The Olympia Food Co-op endores the No Hate in WA State campaign to defeat Washington state Initiatives IL26-638 and IL26-001.

Initiative IL26-638 would require all girls who want to play school sports to undergo medical sex certification as part of their regular sports physicals. Initiative IL26-001 would erode protections for students who are LGBTQ+, students who are struggling with mental health issues, and students who are victims of a crime. Together, these initiatives would erode protections for LGBTQ+ youth, children who are experiencing mental health issues, and children who are victims of a crime, all while potentially subjecting thousands of children to invasive genital exams just so they can play sports.

To learn more about the initiatives, and the campaign to defeat them, please visit the No Hate in WA State website.

Applications for the Olympia Food Co-op’s Board of Directors are now open! To apply to run for the Board election this year, please download an application, fill it out, and submit it to boardapplication@olympiafood.coop by 9 PM on September 15, 2026.

Board members are elected by the Co-op’s membership every year, per our bylaws. This year’s election will be held from October 15th to November 15th. For more information, please check out this page for more information. We hope to see you on the ballot!

Monica Peabody, Classes Coordinator

Our classes program just keeps getting cooler and cooler! Take a look at the summer line up. Again, we have new teachers and returning teachers and many are willing to repeat their classes to make sure everyone who wants to can get in. Give them a big thank you when you attend their class!

Check out our current class schedule here!

We are returning with cooking, wellness, both physical and mental health, and some just plain fun! We want to create DIY bicycle maintenance spaces that feel welcoming to those sometimes underrepresented in DIY bike culture. We get to venture down to Centralia to learn about whole grains and sour dough as well as our own back yards to learn more about edible weeds. Join us for the wonder of learning and exploration.

Thank you all for continuing to make our new class donation system a roaring success. Your generous donations support our classes program all the while making our classes accessible to everyone!

We appreciate feedback, you can email classes@olympiafood.coop with class suggestions, what you liked about a class, what you think might have made it better, anything at all. If you are not a computer person, you can pay at the Co-op for a class, just go to customer service to have them sign you up and pay at a register.

It’s time to send in your fall proposals for September to November. Whether you are a returning teacher or a newbie with a great class idea, email classes@olympiafood.coop with your idea and I’ll walk you through the process. It’s fun to share your skills and passions with the community; just ask any of the folks who regularly teach Co-op classes! You’ll also earn working member hours for teaching that get you a discount on co-op purchases.

Our classes fill quickly, so don’t wait to register here! If the class you want is already full, sign up for the waitlist. It costs nothing and spots often open. If something comes up and you can’t attend a class, you can request a refund from Eventbrite, which will open your spot for someone else, or you can email me at classes@olympiafood.coop. I can give you a refund or you can leave your donation to support our classes program.

Thank your teachers. They’re amazing!

by: Anch Bergeson, Olympia Food Co-op Board Member

The unofficial theme of The Co-op in 2026 thus far is fiscal mindfulness.

The Staff and Board are making efforts to trim our expenses, protect our earnings, and continue to uphold our goal of supporting our community, especially those in need. A lot of creative ideas are being discussed and implemented. Members can look forward to hearing more about our finances in the upcoming Annual Members’ Meeting in the Fall.

The Co-op’s Annual Membership Meeting date is set for Saturday, November 14, 2026. Mark your calendar!

Secretary of the Board Jennifern Falknor stepped into the Secretary position for the Board.

Many thanks to Jeni O’Connor, our previous Secretary, who also is our current Staff Rep to the Board.

Hiring Freeze Over the next 6 months (May-Oct.)

The OFC will pause accepting and reviewing of job applications. This is a labor-saving measure for the Interview Team, and it gives us more time to focus on working floor shifts and program development, rather than accepting and reviewing applications at a time when we are very unlikely to hire. This is also a budget-tightening measure.

We currently have applicants and finalists in our Collective (full-time) and Flex (part-time) staff candidate pools; these applications will remain on file. In October, we will assess our situation to determine whether to continue the hiring pause, or to resume accepting applications.

Pay-It-Forward Fundraiser

On May 23rd, a fundraiser dinner and concert was held to benefit the Pay-It-Forward program. Delicious food came from the Co-op (of course!), made by our talented volunteers & staff.

Co-op Collective member Monica Peabody led the whole event. Live music was by The Jessica Blinn Quartet, with Vince Brown on guitar and Lisa Seifert on clarinet. Our host provided their lovely home and a warm welcome. It was a great success, with wonderful conversation and dancing. Many of the attendees were from the Oly (Swing) Dance community.

Over $1500 was raised! Thanks to all who bought tickets, played music, made great food, and supported Pay-It-Forward.

The Olympia Food Co-op Pay-It-Forward Program is a mutual aid fund that supports our hungry neighbors through customer donations. Anyone can donate at our registers at either store.

The fund may be used to cover up to $20 per person per day.

Food Justice Campaign

What is food justice? It’s a food system where everyone has access to environmentally sustainable, safe, healthy and culturally appropriate foods, regardless of one’s national origin, economic statuses, social identities, cultural membership, or disability, and with an assurance that everyone who works within a food system, from restaurant servers to farm workers, should be paid livable and fair wages and work in safe conditions.

The Olympia Food Co-op has conducted its business with food justice in mind from its inception. It’s baked into our DNA and reflected in our Statement of Purpose. At the recommendation of the Advocacy Committee, the Board recently consented to put forward the Food Justice Campaign. We aim to let Thurston County know that our Food Justice priority makes us unique and special among grocery stores. This makes us a food option that has the values and positive impact on our community of food producers, consumers, and the environment.

by: Alyssa Venable, GRuB Growing Home Collective Advisory Group member

Tea cakes are a cherished part of Black food history in the American South. Originally created by enslaved African Americans using simple ingredients they had access to, tea cakes became symbols of creativity, resilience, and community. Recipes were passed down through generations and shared at family gatherings, church events, holidays, and later Juneteenth celebrations.

As Black families moved throughout the country during the Great Migration, tea cakes traveled with them, becoming a lasting connection to home and tradition. Every family had their own version: they could be soft or crisp, and perhaps flavored with vanilla, nutmeg, or citrus.

At Growing Home Collective (GHC) tea cakes are one way we honor Black food traditions while adapting recipes to support our community today. We enjoy them especially during the spring and summertime with jam – the standout being Andrew’s pineapple ginger! We’ve shared them during our Juneteenth celebrations and at the Read in the Park event at Rebecca Howard Park last July.

The GHC version is gluten-free and dairy-free so all of our members can enjoy them together – one of our values is evolving traditional Black foods to be more accessible and nourishing while continuing to learn the history behind these recipes and carry those traditions forward in community.

Please be liberated this Juneteenth to create your own spin on these versatile, nostalgic goodies.

13 ⅓ cups GF all-purpose flour
13 ⅓ teaspoons (4 tablespoons + 1 ⅓ tsp) baking powder
1 ⅔ cups unsalted vegan butter, softened
3 ⅓ cups granulated sugar
3 ⅓ cups light brown sugar
⅚ teaspoon salt (or round to 1 tsp)
⅚ teaspoon ground nutmeg (or round to 1 tsp)
3 ⅓ teaspoons (1 tablespoon + ⅓ tsp) lemon zest
3 ⅓ eggs (use 3 large eggs + a bit more beaten egg or round to 4 eggs)
DF sour cream
DF butter spread
half df plain yogurt and half df milk (replaces traditional evaporated milk)
1 ⅔ tablespoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. In a mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar for about 2 minutes until creamy.
3. Add the egg, lemon zest, sour cream, yogurt/milk combo, and vanilla extract.
4. Mix until well blended to make the tea cake batter.
5. Sift together the remaining dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg over a sheet of parchment paper large enough to fit your baking sheet.
6. Fold the parchment paper to pour the sifted flour mixture into the tea cake batter and then mix again.
7. Add the batter to a lightly floured surface and roll the dough to approx ¼ inch thickness. Utilize the extra cup of flour here to help with rolling because the dough is sticky.
8. Cut out the tea cakes with a 2 ½” up to 3″ biscuit cutter.
9. Place the rounds onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet about one inch apart (do in batches if necessary)
10. Bake 5-6 minutes in the oven until just a light golden brown (they cook up quick so keep an eye on these)
11. Optionally, garnish with a sprinkle of lemon zest or serve with homemade jam

Join Burnt Ridge Nursery for a public farm and nursery tour, with founder Michael Dolan leading the way as he shares all about their 20 acres of organic fruit and nuts. He’ll show crop plants, including hazelnuts, chestnuts, figs, grapes, blueberries, kiwis, and more! Cultivation and propagation techniques will be discussed, as well as varieties that do well here in the Pacific Northwest. A fruit sample plate will be provided after the tour. Tickets must be purchased in advance. Visit their website at https://www.burntridgenursery.com/Special/products/165/ to learn more!

Farm Tour #1
Saturday, July 18th, 2026
10:00am-12:00pm or 1:30-3:30pm

Farm Tour #2
Saturday, September 12th, 2026
10:00am-12:00pm or 1:30-3:30pm

Announcing a new Round Up at the Register option!

Arbutus Folk School offers hands-on classes for youth and adults in fiber arts, ceramics, woodworking, and more in downtown Olympia. Every donation helps us enrich lives and build community through experiential learning in arts, craft, and culture.

Your support provides:

• Scholarships and reduced-cost classes and events
• Visiting artists and special programs
• Expanded classes, outreach, and artist residencies
• Studio supplies, tools, and equipment repair
• Improvements to our creative spaces

Learn more and register for classes at ArbutusFolkSchool.org.
Thank you for supporting arts, craft, and culture in Olympia!

Both stores will be closed on May 1st in honor of International Worker Day.

We are not currently accepting applications for either flex or collective staff positions.

Please check back in the future for employment opportunities.

Check out the new online DEI Resource Library under the “Community” tab under DEI.

Or click here to directly go to our Resource Library website: https://ofcresourcelibrary.my.canva.site

Our hope is that this library becomes a valuable tool for not only all Co-op staff but for our wider community as well.

This event has ended.

Event: “Healthy Boundaries, Healthy Life: Community Conversations with a Therapist”

Presenter: Scarlett Ekeroma, MA, LMFT, CMHP

Time: 11:00am – 12:30pm

Dates: Apr. 11, April.25, May 9, & May 23

Location: ASHHO Cultural Community Center, 5757 Littlerock Rd SW, Tumwater (across from Tumwater Costco)

Cost: Free, including lunch courtesy of ASHHO

In Conversation with Zach Be of Honeybird Apiary   By Monica Peabody, Staff member

I spoke with the appropriately named Zach Be of Honeybird Apiary over a cup of tea at his farm and apiary in Little Rock.

Zach: Yes. I’m exploring some new farms this year. At Helsing  Junction there is a lot of irrigated pasture around, so late in the season the bees there made a lot of clover honey, which I wasn’t  expecting at all. There are different perks from different places. Some are earlier, some are later.

Monica: We are very excited that you are a new vendor at the Co-op, providing delicious local honey. Tell me all about Honeybird Apiary.

Zach: I have about 100 hives now. I have 25 here and the rest at different local farms.

Monica: What’s the reason for having them in different places?

Zach: If you have too many in one place, they’re not as productive; the bees use up all the nectar and pollen resources. If you spread them out, you get more honey.

Monica: That makes sense, and you probably get different flavors as well.

Monica: How can you tell when it’s ready?

Zach: The bees cap it. They bring it in as nectar and evaporate the  water off it. When it’s honey, the sugar content is so high it won’t allow any microbial growth, so it can’t spoil. When it’s at that stage the bees put a thin wax capping over it to preserve it. When they start capping it you know it’s ripe and cured.

Monica: We have a couple of hives, and our bees have not yet survived a winter. Do you have good luck with survival?

Zach: Yes, I have good luck, a 90 – 100% survival rate over the last few years. I put a lot of work into it. I treat them for mites and make sure they have good queens and good food. They make more honey in subsequent years too; the first year they are just getting established. My goal is to get up to 150 hives next year.

Monica: I think yours is the most local honey we have at the Co-op.

Zach: I don’t know for sure, but my guess is that it’s the least commercial too. A lot of honeys are from big commercial beekeeping operations who mostly focus on pollination contracts as their income source and honey is a byproduct.

Monica: Pollination contracts?

Zach: Farmers pay beekeepers with a large number of hives to bring the hives to crops that need pollination. Almonds are a classic example, clover, meadow foam, alfalfa are others. There are huge conventional farms in Eastern Washington, Oregon and other parts of the country. My bees are on small organic farms around this area. I don’t use any antibiotics in my hives. A lot of commercial beekeepers treat prophylactically with antibiotics and they use really intense systemic miticides and strong synthetic chemicals. I don’t use any of those. I use organic acids; oxalic acid is the main one. It’s food grade and doesn’t absorb into the wax or honey and it’s easy on the bees. It takes a lot more work, because you have to treat multiple times at the right times. The chemical ones are a plastic strip coated in the chemical that you just put in the hive once and you’re done. I have to vaporize mine into the hive, so it’s more work.

Monica: Which farms do you have your hives on?

Zach: This past summer I had them at Piece by Piece, Wobbly Cart and Helsing Junction and they all want them back next year. I had some at Calliope Farm the summer before last and I’m going to bring them back next summer. Kingfisher Farm is just up the street from me so my bees definitely go there. I’m hoping to bring some new products to the Co-op next year. I’d love to offer fresh frozen or dehydrated pollen, honeycomb and propolis extract too. I’m hoping next year to have some more varieties. I want to take some bees out toward the coast in search of fireweed and knotweed honey. Knotweed honey is really good, it’s black like molasses and super tasty. Fireweed is on the opposite end of the spectrum, it’s lighter in flavor.

Monica: Tell me why people should eat local honey?

Zach: Supporting local businesses keeps money in our local economy.

Monica: Very important right now!

Zach: A lot of people talk about how local honey is good for allergies because there are bits of pollen and propolis and different parts of all the plants in the area in the honey, so you are giving yourself a homeopathic dose of those when you’re eating local honey. Our honey isn’t filtered; we just put it through a pretty coarse stainless steel screen. We don’t fine-filter out all the little bits, so there’s a lot of good medicine in there. Everything is from plants; the honey, the pollen, the propolis is all plant based so you’re getting exposure to all the local plants when you eat honey. Scale is important. We’re really focused on making good quality honey; that’s why we’re doing what we’re doing. Commercial beekeepers are not focused on that, it’s a really low priority for them. They are much less thoughtful about the chemicals that they use and the way they treat the bees. Often, they feed sugar syrup or corn syrup to the bees and then harvest honey not long afterwards. There are a lot of questionable practices that are not regulated at all with honey.

Monica: I guess you couldn’t certify honey as organic because you don’t know where the bees are going.

Zach: When you go to the Co-op, you see USDA certified organic honey. That’s a dead giveaway that honey is from another country because domestically we don’t have any organically certifying program for honey anywhere in the country. But the USDA does have reciprocity with other certifying agencies in other countries, so if you see USDA certified organic honey it means it’s from another country. As domestic honey producers that’s not a thing we can get
because there’s not a program for it.

Monica: That’s an important thing to tell our shoppers, because people are often looking for organic and may not know this.

Zach: Yes, and while this honey meets all the organic standards, the USDA can’t regulate all the land around where the bees go. And they can’t do that in other countries either, but because they have reciprocity with the certifying agencies from those countries, if that agency says it’s organic then the USDA agrees and stamps it organic. Brazil is a big producer of honey.

Monica: Another good reason to buy local honey is because it doesn’t have to travel great distances so it’s more ecological.

Zach: Totally, we shop at the Co-op all the time, so we just drop it off when we’re shopping.There’s not even a delivery; it carpools with us.

Monica: That’s why I love our local vendors. Our local farmers often do their shopping after bringing in their deliveries. I love to buy food from people I know!

To our wonderful Community,

The Olympia Food Co-op is aware of the nationwide call for a general strike and economic boycott taking place tomorrow.

Organizers nationwide are encouraging everyone to pause work and shopping as a way to draw attention to concerns about immigration enforcement practices and their impacts on workers, families, and communities.

Our staff are supported in making their own choices about how they observe the day, and we are working to ensure that everyone is treated with care, dignity, and respect regardless of how they participate.

The Co-op will remain open and operating at a minimal level and we encourage you NOT to shop tomorrow if at all possible.

We understand food is essential, and the Olympia Food Co-op offers a non-corporate option.

If you need essential items, we ask that you consider using cash when possible and avoiding large corporate or big-box retailers, in keeping with the strike’s goals of limiting corporate profit and economic concentration.

We encourage individuals and businesses to endorse the shutdown by signing up at https://nationalshutdown.org/home#endorse.

Beyond tomorrow, our cooperative is committed to continuing conversations and exploring meaningful, long-term ways we can support workers, immigrants, and community members impacted by these issues.

We appreciate our community’s thoughtfulness and solidarity as we navigate both the immediate moment and the work ahead.

In solidarity,

Olympia Food Co-op

by Sarika Igloi, Staff member,

In collaboration with Co-op members/grocers

Recently, I was able to attend the Provender Conference, a regional
gathering for northwest co-ops and vendors in the natural foods
industry. Through one of its educational opportunities, and spending
time at the Columbia River, I learned more about the Goldendale Energy
Storage Project, a proposed renewable energy megaproject, and it
generated so many questions. Is the use of artificial intelligence so
important to us that we would allow power companies to develop this
power project along the Columbia, illegally taking Yakama Nation Land?
The original name for this land is not Goldendale – these lower elevation
mountains and the sacred site proposed for development have been
called Pushpum, or “Mother of All Roots” since time immemorial. It is
an area of immeasurable beauty and importance to the Yakama Nation
Tribes, who, along with several environmental groups, have opposed
the project for many years. The specific site has been a Tribal food and
medicine gathering area, providing abundant resources for animals,
insects, birds & plants alike, as well as holding sacred importance for
ceremonies and fishing, and is the location of a historic village.

The development company (Rye Development) secured a key state
permit to move forward with plans on the 680 acres near Maryhill, WA
this year in February, despite the land being clearly part of 12 million
acres ceded by the federal government in the 1855 treaty. In addition,
the ongoing findings are that the development would destroy a site of
importance to both the Indigenous People who live there and the plants
and animals who rely on the land and water.

What can we do to align with Washington & Oregon Tribal members
who are our last line of defense to safeguard a declining original food
web? Here, in our state of Washington, Indigenous tribes continue to
harvest wild carrot, huckleberry, *wedaxac ( stsaql huckleberry picking
tah-HAShk), camas bulb kwetlal (kweh-THAL), and pine needles from
*c’apac, as a vegetable to be stored. I was deeply saddened to learn of
the mistreatment of Yakama Nation elders while harvesting wild carrot,
*sagaqac” in Twulshootseed, who are not unaccustomed to being
harassed by local law enforcement as they go to harvest. Tribal right to
harvest must be defended.

In 2025 the documentary film, “These Sacred Hills” from Jacob Bailey
& Chris Ward won best feature documentary in the World Culture Film
Festival in Los Angeles, California. This summer it was shown at the
Capitol Theater, along with a panel of speakers. The panel included the
filmmakers along with Elaine Harvey, activist and organizer and Jeremy
Takala of Rock Creek Band, Board Chair of the Yakama Nation. Perhaps
more viewings in a wider area of this documentary could help spread
the word of this issue further.

The major driver of Washington’s need for more energy in the future
(currently our state produces a surplus over basic need) is the expected
need from power-hungry data centers supporting AI technology. This
leads me to wonder, how do we use AI at the Co-op & what are those
impacts? How does this relate to wild foods? Do we really want to
compromise hundreds of acres of land supporting plants and animals for
a power plant? Do we again hold power generation above the lives and
treaty rights of Indigenous People? Could we be harnessing power for
electricity in completely different ways in the next quarter of a century?
I wonder, what can I do to improve our relationships with each other
and with our earth? I am left with more questions than answers.

Hopefully more of us now are asking, how can I support Project Pushpum?
How can we participate in reparations for our local Tribes? By supporting
the safeguarding of their land & food supply. By telling our legislators
to honor treaty rights. By educating ourselves about the truth of
Thanksgiving’s history and what it means for many tribes. We can support
Native-owned companies, products and artwork, throughout the year.
Columbiariverkeeper.org is a great resource as well as the Columbia River
Intertribal Fish Commission, or critfc.org where donations are accepted.
Collaboratively written by members/grocers at the Co-op, language
referenced tribal dictionary: puyalluptriballanguage.org

We appreciate your support!

Our Eastside store will be closing early at 8pm on Tuesday January 6th  for inventory. The Westside store will be open regular hours.

The Eastside Store is busting at the seams. Our operations are severely limited by our tight retail space, warehouse, and parking lot. The store is hard to shop and it’s challenging to keep the shelves adequately stocked. We’re considering expanding the Eastside store in order to make improvements such as more retail sales space, wider aisles, a service deli and hot bar, expanded dining area, and more bathrooms and parking, all in an ecologically sustainable facility.

We’ve been in our current location for over 30 years with very little remodeling or reconditioning. We’ve been putting off addressing the above needs for way too long and have reached a critical juncture for our operation.

The Board of Directors is seeking input from our membership on the direction that expansion of our Eastside store might take. We want to know what you think…

Take the survey!

Our Westside store will be closing early at 8pm on Wednesday 12/30 for inventory. The Eastside will be open regular hours.

We’ll have abbreviated hours coming up both for the holidays and in January.

• December 25th 9am – 5pm
• December 30th 8am – 8pm (inventory at Westside only) Eastside will be open regular hours which are 8am- 9pm
• January 1st 10am – 9 pm
• January 6th 8am – 8pm (Inventory at Eastside only) Westside will be open regular hours which are 8am-9pm