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

New Things To Try In The Eastside Bulk Department

With summer upon us, it is great to have some healthy easy things to bring with you camping or to picnics. Perfect for hikes or a quick refreshing drink, Organic Powdered Lemonade Mix is now available in the bulk spice area. When in the bulk spices, also look for other new items like Sichuan Peppercorns and Organic Powdered Stevia.

In additional to the whole stevia leaf, this new powdered form is great for dissolving in coffee, tea, or other drinks. While stevia and lemonade can help with your sweet cravings, Sichuan Peppercorns are great for spicing things up. Different than the heat associated with chili peppers, Sichuan Peppercorns are important ingredients in Sichuan Hot Pot dishes and Ma Po Tofu and are famous for giving eaters a pleasant numbing spiciness (called ‘ma la’ in Chinese). So whether you like it spicy of sweet, we have what you need. Happy eatings and stay tuned for more new and exciting products in the Bulk Department.

~awren (Bulk East Co-Manager)

The Deli has been flattered by the comments we get about the Sunday Gluten Free Biscuits and Gravy. As we enter summer, these hearty foods must migrate to their chilly natural habitats to hibernate and wait for the blustery weather of autumn. When that time arrives, they will return to nourish our hungry customers.

In the meantime, Gluten Free Gravy will still be available to buy in the freezer aisle.

Thank you for choosing to eat and shop at the Olympia Food Co-op

~awren of the deli dept.

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.

SALAD BAR PRICE ANNOUNCEMENT

Starting January 2019, The Olympia Food Co-op will increase the price of our salad bar to $7.99 per pound for both hot and cold food. Sandwiches and coffee will remain the same price.

We have been able to keep the soup and salad bar price at $6.99 per pound since 2014. The rising costs of packaging, equipment, repairs, labor, and our desires for expansion combine to make this price increase necessary.

We put our heart and soul into preparing healthy, fresh, handmade, and delicious organic food for our valued members and customers. We thank you for shopping here and eating the food we make. Your support and warmth give us the nourishment we need to make the food that we hope, in turn, nourishes you.

Sincerely,
The Olympia Food Co-op Deli

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!

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

November 26 – December 14, 2018
Tuesday – Friday
8 am – 11:30 am

What a great way to use our beautiful garden center in the winter months!

Featuring baked goods from the personal recipes of our talented deli staff, the bakery selections will be traditional and vegan, and drip coffee will also be available.

So, come on down, warm up with us on these cold days, have some treats, and shop our  garden supplies, too!

The Co-op will be open November 22nd, 2018

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

Blog post. a short film on the history of thanksgiving. November 2017

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

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

election held October 15 – November 15, 2018
results will be posted no later than November 22, 2018

ONLINE VOTING
scroll to view the Board candidate’s essays
CLICK HERE TO CAST YOUR ONLINE VOTE

VOTING IN THE STORES
2018 Election Information Packet PDF (also in stores)
2018 Membership Ballot PDF (also in stores)
Only ballots inside envelopes inscribed with names and addresses of current members will be counted:

1. write your name and address on an envelope provided at the ballot box
2. insert one ballot into the envelope

The Olympia Food Co-op Board of Directors has now endorsed the following initiatives and propositions:

Prop 1 – Transit Tax
Intercity Transit website

Initiative 940 – Deescalate Washington
Deescalate Washington website

Initiative 1631- Washington State Carbon Tax
Yes on 1631 website

Our 41st Annual Membership Meeting
November 3rd, 2018
11am – 3pm
Olympia Center downtown (click to Google maps)

Catch up with the news from our Board of Directors, committees, staff members, and our Board candidates. Participate in a member question and answer session, and engage with a panel discussion. Enjoy foods from our local vendors, and bring a dish to share!

The panel discussion will integrate a variety of perspectives on our Community Resilience theme, and the guests include local professionals:

• Candace Penn, Squaxin Island Tribe Natural Resources Department
• Heesoon Jun, PhD., Multicultural Psychologist and Educator
• Meg Martin, Interfaith Works overnight emergency shelter
• Vivian Eason, Thurston County Emergency Management

Our local vendor foods this year will include:

• Batdorf & Bronson
• Blue Heron Bakery
• Mel O Soup
• Peace, Love & Raw

poster PDF

Join the fun at our Harvest Party & Zuke Fest! 

Food! Music! Contests!

Sunday, September 9th
noon – 4pm
West Central Park on Olympia’s westside
corner of Harrison & Division
google map link

Our annual celebration of our local bounty with local partners providing excellent eats, community members bringing potluck dishes to share, music, and zukes galore!

Prizes!
… bring your home grown zucchini!
… make a zucchini dish!
… enter the zucchini derby contest!

For more details, visit our events calendar