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Produce Stickers for Cash!

100 Stickers, get a $5 Account Credit!

We’ve come up with a fun and cost-saving way to get those pesky produce stickers out of the landfills (and our compost). Introducing the “Produce Stickers for Cash” initiative!

If you’ve lived in Ashland for a long time, you may remember the green stamps you’d collect at Buy-Rite each time you shopped there. Do you recall that blue storefront where Market of Choice is now? Once you licked enough of those stamps and stuck them on a page, you’d save some cash on your next shopping trip.
We’ve got the same idea in mind, only there’s no licking involved, and we put our stickers to good use!

How it Worksgather 100 produce stickers and get $5 credit to your account for Market or Compost Membership purchases. Join the fun with Produce stickers for Cash!

All you need to do is collect produce stickers off your fruits and veggies and stick them on a piece of wax or parchment paper. Once you get 100 stickers on a sheet, leave it out for Rogue Produce to collect, and we’ll add $5 in credit to your Rogue Produce account! You can use your credit to shop at our Online Farmers Market or apply it toward your Community Compost subscription.

You can leave your sheets of stickers for us to collect when we deliver produce on Friday, or leave them out with your food scraps on your pick-up day!

What’s to Become of the Stickers?

At Rogue Produce, we don’t like to throw anything in the trash. We will use all of the produce stickers we collect to create art! That’s right. The plan is to create mosaics with these colorful stickers, perhaps sell them someday, and donate the profits to a worthy cause. If we start collecting a lot of stickers, we may need to find some volunteer artists to support us in this endeavor. Send us an email to localtolocal@rogueproduce.com if you’re interested!

Why Stickers for Cash?

  • It keeps the stickers out of the compost operations at our local farms. When the compost piles at our farm partner locations have processed into a finished product, stickers are often the only thing remaining in the mix, and it’s a bit toilsome to remove them.
  • It keeps the stickers out of the landfill.
  • The Stickers for Cash Initiative can save you money!
  • It’s a fun, collaborative effort! We can’t wait to start making some mosaics!

produce stickers for CASH initiative gives you five dollar credit toward your market membership purchasesWhen Does this Start?

The Produce Stickers for Cash initiative is live, now! Start collecting those stickers, and remember to place them on wax or parchment paper so we can easily peel them off and use them as art material.

Become a Farmers Market Member!

When you become a Farmers Market Member with Rogue Produce and begin purchasing local produce from our Online Market, you immediately support our community-building, soil-sustaining, farm-helping, and small-business-partnering efforts.

Through the end of April, we’re giving away 3 months of FREE membership with our Spring Promotion. It’s the best time to explore our service! With your Farmers Market Membership, you won’t be charged a delivery fee on your produce orders, and you get access to our weekly sales.


Online farmers Market free trial membership3 months FREE – Spring Trial Market Membership

Order weekly from a growing list of products from your favorite local farms and small businesses.
Receive access to weekly sales and have your order delivered directly to your home with no delivery fees!

Sign-up Today!


Community Compost

Another great way to support our efforts is to sign up for our weekly food scrap pick-up service, Community Compost. We’ll pick up your kitchen scraps every week and transport them to local farms, where the material is integrated into farm composting operations or used as animal feed. Learn More!

 

 


Stay in the LOOP!

If you’re not currently interested in our services, you can still sign up for our weekly newsletter to stay informed. We’ll keep you posted on farm events, local food stories, compost lore, farm work parties, promotions, and so much more!

Subscribe to the Rogue Produce Newsletter Today!


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Supporting our Local Food System ~ Community Work Parties

Farmers, Friends & Family Helping Local Farms

At Rogue Produce, we’re more than just a business; we’re driven to support our local food system. Our mission goes beyond delivering fresh, farm-to-table produce; we’re about getting our hands dirty, literally, to support the foundations of our local agriculture.

We understand the challenges and hard work our local farmers face every day. That’s why we’ve taken a proactive step to organize work parties at various local farms. These gatherings are a mix of our farm partners, their families, friends, passionate about supporting local agriculture. Together, we rally at a farm site to tackle various projects. From planting and harvesting to building and maintenance, every task completed supports local farms and farmers.

These work parties are not just about the work; they’re about building a community and an opportunity to give back to those who work hard to provide us with nutritious, locally grown food.

We rely on your participation to continue these farm work parties. Every time you place an order at our Online Farmers Market, you contribute to the growth of awesome grass-roots community support projects.

Take advantage of our Spring Membership Promotion, and get 3-months with no delivery fees on your orders! We deliver directly to your door, and you get access to our weekly sales too!

Check out how much fun we had at our last work party!

 


Online farmers Market free trial membershipOFFER ENDING SOON – Get your 3 months FREE – Spring Trial Market Membership while you still have time!

Order weekly from a growing list of products from your favorite local farms and small businesses.
Receive access to weekly sales and have your order delivered directly to your home with no delivery fees!

Sign-up Today!


Are you interested in fresh, farm-to-table news?

Sign up for the Rogue Produce newsletter to stay up-to-date on news from your favorite local farms, bakeries, creameries, artisans, and more!

Sign-Up for the Rogue Produce Newsletter Today!


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Mill Pond “Compost Man”

How I Became the Mill Pond “Compost Man”

by Johan Visser Mill Pond HOA, Ashland, Oregon

~Johan Visser Mill Pond Compost Man ~
I lived on an acre of land outside Phoenix, Oregon, where I tended a compost pile for 34 years. I moved into town a few years back and suddenly had no place to make compost. Our Ashland backyard compost pile would become a haven for rodents, raccoons, and other pests. I simply could not subject myself and my neighbors to that! I began guiltily throwing my food scraps into the garbage. “Better than the garbage disposal,” I thought. This continued until the Grower’s Market started collecting food scraps on Tuesdays. (But not in the winter). On November 9th, 2023, a small group of Mill Pond neighbors invited Flavia Franco of the Community Compost Coalition to give a presentation. At that meeting, I learned about Rogue Produce’s Neighborhood Compost Project. Soon after, I called to get the details of how the program works. I was inspired! My immediate goal was to sign up at least ten households to spread the cost and make it affordable for each participant. I printed flyers and went door to door, meeting neighbors and promoting the idea. By Thanksgiving, I had met my goal. I arranged with Rogue Produce Community Compost to begin collection on the first Wednesday in December and weekly after that.

Food-Scraps to FarmsMeanwhile, I compiled a spreadsheet with participants’ names, phone numbers, e-mail addresses, and payment status. The Mill Pond Neighborhood Project was born! We initially committed to a 3-month trial period, and by the time February came around, we were up to 14 participating households and decided to go year-round.

It is so gratifying to see that bin of food scraps collected each week being hauled off to local farms. Many thanks to Rogue Produce Community Compost for partnering with us to make this happen.


Neighborhood Compost ProjectSign-Up for Community Compost

How it Works

The Community Compost system is simple. You collect your household food-scraps (excluding meat and fish) and set out a container of your choice for us to pick up every week on your designated day. We transport the materials to local farms to integrate into their composting operations, or use as feed for their farm animals.

If you’re interested in the lower-rate, Neighborhood Drop-Site model, give us a call at 541-301-3426, to see if there is a convenient drop site in your area.

How to Join

To participate in Community Compost, simply sign-up here.

Want to join the Neighborhood Compost Project ~ Click Here

Rogue Produce Community Compost Partners


Are you interested in fresh, farm-to-table news?

Sign up for the Rogue Produce newsletter to stay up-to-date on news from your favorite local farms, bakeries, creameries, artisans, and more!

Sign-Up for the Rogue Produce Newsletter Today!


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rise Up! Bakery ~ Local Artisan Bread

Get to Know Your Vendors: Rise Up! Bakery

The team at Rise Up Bakery - local artisan bread

The Bakers of Rise Up! Bakery

Rise Up! bakery was born out of an intentional community called Full Bloom, a 280-acre community of forest and farmlands in the Little Applegate Valley. The vision for Rise Up! was to create a company that baked wholesome, delicious local artisan bread and positively impacted the community, including people, flora, and fauna.

When we first decided to start a bakery, it was to create a livelihood consistent with our vision for sustainability. This is why we are and will always be determined to stay small and local.”

Mission

Rise Up’s mission is to offer the Rogue Valley the finest local artisan bread, using organic, pesticide-free, GMO-free, and locally sourced ingredients whenever possible. Adhering to the slow food and local food movements, they are now purchasing local, heirloom varieties of wheat grown by Fry Family Farm! Purchasing Rise Up breads through Rogue Produce is a great way to support a network of beneficial actors, hard at work here in Southern Oregon!

Rise Up! is known for its delicious, good-for-you bread

The bakery’s sourdough culture produces bread that is easier to digest. Some of their bread, like Little Applegate and Sesame sourdough varieties, use minimal commercial yeast (less than 0.4 grams per loaf) to enhance the bread’s volume.

For their non-sourdough selections, such as sprouted multigrain, ciabattas, and focaccias, Rise Up! uses pre-fermented dough. This approach reduces the reliance on commercial yeast and improves the bread’s digestibility and flavor. Moreover, Rise Up! commits to using unenriched flour to help prevent allergic reactions to potato starch. (Potato starch is often involved in the enrichment process of flour because it serves as a carrier for added vitamins and minerals.) Through these practices, every loaf of Rise Up! artisan bread tastes delicious and is a healthy alternative to commercial bread. 

The Llopis Oven is central to the bakery’s operation, integrated into the building’s construction. This impressive wood-burning oven, nearly 13 feet in diameter and 7 feet tall, was built by two visiting Spaniards over eight days in September 2008. Its design allows for sustainable wood usage from local sources, maintaining a constant temperature between 350-550 degrees. The oven’s rotating stone hearth facilitates the baking of 90 to 150 loaves at a time, exemplifying efficiency and care for both the environment and the health of those involved in the baking process.

In July 2009, after refining their recipes and mastering wood-fired baking techniques, the bakery was ready for operation, supported by the collective efforts of local artisans, friends, and family. Everyone at Rise Up! remains deeply appreciative of the community’s contribution, acknowledging that its success and the quality of its bread are directly attributable to these collaborative efforts.


Online farmers Market free trial membership3 months FREE – Spring Trial Market Membership

Order weekly from a growing list of products (including Breads from Rise Up! Bakery) from your favorite local farms and small businesses.
Receive access to weekly sales and have your order delivered directly to your home with no delivery fees!

Sign-up Today!


Featured Favorites

Local artisan breads, especially sourdough, are favorites with Rogue Produce Customers. The Little Applegate Sourdough is one of the valley’s best sandwich breads, and is made in part with wheat grown locally on Fry Family Farm! Compared to industrial wheat, this local wheat has a delicious nutty flavor.  Add a loaf or two to your cart this week, and see for yourself!

Heirloom wheat grown by Fry Family Farm

In 2021 Fry Family Farm joined Chris Hardy’s heritage grain initiative. Hardy initially distributed small quantities of seeds to local farmers to cultivate and expand seed stocks for future harvests. It took two years to grow enough wheat for both seed stock and flour production. The flour for Rise Up’s bread comes from Fry Family Farm’s 2023 harvest.

Fry Family Farm is currently growing ancient and heritage grains, such as Rouge de Bordeaux—a red hard wheat, a Ukrainian hard red wheat, and a purple Tibetan barley. These ancient grains are known for their high protein and low gluten content and are believed to retain their original nutritional properties. As with all of their produce, the wheat is certified organic.

This year, Fry Family Farm has introduced five or six new varieties into their cultivation and is anticipating a broader production scale.  This expansion aims to supply a larger quantity of these nutritious grains to more bakers and retail outlets.

Rogue Valley Heritage Grains Project

Rise Up! Bakery Logo

Where to find Rise Up! Artisan Bread

Local Growers markets, Ashland & Medford Food Coop, Market of Choice, Shop N Kart, Gooseberries, also local restaurants Lark’s, Ruby’s, Carson’s Bistro, The Twisted Cork

Giving Back to the Community ~ Supporting Local Non-Profits

Rise Up! donates on average of $8000 per year in bread and money to local non-profits. 

To learn more about Rise Up! and the Full Bloom Community, visit their site at riseupartisanbread.com.


Bread

Rise Up! Bakery, Rogue Valley Sourdough

Join us in Celebrating Local Flavors

We hope you enjoy this article about a long-time partner of Rogue Produce. For over a decade, it has been our mission to support our region’s small farms and local businesses. We bring you these articles as often as possible so you can get to know the people you are supporting every time you purchase through our Online Farmers Market.

Thank you for taking the time to explore our blog. We invite you to share our content and assist in spreading the word about the incredible agricultural community in our region—a community we’re dedicated to nurturing and expanding. Your support can help others discover and appreciate this vital area of our collective life.

Let’s continue to nurture these connections, one delicious bite at a time.

ORDER your Rise Up! Bread today for the next HOME DELIVERY!

 


Are you interested in fresh, farm-to-table news?

Sign up for the Rogue Produce newsletter to stay up-to-date on news from your favorite local farms, bakeries, creameries, artisans, and more!

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Sherry’s Foods ~ Fresh Pesto and Sauces

Get to Know Your Vendors: Sherry’s Foods

One of our goals at Rogue Produce is to support the incredible local vendors and farmers that make our community vibrant and unique. Today, we are excited to spotlight Sherry’s Pasta LLC, soon to be rebranded as Sherry’s Foods LLC. Located in Jacksonville, Oregon, Sherry’s fresh pesto and sauces are a testament to the passion and resilience of its owner, Sherry B Henney.

Sherry's Foods, local wholeslae sauces

Enjoy Sherry’s Pesto and Chimichurri. Click on the image to order today!

Sherry’s venture into artisan foods began in 2009 with a simple mission: to bring the freshest, most flavorful pasta and pestos to the tables of Southern Oregon. Sherry started selling her products wholesale and at our local growers market; she also served on the jury committee, which she loved participating in. However, the unforeseen challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic prompted Sherry to pivot her business, leading to the sale of her pasta machine but a renewed focus on her pestos and chimichurri sauce.

Deliciously Crafted Fresh Pesto and Sauces

Sherry’s Foods offers a delicious lineup of pestos and a South American Chimichurri Sauce that will elevate any meal. Each product reflects Sherry’s commitment to quality, from a vegan pesto enriched with hazelnuts and seeds to the sumptuous flavors of roasted cashew and almond pestos. Crafted with local and organic ingredients whenever possible, these sauces freeze well and are versatile enough to enhance a wide array of savory dishes.

Inspiration and Dedication

Discover the delight of Vegan Pesto, a favorite among Rogue Produce customers. Click on the image to place your order TODAY and enjoy!

Sherry’s inspiration is as heartfelt as her products. After a personal battle with breast cancer, the encouragement of her friend Katrina from Katrinas Salsa sparked the idea to commercialize the pesto she had been making for years. With a rich background as a chef, including adventurous stints with tree planting and fire crews in British Columbia, Sherry has always found joy in feeding people. Her diverse experiences as a professional photographer and painter and even working in a commercial peach orchard have all intertwined with her food creations, enriching her offerings with depth and creativity.

“I used to be the chef on tree planting and fire crews in the wilds of British Columbia, lots of great helicopter rides and excitement. I raised my three boys here in the valley; they all still live with lovely grandchildren. I also did cooking spots on the local TV stations and at wineries. Food is always interesting, and there are so many combinations. It took years to become adept at using spices and herbs for the best flavors. I love creating.”  – Sherry

Where to Find Sherry’s Foods

Beyond Rogue Produce, Sherry’s Foods is on the shelves of several local and regional retailers, including Ashland Co-op, Shop n Kart, Market of Choice (spanning from Medford to Portland), Capellas in Eugene, Food for Less, and Medford Co-op, among others. Sherry’s kitchen, located in Jefferson Farm Kitchen in Jacksonville, is the heart from where all her products are lovingly prepared.

Featured Favorites

While we highly recommend all the fresh pesto and sauces, the Chimichurri Sauce is a customer favorite. Perfect as a marinade, sauce, salad dressing, or dipping sauce, it’s a must-try for anyone looking to add a burst of flavor to their meals.


Winter/Spring Trial Market Membership

Get 4 months membership for only $30
Order weekly from a growing list of products (including Sherry’s Foods fresh pesto & chimichurri) from your favorite local farms and small businesses.
Receive access to weekly sales and have your order delivered directly to your home with no delivery fees!

Sign-up Today!


 

Join us in Celebrating Local Flavors

At Rogue Produce, we believe in the power of community and the value of supporting local farms and businesses. We invite you to join us in celebrating and supporting Sherry’s Foods and, in doing so, strengthening the bonds that make our community truly special.

Let’s continue to nurture these connections, one delicious bite at a time.

ORDER your Sherry’s Sauces today for the next HOME DELIVERY!

 


Are you interested in fresh, farm-to-table news?

Sign up for the Rogue Produce newsletter to stay up-to-date on news from your favorite local farms, bakeries, creameries, artisans, and more!

Sign-Up for the Rogue Produce Newsletter Today!


 

 

 

 

Little Shop of Bagels – Best Organic Bagels

30 Years with Little Shop of Bagels – Your Cozy Ashland Bakery

Francesca and Angelina, smiling with a tray of organic bagels and packaged products at Little Shop of Bagels bakery.Not just a bakery but a warm, familiar gathering place for our Rogue Valley community

In 1994, Francesca transformed her passion for baking and an ambitious dream into reality, starting with a mere $85 and an unwavering commitment to quality. Her mission was simple: to craft the best organic bagels. This mission fueled what would blossom into a cherished local institution. Francesca’s small, 120-square-foot venture, affectionately named after its modest beginnings, has grown significantly over the years, yet the heart and soul of the bakery remain unchanged.

From Passion to Bakery

Francesca’s journey was sparked in the early ’90s when the baking landscape was still male-dominated. Balancing jobs and family life, she honed her bagel recipe, then took the leap and opened her bagel shop using organic flour and grains, which, at that time, was not common in the industry.

Today, Francesca continues to handpick the finest organic ingredients, crafting bagels known for their authentic bagel taste, deliciously crispy crust, and chewy interior. Francesca is passionate about organics and farming in sustainable, responsible ways and supporting organic grain and produce growers. Though this family venture has expanded, its core values of quality and community have stood steadfast.

What’s On the Menu?

A freshly prepared organic bagel sandwich with layers of cream cheese, cucumber, and tomato on a woven mat from Little Shop of Bagels.

HIKER and SPROUTED HIKER BAGELS are a favorite of Rogue Produce customers. Click on the image to ORDER TODAY!

Little Shop of Bagels menu includes freshly baked bagels, spreads, sandwiches, and scones. They are committed to organic and natural choices that ensure every baked good, bagel, breakfast, or lunch offering is delicious and wholesome. You are invited to explore the ingredient list on their website, a testament to their dedication to quality and transparency.

Where to Grab the Best Organic Bagels

You can find Little Shop of Bagels, bagels, and scones in local favorites like Rogue Produce, Brother’s Restaurant, Stoneridge Coffee House, and Cafe Soleil (formerly the Vintage in Talent). They’re also on grocery shelves across Ashland and Medford (Shop N Kart, Food 4 Less, Medford and Ashland Food Coop, and Market of Choice) and select spots in Northern California.

The official logo of Little Shop of Bagels, featuring a bagel surrounded by wheat, signifying organic ingredients and establishment in 1994.


Winter/Spring Trial Market Membership

Get 4 months membership for only $30
Order weekly from a growing list of products (including Little Shop of Bagels) from your favorite local farms and small businesses.
Receive access to weekly sales and have your order delivered directly to your home with no delivery fees!

Sign-up Today!


 

Celebrating 30 Years of Organic Freshly Baked Bagels

Close-up view of assorted organic bagels with sesame, poppy seed, and multi-grain toppings from Little Shop of Bagels.

Don’t forget to get your fresh organic bagels. Delicious any time of the day. Click on the image to ORDER TODAY!

from Francesca….
Mark your calendars – July 1, 2024, is Little Shop of Bagels’ 30th Birthday! It’s hard to believe, but we’ve been a vibrant part of the community for thirty years, baking and serving our beloved bagels. Through the years, we’ve had the privilege of meeting incredible individuals, many of whom have grown up with our bagels as a staple in their lives – from childhood, high school, college, and beyond. It’s always a treat to see familiar faces, especially those who now live afar, stopping by to stock up on our bagels, claiming they’ve found none like them in their new locales. And it’s particularly heartwarming to continue to serve our first customers, who’ve been with us from the start!

Stay in touch and celebrate our birthday with us this summer

We will offer many fun things to say THANK YOU for 30 great years together.

We look forward to seeing you soon!
Here’s to enjoying the simple things, sharing great food, and making more memories – one bagel at a time.

**ORDER your BAGELS today for the next HOME DELIVERY!**

 


Are you interested in fresh, farm-to-table news?

Sign up for the Rogue Produce newsletter to stay up-to-date on news from your favorite local farms, bakeries, creameries, artisans, and more!

Sign-Up for the Rogue Produce Newsletter Today!


 

 

Organic Farming and Sustainable Agriculture: Fox and Squirrel Farm

Fox and Squirrel Farm ~ Cultivating Community and Nutrition

Nestled in the picturesque Applegate Valley near Jacksonville, Oregon, Fox and Squirrel Farm, LLC is a testament to small-scale regenerative farming. Jennifer Miller and David Herald established the farm with a sincere dedication to fostering a strong connection between the community and high-quality, organically grown produce.

Jennifer from Fox and Squirrel Farm presenting a selection of organic produce at a local market standThe Inception of a Vision

2023 marked a significant milestone for Fox and Squirrel Farm as they embarked on their first season as market gardeners. Their mission is simple: to provide the community with nutritious, organically grown vegetables and herbs cultivated with purpose and care. Their approach blends a desire to collaborate with other small farms and a steadfast commitment to regional food supply resiliency. This initiative creates a healthier, more sustainable alternative to prevalent macro-agricultural practices.

A Bounty of Organic Delights

The market garden at Fox and Squirrel Farm offers a diverse selection of heirloom vegetables, fragrant herbs, and fruits, including apples and plums. They are also proud to offer Jennifer’s vegan, gluten-free zucchini oat bars, roasted tomatoes, and zucchini noodles. Looking ahead, Fox and Squirrel Farm anticipates an expansion into ready-to-eat foods, emphasizing drying and preserving techniques that maintain maximum nutritional value.


Winter/Spring Trial Market Membership

Get 4 months membership for only $30
Order weekly from a growing list of products from your favorite local farms and small businesses.
Receive access to weekly sales and have your order delivered directly to your home with no delivery fees!

Sign-up Today!


Education and Community InvolvementDiverse varieties of lettuce and leafy greens flourishing in the gardens of Fox and Squirrel Farm

In 2021, David started a group called Rogue GardenShare, an initiative bridging the gap between aspiring gardeners who needed land to grow on and landowners who needed help and inspiration. Jennifer and David’s partnership blossomed from this project, combining Jennifer’s culinary prowess with David’s gardening expertise. Their collaborative spirit and shared passion for growing the best produce possible led to the birth of Fox and Squirrel Farm.

“People become more connected with and passionate about their food when they grow it themselves.” David

Expanding Horizons

With 2 years of experience growing together, Jennifer and David are now expanding their garden threefold by adding more bed space on Jennifer’s land on Sterling Creek Rd. This expansion may eventually include a micro-agricultural educational resource center, offering a unique platform for novices and experts to engage and learn.

Your Voice Matters at Fox and Squirrel Farm

Organic kale freshly harvested by a farmer at Fox and Squirrel Farm, surrounded by lush greenery

Fox and Squirrel Farm’s dedication extends beyond growing delicious and nutritious produce; they strive to cultivate the varieties you most desire. Is there a specific vegetable or herb you’ve been longing to find at your local market but haven’t yet? We invite you to share your preferences with us. Your suggestions are valuable; we’ll ensure they reach Jennifer and David.

Together, let’s shape the future of our market offerings and support our shared vision for a thriving, health-conscious community.

We would love to have your feedback; CLICK HERE to send us a note!

To learn more about Fox and Squirrel Farm and to stay up to date with all their new happenings, follow them on Facebook.

Celebrating sustainable agriculture, Rogue Produce is excited to bring you the seasonal bounty of fresh, organically grown produce straight from Fox and Squirrel Farm fields.


Are you interested in fresh, farm-to-table news?

Sign up for the Rogue Produce newsletter to stay up-to-date on news from your favorite local farms, bakeries, creameries, artisans, and more!

Sign-Up for the Rogue Produce Newsletter Today!


Food Scraps in the News!

Thanks to the growing enthusiasm about Rogue Produce’s “Community Compost” program, we’ve recently been the subject of two local news stories! In this blog post we want to share these stories with you and outline the options available to you to participate in the adventure of diverting food-scraps from businesses and households and donating this resource to local farmers. Our local farms put the scraps to good use to benefit their own operations and our community as a whole!

Step 1: Check out the stories and share them through your social media!

Please check out these great stories, and share them through your social media channels. The more we spread the word, the more good things happen, such as:

  • New farms hear of our program and begin receiving scraps.
  • New residents and business owners discover Community Compost and begin participating in the program.
  • Our farm partners become free drop-sites for leaves, horse manure, food-scraps, and other materials to integrate into their compost operation.
  • New compost options sprout up, such as the free drop-site at the Medford Growers Market beginning in the Spring of 2024.
  • The more our region comes together as a community to reduce waste and support local agriculture!

KOBI Story by Taylar Ansures

https://kobi5.com/news/rogue-produce-turns-food-waste-into-farming-gold-217688/

JPR Story, by Roman Battaglia

Rogue Valley Entrepreneur Turns Food Waste into Black Gold

Step 2: Find out how you can participate

The process of building our Community Compost program has been, naturally, an organic one. As a result, our service options are diverse in order to meet the needs of all who wish to participate. We recommend the best place to get started is to give us a call at 541-301-3426 to see which of the options below works best for you.

Direct Food Scrap Pick-Up

If you want pick-up directly from your home in Ashland, Talent, or Phoenix, you can sign-up here at our current new-customer discounted rate of $14.95 per month.

Bellview Grange Winter Drop-Site

Because the Farmer’s Market drop-site in Ashland has closed for the Winter, we set-up this alternative location. Between the hours of 9am and 1pm every Tuesday, you can drop your scraps off at the Bellview Grange in Ashland. This service is $10 per month, and we ask that you call us to set-up service.

Food Scrap Pick-up for Businesses

We are excited to work with any restaurant, market, cafe, or the like, to get you set-up with our program. Give us a call at 541-301-3426 to set up a trial.

Free Food Scrap Drop-Sites

These will resume in March of 2024, at the Ashland Growers Market at the Ashland Armory, and at the Medford Growers Market in Hawthorne Park. We have enough funding to get the program in Medford launched, but we are still seeking donations to make sure we can provide the service through the entire Market season. Please support this effort by making a donation.

Other Ways to Support

Rogue Produce goes full-circle by selling produce from our local farm partners through our Online Farmers Market. You can place an order online and we deliver orders to your home every week!

We have a special Autumn promotion that gets you a free “Farmers Market” membership to remove delivery fees, and also gets you a 20% coupon to use on your first order! Take advantage of our promotion by clicking the link below – it’s one more way to support local farms, local businesses, smart food-scrap management, and stay connected with your community!

Free Membership and 20% Coupon

FREE Food Scrap Pick Up Coming to Medford!

FREE food scrap drop off at the Medford Grower’s Market is in the works!

Communities throughout the country are converting food scrap material into compost to reduce the need for artificial fertilizers and to prevent the environmental problems that happen when food scraps go to landfills or into water treatment facilities. In Southern Oregon there is a system in place to get food scraps directly to local farms to be processed into nutrient rich soil amendments. This system not only prevents waste and environmental harm, it also provides a significant benefit to local farms and local soils! Read on to see how you can support our efforts!

Who’s involved locally

This year, Rogue Valley Food System Network is supporting the efforts of the Community Compost Coalition (CCC) to help local farms expand their composting activities. The project collaborators are Rogue Produce & Community Compost for transport and logistics, Ashland Community Composting for transport and bokashi composting, Southern Oregon Food Solutions (SOFS) for Community Outreach, and three receiving farms: Fry Family Farm, Evers Ridge Farm and Joy Luck Farm for the composting process.

How it works

The primary working model is a subscription curbside service for collecting food scraps from residents, businesses and schools, and then transporting the scraps to local farms to be composted. In 2022, the Ashland Rotary Club sponsored a FREE food scrap drop off service at the Ashland Grower’s market to provide more residents with a way to keep food scraps out of the trash and to give it to local farms instead. This service continues to be  provided by Rogue Produce & Community Compost and it has been so well received and appreciated that it has been renewed for 2023. Also this year, when the Britt Festival signaled that it wanted to become the “greenest concert venue on the west coast,” Ashland Community Composting worked out the logistics to collect food scraps from each event throughout the summer.

Moving forward

With the help of an Ashland Food Co-Op Community Grant, and with support from Rogue Valley Food System Network, the Community Compost Coalition is setting up a second FREE food scrap drop off service at the Medford Grower’s Market starting in the Spring of 2024!

We need your support!

We are currently raising funds in order to fully cover the cost of the food scrap drop off service for the entire Medford Grower’s Market season in 2024. We would love to receive your help in making sure we can fund this service for 2024 and beyond! In a typical pick-up at the Ashland Grower’s Market, we divert 180 gallons (6 large garbage bins) of food scrap material from the landfill and donate this valuable resource to local farms that are working hard to grow the food we all love.

Donate today!

If you’d like to help ensure that this valuable service remains available for the long-term, you can make a donation by following this link.

 

Thank you, and see you at the Grower’s Markets!

Compost, Let’s Keep it Local.

It’s not everyday that a community comes together to support a cause they all can agree on. Usually this phenomena only occurs when there’s a crisis of some kind, and a community recognizes an urgent need and rallies to meet it. In Southern Oregon (and in many other communities) there is an urgent need to support small local farms. In many ways we rise to meet this need: by shopping at a farmers market, joining a CSA, etc. But there’s another substantial way to support small local farms on the other end of the food cycle – by contributing our food-scraps to their compost operations. We have the power in our hands to make sure that the food-scraps from our households and businesses find their way to local farms, but the window of opportunity to keep this power may be closing.

At a recent meeting of the Ashland city council in March, Recology (who is contracted by the cities of Ashland and Talent for waste collection) announced that it is planning to implement a city wide pick-up of food-scraps. Recology presented a variety of options it is considering for how this new service will be modeled. Depending on which model is chosen, Recology stated that it could take anywhere from 6-months to 3 years for the service to take effect. This offers the people of Ashland and Talent a short period of time to sustain other options for managing the valuable resource of our region’s food-scraps. This article offers an alternative option to Recology’s, one that is already in operation and allows for greater freedom and local control of a resource that broadly benefits our community.

Recology’s Proposal

At the Ashland city council meeting in March, Recology outlined three models for their food-scrap pick-up.

  1.  Food-scraps would be collected from residents and brought to a local landfill, where the material would be used to create compost to sell commercially.
  2.  Recology would establish their own composting facility where the food-scraps would be made into compost.
  3.  The food-scraps would be transported out of our area to composting facilities outside of our region. This is what is done in the Portland metro area, where the food-scraps collected are transported to a facility near Eugene.

Recology also mentioned 2 options for how this service would be offered to their customers.

  1.  The food-scrap collection would be integrated with their current services of waste and recycling pick-up, effectively mandating that all customers participate and pay any increase in service fees.
  2.  Establish a separate subscription option for the food-scrap pick-up, so the service would not be mandated to all customers.

Community Compost

Community Compost is a local small business that has been operating in Ashland and Talent since 2011. Customers of this company receive a weekly pick-up of their kitchen food-scraps. Community Compost also provides service to commercial clients such as grocery markets and restaurants. Here are some of the important differences between Community Compost and Recology’s proposed food-scrap collection program.

  1.  Community Compost does not mandate customers to participate, with the understanding that many households and businesses utilize their food-scraps in their own back yard composting operation or donate them to local community gardens or farms.
  2.  Recology would, at best, bring the food-scraps they collect to a location to be processed into compost. That compost would be sold commercially and provide an additional profit to Recology, and/or the organization(s) they work with to develop the compost. Community Compost, on the other hand, transports and donates the food-scraps they collect directly to small local farms. In this manner, Community Compost provides a direct economic benefit to local farms, and a nutritional benefit to the soil they farm on.

Other Points to Consider

Community Compost and its local farm partners have plans to eventually sell compost products created from the food-scraps collected in the community. When this scale of production is achieved, customers will receive a yearly dividend from a percentage of the sales of these compost products. Here’s how that would work.

    • Community Compost brings local farms food-scraps.
    • Local farms process the food-scraps into compost to use on their farm.
    • Surplus compost created by local farms can be sold locally by farms. This would provide an additional economic benefit to local farms, and spread more nutrients to local soil.
    • Community Compost customers receive a percentage of the sales of these compost products back as a yearly dividend.

The Effects of a Mandate

Many households in our region already use the food-scraps from their kitchens to create compost in their own back yards. Many farmers collect food-scraps from grocery markets to feed to their live-stock; and even some local schools collect food-scraps from their cafeterias to create compost for their school gardens. Community Compost has been operating for over a decade, and there’s a reason why not every household is a customer. Households that compost their own food-scraps are performing the optimum model for managing this resource – why would we want to reduce the incentive for individuals to do that, or make them pay for a service they wouldn’t use?

It Can be Done

Food-Scraps to FarmsCommunity Compost has been growing since it’s beginning, and particularly in recent years with the establishment of local drop-sites, including one at the Tuesday Farmers Market, in Ashland. The Neighborhood Compost Project is in development, which determines a drop-site within walking distance for customers to drop-off their full bucket of food-scraps and pick-up an empty one. Picking up 5-gallon buckets of food-scraps, especially when they are consolidated at drop-site locations, is a totally manageable endeavor for Community Compost, and doesn’t require dump trucks and large containers utilized for waste collection.

Action Steps

So now’s your chance, and our chance. If you feel like this is a cause worth advocating for, here are a few steps you can take to make your voice heard and stay informed.

  1.  Contact your city councilor in Ashland or Talent and ask them to allow for adequate time to consider all options available to our community when it comes to managing the local resource of our food-scraps. If you wish to do so, ask them to ensure that Recology will not be able to mandate the collection of food-scraps city-wide.
  2.  Sign-up for Community Compost if you’re not already composting at your residence.
  3.  Subscribe to the newsletter for Community Compost. You’ll also receive emails regarding the Rogue Produce Online Farmers Market, but this is the best way for you to stay up to date on this issue at the current time until a separate newsletter is created.
  4.  Share this article.

This post was written by Adam Holtey, owner of Rogue Produce and Community Compost. Feel free to reach out to Adam directly by emailing adam@rogueproduce.com if you have questions regarding the content.