Happy Creek Cheeses Sampling

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Join us during Owner Appreciation Days to try samples from our newest local cheese vendor, Happy Creek Cheese! They are a Veteran owned and family run artisan creamery located in Front Royal, Virginia. Stop in and try out this lovely local product!

 

Owner Appreciation Days

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Owner Appreciation Days are here again, and that means more savings! Owners, please join us August 17th-19th for local vendor sampling, in-store giveaways, sales, and  10% one entire purchase!

Not an owner yet, and want to get in on the great deals? Learn more about co-op ownership here!

 

CANCELLED: Wine & Cheese Pairing Class

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Unfortunately this event has been cancelled. Be on the look out for future Wine & Cheese events.

First Friday – Transitions Modern Improv Quilting with Emily Johnson

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Join us on Friday August 4th to see the opening Transitions by artist and quilter Emily Johnson. We will be displaying three of Emily’s quilts for this show, you can find information about them below. She will also be showing some of her works at Restless Moons Brewing up the road, and we encourage you to go see those as well! Come out and meet the artist and enjoy light refreshments. Blue Mountain Brewery will be in-store sampling and we will also have watermelons samples set up around the store for our watermelon celebration.
Artist statement:
With over 13 years of experience, Emily Johnson is a quilter who bridges tradition with modernity by combining time-honored quilting methods with present day improvisation. 
 
The quilts are vibrant celebrations of color, by using harmonious and bold hues she infuses her pieces with movement and energy. Emily embraces the beauty of imperfections; therefore, every cut, seam and pattern holds a genuine uniqueness.
 
As Emily’s quilting journey started, so did her husband’s career, which was marked by numerous relocations across the country. “Transitions” is a show about the emotional complexities of leaving familiar landscapes behind while embracing new horizons. The major themes of change and growth are mimicked in the interplay of traditional and modern quilting. The “Transitions” of Emily’s personal and artistic journey are conveyed in this show by the improvisational works that break free from convention in order to celebrate spontaneity. 
 
Perpetual exploration and evolution are the basis of Emily’s art. Within the stitches of each quilt, she uncovers new themes of self-expression, authenticity, and the interweaving of tradition and modern expression.
Work One:
AWAY
 
Started: 2017
Completed: 2022
States worked on: AL,SC,AK
In 2017 Emily took a workshop in the foothills of Alabama with Mary Ann Pettway and China Pettway, two quilters from Gees Bend, Al. This experience did more to change her quilting trajectory than anything had before. Every time she sits in front of her sewing machine she thinks of the advice of Ms. China “you need to let go a little more” and it pushes her to think outside of any self imposed limitations. to learn more about the Gees Bend quilters please check out –  https://www.soulsgrowndeep.org/gees-bend-quiltmakers
Machine pieced and quilted.
NFS
 
Work TWO:
Womens Work
Started: 2019
Completed: last week!
States worked on: GA, AL, SC, AK, VA
These yellow star blocks were in rough shape when Emily found them stuffed into a plastic bag back in the corner of a thrift store in rural Georgia. Over the years she has become more intrigued by the devaluation of what we as a society consider to be “women’s work”. Tasks of a domestic nature, such as sewing, have so little meaning that they can easily be disregarded and ultimately discarded. By salvaging these blocks she’s recognizing all the unpaid and under-appreciated work hours given by generations of women before her.
Machine pieced. Hand and machine quilted.
$2000
Work Three:
The Road
Stared: 2021
Completed: 2023
States worked on: SC, VA
Emily and her husband met when they were both seasonal Park Rangers at the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. As his career has progressed they have lived in a total of 8 states. Quilting has been a constant for Emily through all the moving, settling in, and the ultimate packing of everything up again. Half square triangles are a building block of traditional quilting, and represent for her an inherent desire for home and stability. The individual mini circle quilts tacked on portray what over the years has become an ever prevalent desire for adventure and wanderlust.
Machine Pieced and Quilted. Hand tacked.
$1200
Artist Venmo: @quiltid
Artist Instagram: @quiltid
Artist Email: quiltid@outlook.com
 

Build Your Own Bouquet with Quince & Burdock

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Discover the beauty of locally grown flowers in this afternoon workshop! Join us on Sunday, August 20th, for a hands-on session with local flower farmer and owner of Quince & Burdock, Erin Wright.

Date: Sunday, August 20th

Time: 1:00-2:30PM

Location: The Co-op Café

What to Expect:

  • Learn about the art of growing flowers from a skilled farmer.
  • Discover caring techniques to prolong the lifespan of cut flowers.
  • Craft your own bouquet using locally grown flowers, guided by Erin.

$25/$20 for Owners. Class size will be limited so sign up soon! Your registration/payment secures your spot in the class. Register and pay on the events page of our website or in person at the co-op. Owners receive a $5 discount, as always. We hope to see you there!

SIGN UPS FOR THIS CLASS WILL CLOSE ON FRIDAY AUGUST 18th at 12:00PM

Celebrate Watermelon!

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Prepare your taste buds for a refreshing experience as we honor the summer’s favorite fruit – WATERMELON! Join us on Friday August 4th from 5:00PM-7:00PM during First Friday to celebrate local watermelon!

Mouthwatering Watermelon Samples

Indulge in a delightful array of watermelon-based treats! We’ll have samples set up around the store for all things watermelon.

Watermelon Eating Contest

Do you have what it takes to be the watermelon-eating champion? Sign up for our thrilling watermelon eating contest where you’ll see how fast you can eat a slice of watermelon without using your hands!  It’s a fun-filled competition that’s open to participants of all ages! We may have multiple rounds of the watermelon eating based on the number of participants. The more, the merrier! So, gather your friends and family and come join the excitement. Prizes await the top three eaters in the total competition, so bring your love for watermelon and your A-game! The contest will begin at 5:30PM. 

Community Spirit

Meet and mingle with fellow watermelon enthusiasts from our community. This event is a great opportunity to make new friends, share recipe ideas, and celebrate the joys of local, sustainable, and delicious food!

Check out First Friday!

While you’re here stop in our café and check out our First Friday exhibit by local artist and co-op employee, Emily Johnson!

Mark your calendars and bring your friends and family along, let’s savor the flavors of summer and appreciate the goodness of this refreshing fruit together.

See you on August 4th, and remember – life is sweeter with watermelon!  We can’t wait to see you here.

Upcycled Crafts with Valley Creative Reuse

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Our newest Co+op  Kids event will be all about Upcycling. When you Upcycle, you are creating something from what you already have, rather than using new materials. It’s a sustainable and creative way to have fun, and make something useful with your kids! Bring the kids out on Sunday July 23rd to learn about the Valley Creative Reuse and make bead necklaces and crafts out of Upcycled materials on the co-op patio. This event is free and open to kids of all ages, no registration is required.

We hope to see you here!

First Friday – The Perspective of Nature by Emma Miller

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Join us on Friday, July 7th for First Friday opening of The Perspective of Nature by artist Emma Miller! Come out and meet the artist, enjoy light refreshments from the store, and try local beers from Skipping Rock!

Artist Statement: Emma has done art for her entire life life, she has always enjoyed drawing or painting new things. She still has sketches from when she was around 10 years old, and has continued to grow since then. During the COVID-19 pandemic she had more free time and spent a lot of time painting and working on her art. When school started back up her art teacher taught her about different perspectives and challenged her with different projects. Emma’s work consists of landscape paintings, glasses, mini canvases, and animal portraits. Her favorite thing to paint is seascapes, but lately, she has enjoyed learning how to paint animals. In a lot of her paintings, if you look closely you can see certain details, like animals or people. She hopes to continue to progress with her work and someday become a well-known artist.

 

We are so happy to feature Emma’s artwork in the co-op cafe for the month of July!

 

 

Round Up at the Register for the Backpack Coalition

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From June 4-17 we will be Rounding Up at the Register for the Backpack Coalition! This means that every time you check out you can round up your total to the nearest dollar and give your extra change to this awesome local organization. You can also choose to give more than just your change at the register, and Owners can donate their points if they’d like!

To learn more about our past Round Ups visit this page on our website.

What is a Backpack Program? 

The Backpack Program is a supplemental weekend food program for school children in need. Offerings contain a combination of foods ready for consumption by children and other groceries for meals to be prepared by teenagers or adults.

 

Why are Backpack Programs Important?

  • Food goes home with children who otherwise may not have enough to eat on the weekend.

  • Backpack Programs are a key component in distributing agency food within our community in a different way.  Often, access to transportation is a challenge for financially strained families.  Some families are at work when food pantries are open or have limited access to transportation.  Backpack Programs combat this issue by sending food home with children.

  • Children facing food scarcity often have other challenges in the home.  As community members, we have limited ways to make a direct impact on vulnerable kids.  However, we CAN help remove the burden of food scarcity.

 

How do Backpack Programs work?

All of our school programs are supported by local nonprofits (organizations or local congregations) that help fundraise and hold the funds for purchasing Backpack Program food.  Volunteers from the community pack bags every week across the city to provide weekend food for kids.  

Bluestone Elementary School & Keister Elementary School
Fiscal Agent: Trinity Presbyterian Church
725 South High Street

Harrisonburg, VA 22801

Smithland Elementary School, Spotwood Elementary School & Stone Spring Elementary School
Fiscal Agent: RISE Harrisonburg
217 South Liberty Street, Ste. 203

Harrisonburg, VA  22801

Waterman Elementary School 

Fiscal Agent: Patchwork Pantry
70 South High Street

Harrisonburg, VA 22801

Skyline Middle School & Thomas Harrison Middle School
Fiscal Agent: The Arc of Harrisonburg and Rockingham
620 Simms Avenue

Harrisonburg, VA  22802

 

Thank you to Cody Oliver for letting us use your photography from The Citizen article about the Backpack Coalition

qrcode_www.harrisonburgeducationfoundation.com.png

 

 

Want to give more? Scan the QR Code to give directly to the community partners supporting these backpack programs!

 

 

 

 

Intro to Beekeeping Class

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Have you been wanting to learn more about beekeeping? Join us on Thursday, June 22nd from 6:00-7:00PM to learn introductory beekeeping practices from Mike Hott of Hott Apiary! Mike comes from a long line of apiarists and is looking forward to teaching people tips and tricks of the trade. June is Pollinator Month come out and learn about some local pollinators!

$12/$7 for Owners. Class size will be limited so sign up soon. Your registration/payment secures your spot in the class. Register and pay here, in person at the co-op, or with your Co-Go online order. Owners receive a $5 discount, as always. We hope to see you there!