursday thru Monday
11 am to 7 pm
(closed Tuesday & Wednesday)

Both east and west Co-ops have so many wonderful
local veggie starts
seeds
seed potatoes
soils & compost
flower bulbs
and more!

The Garden Center is trying to maintain
normal hours as much as possible.

If we do need to close due to staffing shortages,
you can still see a staff member in the main store
for assistance with garden items.

We are limiting to
one shopper at a time
inside the indoor portion
of the Garden Center

Thank you!
Garden Center Staff

The new store hours will begin
Monday, April 6, 2020
and continue through the end of April

Eastside
9am to 7pm
everyday

Westside
9am to 1pm & 2pm to 7pm
everyday

Westside Garden Center
11am to 7pm
Thursday through Monday
closed Tuesday & Wednesday

Temporary Limited Hours
Starting Thursday, March 26

Eastside Store
9am to 6pm
Everyday

Westside Store
9am to 1pm AND
2pm to 9pm
Everyday

Westside Garden Center
11am to 7pm
Thursday thru Monday only

Our revised East and West store hours will be in effect seven days per week and are necessary to keep working towards clean, well stocked shelves, and adequate space for shoppers practicing social distancing. To this effect we are continuing to limit customer counts East to 20 and West to 7 – 10.

Inventory Updates
The supply of grocery items continues to improve and our perishable departments of produce, meat, cheese are dairy are also generally well stocked. Due to increased demand and inconsistencies in shipping volume, we are still unable to take special orders at this time.

Order and Pick Up System has had some successes (its popular!) and some challenges. We are suspending the system for several days as we catch up on orders, improve staffing, and make adjustments to improve it’s sustainability. If you’ve already place an order, it will be filled and we will call you with payment and pickup instructions. Please wait for us to call you and don’t call or come to the store until instructed to do so. Thank you for your patience and support as we learn together.

Saturday, March 21, 2020.

Dear Co-op Shoppers,

In an effort to promote the safest possible social distancing in our stores, the Co-op has decided to limit the number of customers shopping at one time.

We will be making adjustments to this process as we go and are learning with every step. Thank you for your patience and understanding. For now, customers will be limited to 20 shoppers at the Eastside and 10 at the Westside.

To help with store crowding, if you are able to send in only one person per household that will help.

In addition, due to stresses placed on our supply system, we are unable to take special orders at this time for any department. We will go back to supplying special orders as soon as we can.

We will be announcing the steps to begin an order and pickup system on Monday, March 23 which will also help our efforts to continue to get food to our community.

Thank you for your patience and understanding,
The Staff and Board of the Olympia Food Co-op

Both East and West Co-ops will open late Saturday, March 21, by 11 AM. We apologize for the inconvenience but find it necessary to safely restock our shelves, thoroughly clean and work towards better social distancing measures in response to the continued spread of COVID-19 in our area. Please stay tuned for more updates about limits to customers in the stores and the beginning of our order and pick up service starting early next week.

Thank you as always for your support and community spirit as we work together to keep providing good food to more people.

In cooperation,
The Staff Collective of the Olympia Food Co-op

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Dear Co-op Community,

The health and well-being of our customers, staff, volunteers and suppliers is our utmost concern at this time. We are working quickly to respond to ever changing conditions and want to update you on our current protocols in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our goal is to keep both of our stores open and safe to provide food and essential supplies. Social distancing and sanitizing routines are our priorities to achieve that goal. We are asking customers to cooperate with the following requests and changes:

• Our supply chain has been stressed by recent weeks of heavy shopping. Today, Thursday, we are still waiting for a large delivery that was expected Monday. We do still expect it to arrive and will be able to restock the shelves with many items, though not everything will be available. As stated by Governor Inslee, “There is no need to hoard food or supplies. Everyone needs to only buy what they need, and they need to remember when they overbuy, those things are taken away from their neighbors and others who need them now.”
• Do not come to our stores if you are sick and displaying communicable symptoms or are in high-risk categories. We are working on an order and pickup system of groceries for those who cannot or should not come into the stores; we hope to have it in place next week. If you have friends or neighbors you can ask to shop for you until then, please do so.
• Maintain social distance with other shoppers and staff as much as possible, 6 feet of space is recommended.
• Gloves have been provided for customers throughout the store, we ask you to use them especially for bulk and produce shopping
• We are asking customers to suspend the use of reused containers and bags at this time, though using your own shopping bags for self bagging is acceptable. Our reused container areas have been closed until further notice
• The eating area at the Eastside store is closed until further notice
• In an effort to make more food available to more people, we are not able to take special orders for our bulk department at this time. This includes any bags or boxes in bulk quantities and other special orders may be affected as well
• All sampling and tabling has been canceled. Health and body care testers have been removed
• Coffee service will still be available but cannot be dispensed with bare hands, use gloves or single use tissues provided
• Please avoid touching your face while at the Co-op, and utilize hand washing stations as much as possible (mobile stations will be installed soon)
• Store hours may be affected soon and we will offer as much notice as possible if we do need to change our open hours

Staff and worker protocols:

• • We are asking any worker who is sick or concerned about exposure to stay home. We offer comprehensive sick leave to our staff
  • Workers are being asked to frequently wash hands using soap and water or hand sanitizer during shifts as recommended by health officials and to wear gloves when appropriate as well
  • We are increasing our emphasis and frequency of cleaning and sanitizing, especially for those items that are commonly touched by customers or staff alike
  • Workers are encouraged to use social distancing best practices and any possible remote work and meetings are being utilized

More changes and protocols may be developed as conditions are changing quickly. Thank you for your support, understanding, flexibility and patience with our workers and with each other as we work together to make it through this difficult time.

In Cooperation,
The Staff Collective of the Olympia Food Co-op

To Our Co-op Community:

The health and safety of our Co-op community is our highest priority. As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread throughout the country, we want to share some of the actions the Co-op is taking to help protect our community.

As this situation continues to evolve, we will closely monitor guidance from local health officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC updates). We will continue to rely on their recommendations and expertise to inform our decisions.

As a result, we are:

• Increasing the frequency and rigor of cleaning and sanitization in our retail stores and office environments.
• Based on the guidance we’ve received and the actions we’ve taken, our stores remain open for business and we’re doing all we can to make sure our shoppers have access to food and essential supplies. Some items are out of stock and not available, but we will continue to work with our distributors to keep out of stocks at a minimum.
• The Co-op offers comprehensive sick leave to our staff who miss work due to illness or to care for sick family members, and we are asking any worker experiencing fever, cough and/or shortness of breath to stay home and contact their doctor.
• We are actively preparing for staff to work remotely when possible, and to support those who are in the CDC’s identified higher risk categories to stay home or work remotely as able.
• Encouraging shoppers to utilize our hand washing stations, sanitizing wipes, gloves, and single use paper tissues in our stores to help prevent the spread of the virus.

All of us at the Co-op understand that this issue is cause for concern to many, and we offer our deepest sympathies to those who have already been affected. Rest assured that as circumstances continue to develop, one thing will remain the same: we will make our decisions with the health and well-being of our members, customers, staff, working members, distributors, and communities as our highest priority.

In cooperation,
The Olympia Food Co-op Staff Collective

CDC’s chart of Stop the Spread of Germs 

CDC’s chart of Share Facts about COVID-19 

the westside garden center is now OPEN!
Thursday – Monday
10am – 6pm

starts and seeds and so much more!

The Co-op’s very own
Pop Up Bakery
at the
westside garden center!

February 14 – 16, 2020
Friday – Sunday
11am – 6pm

Featuring baked goods from the personal recipes of
our talented deli staff.

Dear Customers,

The Co-op Deli Kitchen is being remodeled! Work will start Saturday,
February 8th and we will have to close the kitchen for 6 weeks (if all
goes to schedule…).

We will do our best to continue to provide Co-op Salad Bar salads,
soups, and sandwiches as “grab n go” items (working from an offsite
kitchen). Soups will be sold cold, but can be heated in our new
microwave near the eating area!

We apologize for the inconvenience for fans of the salad bar but the
Deli team looks forward (along with Cheese and Bulk Dept. folks!) to
working in a larger and safer kitchen. Updates will be posted on the
Olympia Food Co-op website and on social media.

Thank you for your support over the years!
Olympia Food Co-op Deli Collective

This week and month can be very challenging for our loved ones and community members who have Native/Indigenous heritage. For me, working in the natural food industry during the busiest week of the year, selling food for a holiday that historically celebrated genocide, and the fact that our collectively-run organization must do this to survive financially, brings this into sharp focus.

Here are just a few of the things that have helped me continue to learn how to be an ally the best way I can:

1. Listen, pay attention, and check in! Not everyone has the same feelings or needs around this week.

2. Read and learn about history and current events of Native people in this place. Read “There, There” by Tommy Orange and other Indigenous authors. Have conversations around your tables.

3. Be humble about your mistakes. We all mess up sometimes!

4. Talk to other people about how to take action! Follow the lead of Indigenous movements and community members.

5. Use the USDAC (U.S. Department of Arts & Culture) “Honor Native Lands” toolkit, as recommended by Jaclyn Roessel, Director of Decolonized Futures & Radical Dreams, which you can download.

6. Check out these resources also recommended by Jaclyn Roessel:

Please read “The Invention of Thanksgiving” by Philip Deloria, published in the New Yorker this week.

An annotated book list from the First Nations Development Institute

Participate in Indigenous-led actions such as the Climate Strike on November 29th Bureau of Energy, Power, and Art.

With respect,
Jenn Susan
Staff Collective Member

Image from the USDAC website: As part of this campaign to #HonorNativeLand, we partnered with Native artists to create downloadable signs that you can print, customize, and post in your community.

Both Co-op locations will be open on
November 28th, 2019

8am – 5pm

The staff collective would like to recognize the diversity within our community. If you have thoughts on our store hours we would love to hear from you! Email here

A message from
Jaclyn Roessel
Director of Decolonized Futures & Radical Dreams
US Department of Arts & Culture
November 22, 2019

Growing up as a Diné woman, I was taught to carry on my cultural practices of reverence for land and place. I was molded by the beliefs, prayers, and encouragement of my parents and grandmothers, and was raised hearing stories of our creation—stories that relate us to the world around us. In my community, fall brings with it a full of appreciation of the harvest and new practices to welcome the colder months.

While this time is filled with reverence internally, outside of my community the fall season is also full of cringe-worthy debacles. Between the racist costumes that arise around Halloween, the offensive mascots that storm the field, and the continued perpetuation of the false history of Thanksgiving, this season is challenging as a Native person.

Since the 1990s, the federal government has declared November “Native American Heritage Month.” This year, however, the White House made another tactical effort to malign Native communities and Nations, proclaiming November as “National American History and Founders Month.” The announcement centers colonizers and “founding fathers,” invisibilizing the Indigenous people whose land was taken and the millions of Indigenous lives lost since contact because of genocide.

As Philip Deloria asks in his essay, “The Invention of Thanksgiving,” “how does one take on a myth?” At the USDAC we know that is not as simple as saying Indigenous peoples “are still here.” These times call on all of us to deconstruct the myths and falsehoods related to the “founding” of this country, and to work in active solidarity with Native communities. At the USDAC, we want to offer a few ways we might start.

Photo of Jaclyn Roessel by Warren Montoya

Start Conversations + Take Action

• • • Begin conversation around your turkey dinner this year. Use the USDAC’s #HonorNativeLand Toolkit to investigate whose land you’re gathering on and offer a land acknowledgment as a way of opening conversation. Discuss with your loved ones the history you learned or didn’t learn about Native peoples. Brainstorm together how can you move beyond acknowledgment and into allyship and action. Is there a commitment you can make together to learning more about the history of the Indigenous communities that have inhabited the land you occupy? Are there Indigenous-led organizations in your community that you can support?

• • • Understand that 100% of the land this country is on is occupied Native land. All. Of. It. In the video “The ‘Indian Problem’” Suzan Harjo shares, “There was no land brought here, the land here was Native Nations’.” She shares the power of myths and falsehoods and how critical they are to the continual dispossession of Native Peoples of their land.

• • • Join the movement to recognize Native American history as American History. This social media campaign is working to visually represent how there would be no American History without the Native American contributions, protection and stewardship of Turtle Island (the above photo of me is part of this campaign).

• • • Read up! Here’s a great, annotated list of selections from the First Nations Development Institute.

• • • Indigenous peoples and communities are on the frontlines of the protection of Earth Mother. USDAC, has been working to support Climate Strikes through the USDAC Bureau of Energy, Power, and Art. We feel strongly this intersection is one we will grow in the next year and encourage you to show up for the next Global Strike on Friday, November 29th.

When I dream of future worlds, I see one that includes and centers Indigenous peoples through a true telling of history, where Native sovereignty and culture is protected and Native land recognized and stewarded with respect. When you understand the history of this country and the treatment of my ancestors, you understand how truly radical this dream is.

Ahe’hee,

Jaclyn Roessel
USDAC Director of Decolonized Futures & Radical Dreams

Our Anti Oppression Coordinators have recommended the book,
500 Nations: An Illustrated History of North American Indians, by Alvin M. Josephy Jr.,
for staff to learn more about the history of Thanksgiving.

Starting on page 206, a beautiful story is woven of native homes, abundant food resources, spirituality, and a brief overview of the political structure of the many villages in the New England area. As the story continues, we learn the history of the beginnings of our Thanksgiving holiday.

The Co-op News, editors note, November 1997.

Member BALLOT – BEER & WINE STATEMENT pdf
The Olympia Food Co-op Elections 2019
Voting open October 15 – November 15, 2019

Voting information & online voting links found here

The Ballot Measure
“Should the Olympia Food Co-op add beer, wine, and other low alcohol beverages to the product mix?”

Background
In 2000, the Co-op held an advisory ballot in which a majority of voting members were in favor of the stores carrying beer and wine, however the Board decided against carrying these products at that time.

In 2018, the Co-op Beer & Wine Task Force completed a Member Engagement Survey, Department Mission Statement, and Project Budget. Between September 25th and October 4th of 2018, the Beer & Wine Task Force surveyed 1588 Co-op members, of which, 1128 (71%) approved of the Co-op carrying beer, wine, and hard cider.

In 2019, the Co-op Board of Directors consented to placing a binding measure to carry these products on the upcoming fall election ballot. In 2019, there were two Co-op Conversations where members were invited to participate in discussion and feedback, with staff and Board Members.

Co-op Conversation & Member Feedback
During the Co-op Conversation, Board Members, Member Relations, and the Beer & Wine Task Force presented their research, and following a question and answer period, the Conversation participants wrote their ideas and concerns on large papers. Then groups were formed for discussions, the three main topics focused around: how shall we merchandise, how to support members in recovery, and our product line limits.

Suggestions coming out of these discussions included: carry only local, regional, organic, sustainable products to make us unique and distinguishable from other supermarkets; donate resources, coffee, goods, sponsorship funds to addiction recovery programs (Co-op should research reliable services); place product above children’s eye-level; locate distributors who already deliver to co-ops; sell beer on tap from keg to refillable growler; place products behind plastic or behind the Customer Service Desk; house the products in one store or an adjacent building; have a “no alcohol” line at the registers; place information for addiction recovery in product display cases; make products available for special order.

Statement Against
By Joanne McCaughan, Board Member
October 2019

Beer and Wine Sales at the Olympia Food Co-op: Statement Against

1. The Olympia Food Co-op has operated successfully for more than 40 years without the sale of beer/wine or other alcoholic beverages.
2. Our stores provide a safe space for shoppers in our community who choose not to have alcohol in their lives, either as a matter of personal choice, religious belief systems, or due to alcohol addiction.
3. We have very limited storage space available in either store, and alcohol products must be securely stored.
4. Modifications would be needed to each store to display, secure, and manage inventory to ensure it is not accessible to minors, and to prevent theft.
5. Training for staff and volunteers will be mandatory to ensure legal compliance; unlawful sales may lead to criminal prosecution of individual staff or volunteer cashiers.

Pro Beer and Wine Statement
Fred Medlicott Olympia Food Co-op Board of Directors
November 3, 2019

1. Sale of beer and wine would create a significant source of new revenue for the Co-op, with some estimates of a $5 increase per average customer basket. (We are currently cutting hours and expenditures to cover budget shortfalls instead of expending into a larger store as requested by our membership.)

2. Due to the quick turnover and more frequent delivery of beer and wine, there will be little additional storage required for back stock.

3. No modification to store buildings will be necessary. Utilizing existing retail space more efficiently while placing one 4×5 wine rack and one 4×5 beer cooler at each location will not displace the foods Co-op shoppers are now buying.

4. Providing local, regional, organic, cooperatively and sustainably produced beer and wine would further our mission goals: a) to make human effects on the earth positive and renewing; b) support local production; c) provide information about food; d) assist in the development of local community resources; e) increase democratic process; and f) see to the long-term health of the business.

5. By not carrying beer and wine, we’re losing grocery sales to stores that do (for the convenience of one stop shopping.)

6. By installing a software program at the registers, transactions involving beer and wine would be frozen until the customers’ ID information was entered, ensuring legal compliance with age restrictions.

7. Cashiers who are underage or have religious or other issues with selling beer and wine would not be required to do so.

8. The Co-op is committed to acting responsibly in the community and will place resources for preventing addiction at each retail display featuring beer or wine.

9. In the year 2000, the Committee-op membership voted to carry beer and wine on an advisory ballot. Then again in 2018, an online member survey identified 71% of a total of 1631 members as favoring the addition of beer, wine and hard cider to the list of available Co-op product.

For addition information
Article in the Table, Summer 2019, pdf
by Staff Members of the Beer & Wine Task Force

Join the Olympia Food Co-op for our
42nd Annual
Membership Meeting!

Saturday, November 2nd
11am – 2pm

222 Columbia St NW
Downtown Olympia

Meet the Board Candidates
Staff & Board Reports
Catered Lunch
& Music from Citizens Band

Membership is ownership! Thank you for participating in our democratic process.

election held October 15 – November 15, 2019
vote online or in either store

Board Candidates PDF

Statement on Ballot Measure PDF

2019 Member Ballot PDF

ONLINE VOTING
scroll to view the Board candidate’s essays
CLICK HERE TO CAST YOUR ONLINE VOTE
(takes you to Survey Monkey)

VOTING IN THE STORES
ballot boxes available at both stores
8am – 9pm everyday

2019 Member Ballot

All active members of the Olympia Food Co-op, with current contact information on file, are eligible to participate in the election process. Results will be posted on our website by November 22nd.

I. Please choose only two (2) Candidates for the Board of Directors:

Tami Bennett
Jace Denton
Jon “Eppo” Epstein
Linda Myers
John O’Brien
Cristina Rodriguez
Trudy Springer
Bruce Wilkinson

II. Please select either “yes” or “no” to the following question:

Should Olympia Food Co-op add beer, wine, and other low alcohol beverages
to the product mix?

STATEMENT ON BALLOT MEASURE pdf

Meet Your Candidates for Co-op Board of Directors

Candidates were asked the following questions:

• • Why do you want to be on the Co-op Board of Directors?
  • What general abilities and skills would you bring to the Board?
  • What vision do you have for the Co-op?
  • What else would you like to share?

Tami Bennett

Why do you want to be on the Co-op Board of Directors?
I want to be in the Co-op Board of Directors because I love the diversity and culture the Co-op brings to a community!

What general abilities and skills would you bring to the Board?
My general abilities include leadership, teaching, and accomplishing set goals, and providing safe environment. I am creative and enthusiastic about social services and environmental potentials.

What vision do you have for the Co-op?
The vision I have for the coop is to provide a safe, educational, supportive fun place, where a community can come and enjoy not only shopping but learn about resources that provide knowledge on how to participate in self sustainability and renewable resources, health and wellness, community life skills and life skills in general. Having people in the community coming to the coop all year round for the seasonal forums, classes or events. To build a stronger more dependable community of resources and knowledge for the people in our community.

Jace Denton

Why do you want to be on the Co-op Board of Directors?
I have enjoyed working on various cooperative committees within my community, including the Procession of the Species and Eco-planning Committee at the Co-op. Co-ops are formed to meet the specific and changing needs of our workers and members. I want to be on the Board because I want to hear more about our members and Working Members’ needs. I believe in the wide diversity of people who use the Co-op and I believe the diverseness of our Board should reflect this in the Board members, the communities, and the voices they represent. I want to be a Board member to help bring more representation of queer people and voices of the community I am a part of to the Board.

What general abilities and skills would you bring to the Board?
I have a background in graphic design, website design and management, marketing, social media marketing, and entrepreneurship. I have used these skills as part of my work with local organizations such as Peace, Love & Raw and The Procession of the Species, and I will bring these to the Board. I also feel that having younger people on the Board would breathe new life into the Co-op and the Board. My personal goal is to be the youngest person to sit on the Board to date. I am passionate and hard worker in everything I do. In addition, I will bring my great customer service to the Board to build a stronger link of communication between the Board and our members.

What vision do you have for the Co-op?
We are seeing a shift towards a more ecological mindset, both in Olympia and within our society as a whole. With eco-friendly businesses growing throughout Olympia, my vision for the co-op includes following these other businesses in supporting plant based living, as well as plastic free. This includes educating our members on how to live a more eco friendly lifestyle, making veganism and zero waste accessible to everyone. I believe in supporting and networking with other businesses that align with the values of our co-op, including bringing more good food to more people, supporting local production, and maintaining and ecological mindset. I recently went to the Mount Vernon Co-op, which also has a separate bakery and restaurant. My hope for our Co-op is that we can expand into having our own restaurant and bakery, continuing our mission of bringing more sustainable food to more people.

What else would you like to share?
I want to become a member of the board because I am interested in learning more about how co-ops are run, specifically from this position. I am looking to better round out my understandings of co-operatives and help grow up other co-ops in the future.

Jon “Eppo” Epstein

Why do you want to be on the Co-op Board of Directors?
Just looking to serve my community. I’m an original member from 1977 and have never served on the Board to date.

What general abilities and skills would you bring to the Board?
I have relevant skills and abilities gained from experience serving on other non-profit boards including Evergreen State College Alumni Association, Sustaining Fund, Traditional Arts Council of Olympia, and the Thurston County Fair.

What vision do you have for the Co-op?
To have the business remain financially sound in order to provide good jobs, support local farms, provide healthy food choices for customers, and contribute to a thriving local community.

What else would you like to share?
I’ve been a working member since the Co-op opened on Columbia Street in downtown Olympia in 1977. I volunteered as a cheese-packager until the Co-op moved to their Westside location around 1980 where I served as a cashier until 2007. Since then I’ve volunteered staffing the Free Store.

Linda Myers

Why do you want to be on the Co-op Board of Directors?
I moved to Olympia four years ago and found ‘my people’ at the Olympia Food Co-op. I soon joined and then signed up to be a Working Member Cashier. I’ve served two-and-a-half years on the Member Relations Committee, a Board Committee. Through these experiences I’ve learned much about the culture and community of the Co-op. The Board of Directors holds ultimate legal responsibility for the operations and actions of the Co-op and I am ready to step up to the plate and help take on that responsibility.

What general abilities and skills would you bring to the Board?
Prior to moving to Olympia I was the Business Manager of an independent elementary school in New Jersey. While working there for 25 years I learned all aspects of the school’s business office, such as: preparing budgets; accounts payable; accounts receivable; bookkeeping; insurance and payroll & benefits. I believe this skillset would serve the Co-op Board well in critically reviewing budgets and other financial aspects of running the organization.
I was also a very involved volunteer in the Property Owners’ Association where I lived, sharing responsibility for overseeing and maintaining the community’s many common properties and for offering activities for the residents. During my fifteen-year tenure as a Board member I served on many committees, as well as three years as Treasurer and three years as Board President.

What vision do you have for the Co-op?
I envision the Co-op continuing to be a thriving community hub and great resource for “providing wholesome foods and other goods and services,” as noted in our Mission Statement. In order to provide top notch services to our members and greater workplace safety for our staff, I believe we must strive to find a new location with more floor space, ample room for a large kitchen and deli, adequate warehouse space, produce prep area and comfortable staff restrooms and rest areas. By creating a safe and inviting work environment for all of our workers everyone will benefit.

What else would you like to share?
My most profound life experience was spending 12 years of my 20’s and 30’s living in community at The Farm, a large commune in Tennessee. During the first 10 years it was truly communal – no private money and we held all things in common. “We” built a village with limited resources. Our babies were delivered at home by our midwives & our kids attended our own school. We lived in buses and tents until we built houses. We put up water towers and dug water lines. We grew most of the food to feed ourselves; we were vegan. I worked with the farming crew, tending to vegetables in the fields. I helped in our canning & freezing facility, putting up food for the winter. I managed our store, purchasing the items we couldn’t grow or make ourselves. I helped manage our produce market in town, selling our excess produce. The Community grew too large (from 250 to 1,300+ people) and with much consternation, the community agreed to change from a communal structure to a collective, with each adult responsible for their share of the expenses. The Farm Community is still thriving today and I would love to bring these skills and experiences to the Board to help our Co-op community thrive and grow.

John O’Brien

Why do you want to be on the Co-op Board of Directors?
My reasons for requesting consideration for a board position include but are limited to the following: My wife Maia and I have been Co-op members since moving to Olympia about 15 years ago. This in no small part because at that time it was the one and only go-to place of organic groceries. I also have more than one late-onset food intolerance. I know from personal experience the challenges of medically necessary food restrictions. The Co-op has been instrumental in my ability to survive and I daresay thrive in Thurston County. Survival of the Co-op I consider to be personally a shared reality inextricably linked to my own. My most significant chronic health challenges are manageable only by strict dietary restriction. I am a living example of Hippocrates’ admonition, “Let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food.”

What general abilities and skills would you bring to the Board?
I bring to the Board my life experiences including a four plus decade career as a Physician’s Assistant. As a teenager, I was deeply sensitized to the power and value of biodynamically-grown organic herbs from direct contact on a farm in my home state of Rhode Island. Prior to moving to Olympia, I spent a years’ internship on a biodynamic farm in Australia. I managed to hold my own in areas essential to farm operation including metalwork, welding, forestry, small and large equipment operation maintenance and repair many not considered part of farming.

What vision do you have for the Co-op?
My vision for the coop involves acknowledgement of the evolution of the marketplace to include the inevitable dilution and pushback against organic certification by monetary and political dynamics. I would like to see the coop ride the crest of the wave of acceptance with expansion of its role as community leader by example of cooperative vs. competitive business model and expansion of its educational role as the value of to sustainable equitable distribution of food to an informed community which regards farmers as teachers and healers. I am also deeply concerned that the coop is aware of and directly addresses maintaining relevance in the rapidly expanding food landscape. We should planning for and addressing meeting the educational, ethical, environmental and moral imperatives of healthy sustainable food for people the planet and all its’ inhabitants.

Cristina Rodriguez

Why do you want to be on the Co-op Board of Directors?
Food systems has been my lifelong passion since I was a teenager working as volunteer Community Health Lay Leader (Promotora) serving the Washington farm workers providing food on our tables. This community work took place at community health centers as well as at rural migrant labor camps throughout Washington. It was my exposure to the fieldwork, learning about farm worker malnutrition, stepping onto their labor sites, and visiting their substandard housing conditions that left a lasting impression on my conscience, ultimately shedding light on the complexities behind our food system. Agricultural labor planted the seeds of knowledge in my mind and over time, my understanding branched out to focus on the diverse aspects of our food system: nutrition, health, environment, local foods, seed sovereignty, socio-economic abilities, labor, etc. Eventually, I incorporated agriculture and food sovereignty into my undergraduate and graduate research pursuits.

What general abilities and skills would you bring to the Board?
My education, leadership, and career history demonstrate the many leadership roles that I have had the pleasure to navigate into present day. The nature of this Co-op Board position requires many skills to responsibly promote a healthy, community-based local food system environment. My experience supervising, training, directing, and delegating tasks for a team have helped me learn to balance responsibilities and hone in on the skills each individual has within an organization. Decolonized leadership includes lifting people up and empowering them into harmonized synchronicity, where each individual’s unique quality is appreciated and utilized. I remain conscious about our societal reality that we, human beings, work in a system that inevitably values production over well-being. Whether it be internal or external Co-op labor, I would focus on providing each person’s contribution the acknowledgement and appreciation that is deserved.

What vision do you have for the Co-op?
As consumers completely dependent on food for survival, we need to envision what a Utopian society looks like where we have a say in the way our food system is managed. We are reaching a point in this current political climate where human beings are essential to this symbiotic relationship with Mother Earth. Our responsibilities are to protect the environment and engage in food sovereignty as a collective community taking part in the food system. Food is much more complex than sustenance – it is a pathway into community, resilience, culture, and survival. The Olympia Food Co-op has taken tremendous steps toward food sovereignty. My holistic vision can add another perspective so that we can move forward and make the next generations proud of their ecological inheritance.

What else would you like to share?
Agriculture is in my blood and food has been at the forefront of my mind since my early upbringing. I can trace agriculture back to my roots in Guatemala. My father comes from a long line of farmers who practices traditional stewardship of the Central American land along the Pacific Ocean. My father went to a private agricultural boarding school to master agrarian skills. He eventually became an agronomist after university in Guatemala. His reality led to enduring the Guatemalan civil war and in order to survive, he immigrated to the U.S. and started his American education journey from ground zero. He eventually became a Pacific Northwest Fish and Wildlife Biologist for the federal government. Conversations about nutrition, land restoration, indigenous land rights, seed sovereignty, etc. were all dinner table conversations during my childhood and early adulthood. This passion continued throughout my education and into my career where I work in the agricultural public policy and labor standards fields.

Trudy Springer

Why do you want to be on the Co-op Board of Directors?
As a Co-op member for over twenty years, witnessing growth and challenges, and as a Working Member for over four years, working with the friendly, dedicated Staff, I want to be more involved in helping the Co-op continue to grow, expand and serve our growing membership. Through fifty years in the work force, I have a deep understanding of the strength diversity in staff and membership brings to an organization.

What general abilities and skills would you bring to the Board?
I would bring to the board my experience as a community organizer, including strong communication skills and success in working with diverse groups. Strengths in planning, drafting agendas, brainstorming and conflict resolution.

What vision do you have for the Co-op?
I bring a commitment to improve communication and transparency with the staff, board and working members to strengthen those relationships. I can help develop strong, healthy interpersonal relationships to help us meet the challenges of growth and community commitments.

What else would you like to share?
I believe my work at the Martin Luther King Ecumenical Center and the Pierce County AIDS Foundation in Tacoma has given me training and skills that will greatly benefit leadership development and cultural sensitivity.

Bruce Wilkinson

Why do you want to be on the Co-op Board of Directors?
The Co-op helped me fall in love with Olympia. I want it to thrive and now I have the time to give back in a way that I am capable. I graduated from Evergreen with a focus in political economics, ecology and Latin America studies. I have been on the board of several nonprofits and a member of grassroots organizations locally that the Co-op has generously supported. I am a big supporter of the cooperative model. I understand some of the difficult challenges the Co-op faces in terms of growth, community engagement, worker solidarity and more. I feel I can help bridge some of these challenges going forward on a path toward the vision.

What general abilities and skills would you bring to the Board?
I’ve experience in navigating consensus based decision making models and feel comfortable with respect for great process. These skills come from over a decade of grassroots organization training in meeting process, nonviolent communication, anti-oppression and more have found that I am skilled in personal flexibility when it comes to figuring out and doing what’s needed. Professionally, I have a strong background in communications work, marketing and campaign management. Currently I work as an arborist. I’d be happy to trim the trees for health but my other skills are more applicable. All of the board committees sound interesting to me. I am a thoughtful person of principal who puts in the work to make things right for consensus decisions. However I am also willing to roll up my sleeves and solve issues directly if that is what is called for.

What vision do you have for the Co-op?
I imagine the Olympia Food Co-op growing the cooperative movement in our area, across the country and the world. That our vision should be to beat large grocery chains as a core part of maintaining and growing our depth of commitment to local food, the workers, our members and the bio-region. That we should be aggressive in this pursuit out of respect for the challenges of our times that include preeminently climate chaos, wealth inequality, oppression, food insecurity, mass extinction and militarism. The focus of maximizing local food growth and distribution supports building the power in our communities to confront all the despairing trials and tribulations before us.

What else would you like to share?
I have weathered many storms in my life and I don’t run from challenges. I am a rock when people need it. I am guided by my heart but I think things through. I like strategy games like chess and Catan. I like opening space to creative people and diversity. I forgive. I turn the other cheek. I apologize when I am wrong. I think about the needs of others. I have a desire to serve the common good. I could easily be described as a socialist but people have put all sorts of labels on me for right or wrong.

The Olympia Food Co-op celebrates
Indigenous Peoples’ Day!

Monday, October 14th, 2019

Sampling from 1-5 PM

Paintings from Indigenous artist
Leonard Peltier will be on display!

Join us in honoring and supporting Native and Indigenous Food Sovereignty by purchasing products from the following Native/Indigenous-owned vendors featured thru October

Quinault Smoked Salmon
Native Harvest Manoomin Wild Rice (eastside only)
Fog Woman Coffee
Jalisco Tortilla Chips
Maggie’s Salsa
Three Sisters Blue and White Corn Tortillas
Native Northwest Mercantile (eastside only)

Ojibewe Tribe
Here is a great video of how manoomin rice (wild rice) is harvested and produced by the Ojibewe Tribal members.

PDF of poster

Come on in!

Check out our Garlic and Shallot starts!

Seeds sales!

Westside Garden Center
open Saturdays & Sundays
10am – 6pm

Eastside Garden Center
open Everyday
8am – 8pm

THE APPLICATION DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO

SEPTEMBER 30TH!

Join the Board of Directors!

Take this opportunity to be an active participant in our Co-op’s future and the future of our community

The Board of Director seats are open to all current members of the Olympia Food Co-op who have accurate contact information on file, and agree to the following commitments:

1. Fulfill a three-year term
2. Meet monthly on third Thursdays from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.
3. Serve on committees such as: Finance, Expansion, Co-Sound, Eco-Planning, Standing Hiring, Local Products, and Member Relations
4. Volunteer 10+ hours each month

All materials due by
9pm on September 30, 2019

Board of Directors Application

Please provide the requested information.
Limit your entire response to 500 words.

Attach a current .jpeg photo of yourself

For questions / accommodations, email
boardapplication@olympiafood.coop

1a) Name     1b) Email Address     1c) Phone Number

2) Why do you want to be on the Co-op Board of Directors?

3) What general abilities and skills would you bring to the Board?

4) What vision do you have for the Co-op?

5) What else would you like to share?

Submit all materials by email only to
boardapplication@olympiafood.coop

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the basic requirements?
The Board of Director seats are open to all current members of the Olympia Food Co-op who have accurate contact information on file, and agree to the following commitments:

1. Fulfill a three-year term
2. Meet monthly on third Thursdays from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.
3. Serve on committees such as: Finance, Expansion, Co-Sound, Eco-Planning, Standing Hiring, Local Products, and Member Relations
4. Volunteer 10+ hours each month

What does the Board do?
The Olympia Food Co-op Board of Directors is the body elected to represent the membership, and hold ultimate legal responsibility for the operations and actions of the Co-op. The Board of Directors establishes policies, oversees the operating and capital budgets, approves plans and recommendations, and sets general guidelines for staff and working members.

When and where are the Board meetings?
Once a month, third Thursdays, 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.
Interested persons are encouraged to attend the meetings.
610 Columbia St SW. Olympia. 98502

How long is one term?
Three years.

What is the time commitment for a Board member?
Board members volunteer around 10 or more hours monthly. This includes Board meetings and work within the Committees of the Board (each Board member is required to join 2 – 3).

What are the Committees of the Board?
They are made up of members-at-large, Board members, and staff members. Each committee develops and recommends plans and policies that are passed to the Board for approval. Committees include Co-Sound, Eco-Planning, Expansion, Finance, Local Products, Member Relations, and Standing Hiring.

How do the Board and Committees make decisions?
Guided by the Olympia Food Co-op bylaws and consensus decision making practices, the members work together to build consensus.

Will there be training for the newly elected Board members?
Yes. They will receive an in-depth training on consensus decision making, finance, organizational overview, and more.

Who is eligible to run for the Board?
Board of Director seats are open to all current members of the Co-op who have accurate contact information on file and agree to the following commitments: attend the monthly Board meetings, serve on Committees of the Board, and volunteer 10+ hours each month.

How do you run for the Board?
Complete the application process by 9pm on September 15th. Here is the application PDF. For further accommodations, email boardapplication@olympiafood.coop

What happens after you apply?
The Board and staff will prepare the election materials for the October 15th – November 15th elections. And, December will be the first meeting with our newly elected Board Members!

Will there be opportunity to communicate to the membership?
Yes. Each Board applicant will be invited to the make a short speech to the membership at the 2019 Annual Meeting. Also, the election materials will consist of the photograph, and the answers to the questions in the application. These materials will be available online and in printed formats in the stores.

Board of Directors Application

Please provide the requested information.
Limit your entire response to 500 words.

Attach a current .jpeg photo of yourself

For questions / accommodations, email
boardapplication@olympiafood.coop

1a) Name     1b) Email Address     1c) Phone Number

2) Why do you want to be on the Co-op Board of Directors?

3) What general abilities and skills would you bring to the Board?

4) What vision do you have for the Co-op?

5) What else would you like to share?

Submit all materials by email only to
boardapplication@olympiafood.coop

Join the Fun!
Taste some tasty Local Eats!
Enjoy the Music!
Celebrate our Co-op & Community!

The Olympia Food Co-op 15th Annual
Harvest Party

Saturday, September 7th, 2019
12 – 4pm

West Central Park
1919 Division NW & Harrison
with neighborhood parking

Join the Board of Directors!

Take this opportunity to be an active participant in our Co-op’s future and the future of our community

All materials due by
9pm on September 15th, 2019

PDF of the Application

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Board do?
The Olympia Food Co-op Board of Directors is the body elected to represent the membership, and hold ultimate legal responsibility for the operations and actions of the Co-op. The Board of Directors establishes policies, oversees the operating and capital budgets, approves plans and recommendations, and sets general guidelines for staff and working members.

When and where are the Board meetings?
Once a month, third Thursdays, 6:30 – 9:30 p.m.
Interested persons are encouraged to attend the meetings.
610 Columbia St SW. Olympia. 98502

How long is one term?
Three years.

What is the time commitment for a Board member?
Board members volunteer around 10 or more hours monthly. This includes Board meetings and work within the Committees of the Board (each Board member is required to join 2 – 3).

What are the Committees of the Board?
They are made up of members-at-large, Board members, and staff members. Each committee develops and recommends plans and policies that are passed to the Board for approval. Committees include Co-Sound, Eco-Planning, Expansion, Finance, Local Products, Member Relations, and Standing Hiring.

How do the Board and Committees make decisions?
Guided by the Olympia Food Co-op bylaws and consensus decision making practices, the members work together to build consensus.

Will there be training for the newly elected Board members?
Yes. They will receive an in-depth training on consensus decision making, finance, organizational overview, and more.

Who is eligible to run for the Board?
Board of Director seats are open to all current members of the Co-op who have accurate contact information on file and agree to the following commitments: attend the monthly Board meetings, serve on Committees of the Board, and volunteer 10+ hours each month.

How do you run for the Board?
Complete the application process by 9pm on September 15th. Here is the application PDF. For further accommodations, email boardapplication@olympiafood.coop

What happens after you apply?
The Board and staff will prepare the election materials for the October 15th – November 15th elections. And, December will be the first meeting with our newly elected Board Members!

Will there be opportunity to communicate to the membership?
Yes. Each Board applicant will be invited to the make a short speech to the membership at the 2019 Annual Meeting. Also, the election materials will consist of the photograph, and the answers to the questions in the application. These materials will be available online and in printed formats in the stores.

PDF of the Application

Board of Directors Application

Please provide the requested information.
Limit your entire response to 500 words.

Attach a current .jpeg photo of yourself

For questions / accommodations, email
boardapplication@olympiafood.coop

1a) Name     1b) Email Address     1c) Phone Number

2) Why do you want to be on the Co-op Board of Directors?

3) What general abilities and skills would you bring to the Board?

4) What vision do you have for the Co-op?

5) What else would you like to share?

Submit all materials by email only to
boardapplication@olympiafood.coop

The Olympia Food Co-op summer classes are in full swing ….

check out the listings on our website

brochure PDF

Folks have been wondering where the Alaffia bulk wellness products have gone… here is a letter from wellness to you…

Dear Co-op Customer,

We regret to inform you that Alaffia has discontinued its bulk program,
which includes hair and body care products and bulk shea butter. Alaffia
currently has no plans to bring it back.

Below is a statement from Alaffia to our customers:

“Thank you for your continued support of Alaffia. Your commitment to our
mission and your trust in our products has enabled the economic
empowerment of communities in West Africa and in the US. As the market
evolves and Alaffia continues to grow, we must continuously look for
ways to better support our mission and optimize our product assortment.
We appreciate your continued support and wish you a hearty Yanakokari
(thank you).”

Wellness Managers are already looking for comparable products to bring
into bulk Wellness as replacements (though nothing can truly replace
Alaffia, of course).

Thank you for supporting Alaffia and Mother Earth by shopping in Bulk Wellness.

Yours,
The Wellness Team

Wishing Olympia a Happy Pride!

10 Iconic Photos of LGBTQ History from Getty Images

celebration in Olympia with Capitol City Pride

celebration in San Francisco

celebration in New York

The Community Sustaining Fund recently held their biannual grant cycle. Funds from the Co-op Round Up! at the register program were dispersed to five local organizations seeking help with various projects.

Canoe Journey/Standing Rock Medic Bus
Stipends for teachers for a community herbal training program to streamline their service delivery. Their first aid bus comes to all stops for the Canoe Journey each year.
YES! Journalism for People Building a Better World – July 2018 article

Caring Kids Family Volunteer Program
Snacks for children who volunteer, with their parents, to attend service experiences such as bagging food at the Food Bank, visiting Panorama Seniors, and doing beach clean-up with the Estuarium, among others.
Child Care Action Council – sign up for Family Volunteer opportunities

Stewards of Wellspring
Help with their septic system so that they can continue to hold community events, song circles, music performances, and workshops dealing with sustainable living.

Thurston County Food Bank
Funds for the purchase and installation of a bike rack, and for food carts. This helps those visiting to safely leave their bikes and allows volunteers to cart food home for visitors so they can take more food.
Thurston County Food Bank website

Olympia Eco-District Project
Stipend for an administrative intern at Fertile Ground, working to create an Eco-District in the Olympia downtown. Hoping to establish a project aimed at community resiliency, housing land use and neighborhood engagement.
Fertile Ground Eco-District Project

Thank you for participating in the Co-op Round Up! Your generosity makes these grant allocations possible. We love helping such amazing groups with their community projects! Ask the cashier to put you on the Reminder to Round Up List!

check out the new listings & register online or in the stores

link to the calendar

Spring Classes Poster PDF

The Olympia Food Co-op
will be closed May 1st
for International Workers Day in solidarity with striking workers around the world

We recognize the importance of conservation at the Co-op, so beginning on March 1st, 2019, our deli is increasing the container discount from 5¢ to 30¢ when you bring your own to the eastside soup and salad bar!

You can still choose from the selection of donated tubs – many with lids -in our reusable container area nearby and also receive the discount!

Coffee discount for your reused cup will remain at 5¢

Co-op Conversation on Beer & Wine

Saturday, April 6, 2019
1pm – 4pm

Olympia Community Center
222 Columbia NW
Downtown Olympia

Join us for a community conversation on the binding fall member ballot to carry beer and wine in at the Co-op. It will be an opportunity to learn more about the ideas presented, and the focus will be:

• • community questions & answers
  • financial projections
  • oppression awareness
  • responsible vendorship
  • refreshments

From Board Reports Table Spring 2019
Staff member Robyn Wagoner presented a proposal to the Board from the staff Beer and Wine Task Force. This task force sent out a survey to Co-op members some time back, asking several questions concerning the possibility of the Co-op selling beer, wine, and hard cider at both markets. This was a follow-up proposal, and has sparked further conversation among Board Members, who hold varying perspectives on this subject. More conversation will be coming to determine the end result of this proposal.

the westside garden center is now open daily, 10am – 6pm

starts and seeds and so much more!

We have added a new Register Round Up option!

 Capital Homecare Cooperative provides in home services to seniors and people with disabilities, and are working to create sustainable living for the caregivers. All the caregivers are members, thus have a vote in determining policy. Located in downtown Olympia, they are licensed through the Department of Health in the State of Washington, and all caregivers are HCAs or CNAs.

You can round up at our registers through May of 2019.

For other ways to help, visit their website with the latest info

Welcome to our new and returning Board members!
The results of our election, including our first-ever electronic ballots, are as follows:
Desdra Dawning
Jim Hutcheon
Frederick Jack Meldicott
Mel Bilodeau

Bylaw change results are in!

The Board and staff proposed changes to four sections of the organization’s bylaws, and the membership approved all of those changes. Several changes were related to updating language to reflect current practices, such as referring to membership investments as equity instead of dues, and including national origin and immigration status as protected classes. We also updated language around our financial audits and reviews, as well as member markups to ensure clarity.

Other sections around membership have been altered slightly, and there have been questions about how to interpret the changes. Two sections were worked on that affect membership practices, the fee description and active member status. There were a couple of goals in mind with these changes, one of them being the ability to remove long term inactive members from our records. Many of these records belong to folks who are no longer shopping at the Co-op or no longer wish to be part of our record keeping, for whatever reason, and we needed our bylaws to allow the practice of fully removing records at some point, determined in another section, to be after 6 years of inactivity.

The second goal of our membership changes was to allow “contact information” as a requirement of active membership instead of “address.” This change enables members and our membership system to use an email address as current contact information, instead of a postal mailing address, if that is what the member desires, and still maintain active membership. Our bylaws still require us to notify members of the Annual Membership Meeting each year, so one of these contact points must be maintained to ensure active membership status.

What other ways can a member ensure they remain active in our system? The new language is as follows:

Paragraph 3. Member Status
An active member maintains current contact information on file and keeps current in their equity. An active member becomes an inactive member if they;

1. fail to make timely equity payments; or
2. fail to maintain current contact information on file for one year; or
3. fail to renew a Cooperative Access Membership; or
4. fail to interact with the Co-op for a period of six years or more. Interacting can be responding to a communication from the Co-op, voting in the annual election or shopping at the Co-op; or
5. request inactive status

This new language means that members can more easily maintain active status and responds to requests we’ve had over the years from members who find their records inactive after moving or experiencing homelessness. Some members have been concerned about those who move away, or stop shopping for some time, and then return to the Co-op. Our bylaws changes still allow members to maintain their active status from afar, by responding to a communication from us, or by voting in the annual elections.

We think these changes will be beneficial to the organization at large, saving us money and time by keeping our records more accurate, and allowing members more flexibility in communicating with the Co-op.

As always, if you have questions about your membership or other Co-op changes, contact us here or ask at one of the stores.

The Co-op will be open
January 1st
8am – 9pm

The staff collective would like to recognize the diversity within our community. If you have thoughts on our store hours we would love to hear from you!

The Co-op will be open
December 25th
8am – 5pm

The staff collective would like to recognize the diversity within our community. If you have thoughts on our store hours we would love to hear from you!