Winter Table 2025

Burnt Ridge Nursery and Orchards By Maggie Jay, Staff member

About 10 of us meandered through Burnt Ridge
Nursery and Orchards, taking in the unique plantings and fruits while
hanging onto every word of the colorful stories brought to life by one
of the owners, Michael Dolan. Persimmons, cherries, mulberries,
blackberries, raspberries, chestnuts, blueberries, apples, elderberries,
gold and silver berries, peaches, plums, tea, autumn olive, squash,
and pears are only some of the foods you can find here.
This isn’t an ordinary farm or orchard. There aren’t neatly stacked
rows of trees and plants. There’s more of a polyculture on this 20-
acre farm, curated by Dolan over the last 45 years.
“I’ve planted mostly apples in this field, and then I’ve got some
cherry trees back there. We’ve got some plums. The plums and
the peaches are done now. Those are summer fruits, and we grow
a bunch of different cherries,” starts Dolan as he slowly strolls
through the orchard which boasts a view of Mount St. Helens.
“I found these Whitten trees on Chestnut Hill Road, so the road
is named after these 2 giant trees. These are the chestnut trees
that the Whitten family brought out in a covered wagon in the
mid-1800s. East 11 Chestnut Hill Road. The trees are still there.
I’ve grafted those 2 trees, and I have replications of them in 2
locations here. This is a ceiling of them, and it’s producing.”
A tiny fruit shows itself all over a tree as we approach. They look
like maybe the size of a small cherry. “What is this?” someone
asks as he pinches the tiny fruit between his fingers. More

City of Olympia Joins Year of Cooperatives by Maureen Tobin, Staff member

Fall Table 2025

In another exciting step recognizing the importance of cooperatives in our local and global economy, the Olympia City Council unanimously proclaimed 2025 as the Year of Cooperatives, following along with the United Nations Designation. The proclamation, approved during the city council’s special meeting on Monday, Aug. 4, was accepted on behalf of our local cooperatives by John A. McNamara, Co-Director of the Northwest Cooperative Development Center. The proclamation recognizes the cooperative model as a tool for sustainable development, inclusive economic growth and social empowerment, especially for women, people with disabilities, Indigenous peoples and communities of color.

“Cooperatives offer a valuable model for business succession, allowing employees and community members to assume ownership and management, thereby preserving business viability, local jobs, andcommunity values during periods of transition,” the proclamation states. Other important parts of the proclamation support the values of the United Nation’s declaration, including mention of supporting business succession and preserving jobs. It also highlights research showing cooperatives retain workers longer than traditional businesses due to their provision of higher wages, more flexible working hours, better benefits, and greater responsiveness to employee needs and the evolving workplace.

McNamara talked about cooperative stories such as the Blue Heron Bakery, which transitioned to worker and community ownership with support from City of Olympia, the Northwest Cooperative Development Center and Olympia Food Co-op members. The presentation also highlighted the number of credit unions and worker and consumer coops in almost every sector in Olympia. And that The Evergreen State College offers the only certificate in cooperative development in the entire country, further solidifying our community’s role in advancing cooperative education and innovation.

Fall Table 2025

JUNETEENTH: How to Support and Celebrate this Meaningful Holiday by Maggie Jay, Staff member

What is Juneteenth? New Year’s Eve, 1862, was spent waiting for life-changing
news for enslaved people of the United States. The next day, Black people in the
North learned of their freedom.

The Emancipation Proclamation issued by then-President Abraham Lincoln read that
all those who were enslaved, “shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.”
But in 1862 there was no internet, no radio, no TV, no phones. It took over two years
for the news of freedom to reach those in the westernmost confederate states.

Union soldiers traveled from town to town, giving the life-changing news to the
enslaved and their former oppressors. For 21⁄2 years, the mostly Black soldiers
traveled through the now defeated confederate territory, sharing the Declaration of
Independence, and freeing Black people with the words that rolled off their tongues.

Finally, on June 19th, 1865, the day came that Union soldiers traveled to the last
town. Over 2000 soldiers arrived in Galveston, the southern-most town of Texas to
announce to the enslaved people they were no longer property of another human.

Juneteenth commemorates that day. It is a celebration of freedom. A freedom still
being fought for today. How can I, as an ally, participate in Juneteenth and uplifting the Black community?