GREETINGS FROM THE GENERAL MANAGER
As the weather here in Ukiah turns, for this former North-East Coaster, from “not too bad” to “downright beautiful,” the staff, our Board, and I have continued getting to know each other, and our discussions around the past, present, and future of our co-op have continued to reach new depths of insight and understanding.
Recently, I was tasked by our Board with writing a State of the Organization Report, pulling together everything I have observed and learned during my time here so far. My report shows a co-op with a strong foundation and the motivation to seek new growth and evolve how we serve our community. From brass tacks analysis of our product selection and pricing to reinvigorating our Farmer Loan program, there’s a sense of Spring Fever taking hold around our store as we begin planting the seeds of an exciting new future for Ukiah Natural Foods.
Growing a garden looks very different depending on where you are, and the environment dictates what is possible. In Rhode Island, where my family and I moved from, the growing season is short, and the variety is limited. What grows well thrives, like the bountiful blueberry bushes we had in our yard, while our ill-advised attempt to grow watermelon bore little fruit, literally speaking. In the same manner, finding the path for growth at our co-op requires assessing our growing conditions, which are built on understanding the forces that have shaped it, the current conditions in which it exists, and the unique opportunities in front of us.
Overall, very much like the Mediterranean climate we are fortunate to enjoy, our co-op has many favorable conditions for growth, including an engaged and highly motivated staff, a supportive and knowledgeable Board, a loyal customer base, and a secure financial position supported by strong capital reserves. Still, climate change threatens us in the form of challenging
ROBERT DRAKE General Manager
economic conditions and uncertainty about the stability of our community, both locally and globally.
Like a garden, a business requires sufficient space to grow. Like a plant, a business cannot remain stagnant; it must continue to find ways to grow and thrive. Growth involves risk, while lack of growth inevitably leads to decline. This will shape our conversations moving forward – how do we grow? What does that look like for our unique co-op in our unique community? We are beginning preparations for a new Strategic Plan initiative that will guide this vital conversation and answer the pressing questions before us. Meanwhile, we will continue to focus on delivering the best shopping experience we can as we strive for excellent customer service, providing the best natural, organic, and local products we can source, and doing all we can to meet the needs of our community.
Happy Spring everyone! In cooperation, Rob
A natural foods cooperative since 1976
OPEN EVERY DAY TO EVERYONE
Store hours 7:00am - 8:00pm
Organic Espresso & Juice Bar
7:00am - 6:00pm
Soup & Salad Bar
10:30am - 7:00pm Hot Bar
10:30am - 6:00pm
Burrito & Taco Bar
10:30am - 7:00pm
Bagel Bar
7:00am - 2:30pm
721 South State Street
Ukiah, CA 95482
707 462-4778
www.ukiahcoop.com
email: UNF@ukiahcoop.com
UNF Management
General Manager
Robert Drake
Facilities
Dan Thompson-Sagehorn
Finance
Joe Riemann
Food Service
Chance Breen
Floor Manager
Lodie DeAlba
Grocery
Lenny Mller
Human Resources
Dagoberto González
Information Technology
Tasha Jelen
Marketing & Outreach
Yvonne Boyd
Produce
Libee Uhuru
Wellness / Health & Beauty, Front End
Katie McClure
Co-op Beet
Editor
Yvonne Boyd
Design & Production
Nicole Martensen - Tierra Design
Cover Photograph
Yvonne Boyd - Ranchomatic Studios
Contributors
Yvonne Boyd, Katharine Cole, Robert Drake
Welcome to Our 2026–2027
Every year, the Board Development Committee has the privilege of reviewing applications from co-op members who want to give back to this community we all love — and this year, we are pleased to introduce three wonderful candidates who will be joining the UNF Board of Directors for 2026–2027.
What stands out about this group is the breadth of their experience. Anthony Browning is a familiar face right here at UNF, with a background in retail grocery operations and a systems-thinking mindset. Jen Dalton is a seasoned food systems professional and a co-op member for 16 years, with deep roots in our local farming and food community.
ANTHONY BROWNING
Icare deeply about Ukiah Natural Foods Co-op and the role it plays in our community. With nearly 20 years of experience in operations, inventory management, and data integrity, I am honored to help support the Co-op’s future as a strong, values-driven community resource.
I believe one of my greatest strengths is the ability to bridge the gap between ideas on paper and ideas in action. I understand the importance of vision, strategy, and accountability, but I also understand the realities of dayto-day operations and what it takes to turn good intentions into practical results. I hope to bring a thoughtful, grounded perspective that helps keep the Co-op strong, sustainable, and connected to the people it serves.
Maria Landaeta Andrade brings many years of experience as an educator and food operator, along with a heartfelt commitment to cooperative and community-centered values. Together, they complement our existing board with fresh perspectives on operations, food systems, and cooperative stewardship. We are glad to welcome them.
Please take a moment to read their full applications below and join me in welcoming Anthony, Jen, and Maria to the board!
In cooperation, Christine Rodrigues Chair, Board Development Committee
JEN DALTON
Iam a seasoned food systems professional with over 20 years in the field of local and regional food system design, communications, and community engagement. I also work as a facilitator, project manager, and fundraiser. I am deeply knowledgeable about our local farming and food-producing community, and I like to do what I can to support them. Professionally, I also support the creation of food hubs, food businesses, and communities of practice around food system issues.
I feel it is time for me to serve on the board after being a member for 16 years. My working style as part of a collaborative team is to first listen, take in the dynamics, and identify where my skill set can be most useful. Then I am reliable as a doer and communicator. I can offer the board experience as a former board president and board member of other organizations, as a facilitator, and as a community engagement and fundraising specialist. I especially hope to support more community events through the Co-op. I also feel a connection with the Co-op staff as a regular shopper and would like to do what I can to support their experience.
2026–2027 Board Candidates!
MARIA LANDAETA ANDRADE
Iwant to join the Board because it feels important to me to help strengthen and protect the Ukiah Co-op, and to be more actively involved in the community I live and work in.
As a member, shopper, and food operator, I benefit directly from the Co-op, but I also see my relationship with it as circular. I source food here, serve the community through my work, and believe it makes sense to contribute back by helping steward the systems that support us all. This feels aligned with my values and with the cooperative model itself.
I have been an educator for twelve years, which has taught me how to listen, collaborate, and work with care and responsibility. I am comfortable learning, asking questions, and holding the bigger picture while working with others toward shared goals.
Becoming a food operator has also shown me how challenging it can be to operate with integrity in today’s food system. It has made me value cooperation, mutual support, and long-term thinking even more. I believe we need strong community institutions to create healthier and more sustainable models.
My working style is collaborative, thoughtful, and grounded. I value transparency, shared responsibility, and decisions that balance care for people, land, and financial sustainability.
Serving on the Board feels like a natural next step for me, not only to support the Co-op, but to learn from it and help ensure it continues to serve the community for many years to come.
When you started back in the late 70’ s, did you suspect you would be such a force in the organic wine industry?
Oh no, no! We really had no idea how it was going to grow, but we also didn’t anticipate the growth of the entire organic food industry at the beginning of the 80’s. There was a movement to ban a fungicide used on apples called “Alar” as it was found to be a poison. Apple juice was laden with this, and who drinks apple juice? Kids. So there was a movement to ban it, Meryl Streep became the spokesperson for the campaign, and it sparked interest in organic foods, and suddenly there was a growing market for organics.
From the mid-1980s to 1990, we only distributed to shops in California, and my brother-in-law and I would take turns going to the Bay Area and walking into wine shops. I had my little hybrid Volvo (you know, take the fender from this one and fender from this one), and so I would park blocks away from the shops [laughs]. And I would bring in my little wine sample with my label and hold my breath. Soon, we started going to the Natural Foods Expo, which is now the largest natural food conference, and that’s when Frey was first introduced to out-of-state distributors. So for the last twenty-five years, we were always increasing our production, and by then, luckily, other people were growing organic grapes, so about 1/3 of our production was our own grapes, always under the Biodynamic label.
So we’re sitting here at the brand new tasting room. You began building this after “the fire”?
Yes. So in 2017, we were front and center for the Redwood Complex Fire that burned so much of Redwood Valley. We have a big family, so 16 family houses were lost, leaving only two. Luckily, The Big House survived, but we lost our just-newly-remodeled tasting room, our bottling line, all of our offices, and about a million dollars of unharvested fruit. You see, the fire was on October 9th. We had harvested the whites, but the rest was still left on the vines.
We needed a new facility right away, and this property was a farm we had already been buying grapes from for years. We purchased it, ripped out the old grapes and replanted, created a beautiful pond, Rally Frizzante Rosé is a refreshing Biodynamic sparkler.
and built the new building, but it took a long time because we, along with our neighbors, had to wait for our PG&E insurance claims to be received. Now we’ve been making wine here for the past three years, so the production end was what we started with, and it is now all state-of-the-art. It is really the silver lining of the fire, I suppose, if there was one.
So tell me about the beginning of this new Co-op label wine you are releasing!
The wonderful Yvonne Boyd at the Ukiah Natural Foods Co-op and Rebecca Torpie at the Grass Valley Co-op came up with the idea of creating a Co-opexclusive wine. The idea has come up before, but at the time, it didn’t get any traction, and so when Yvonne brought it to us, we were ecstatic to really do it. We have a great crew of folks working together, and it’s been pure fun developing this. Probably one of the really wonderful days was when we were gathered here to come up with the language for the label, and it was creative, and by the end of an hour and a half, we had a really powerful statement for the “Rally” offering:
Let’s RALLY with community-owned food co-ops and Frey Vineyards, America's first Biodynamic winery. Our shared passion is taking care of where we live, respecting one another, and celebrating the journey.
It has so much potential, with hundreds of Co-ops across the country who can be part of this special label release. I think once they see this project, they will come on board.
And it’s great that it’s rolling out for release on Earth Day and the 50th Anniversary of the Co-op here. It seems like this is finally meant to be. Of course, we all decided to go with Biodynamic fruit because, again, the Co-op shopper is a savvy shopper who understands quality and cares about the environment, and they will resonate with the Biodynamic certification.
(And I would add to that, “and the name Frey Vineyards.”)
The Rally trio, available at the Ukiah Co-op.
RED WINE
BLACKBERRY FIZZ
Ingredients
• 1 oz bourbon
• 2 oz Biodynamic red wine
• .5 oz lemon juice
• 1 oz blackberry syrup
• 1 dash of your favorite bitters to taste
• Fizzy water to top off
• Blackberries and mint for garnish
Preparation
1. Combine the bourbon, red wine, lemon juice, blackberry syrup, and bitters and stir ingredients.
2. Add ice.
3. Top off with fizzy water.
4. Garnish with mint and blackberries.
WINE COCKTAILS
recipes & photography by
YVONNE BOYD Marketing & Outreach Manager
SPARKLING ROSE MARGARITA
Ingredients
• 1.5 oz tequila
• .75 oz triple sec
• juice of one lime
• 5 oz Biodynamic sparkling rosé
• 1 Tbsp sugar for rim
• ¼ cup ice
Preparation
1. Add ice, tequila, triple sec, and juice of one lime to a cocktail shaker.
2. Shake until chilled.
3. Rub the rim of a glass with a lime wedge and dip in sugar.
4. Pour cocktail shaker mixture carefully into glass and top with sparkling rosé.
5. Add a lime slice for garnish.
WHITE WINE ORANGE SPRITZ
Ingredients
• 4 oz chilled Biodynamic white wine
• 1 oz sparkling water
• ½ oz fresh-squeezed orange juice
• 1 oz honey syrup
• Fresh mint
• Orange
• ¼ cup ice
Preparation
1. In a glass, combine the wine, orange juice, and honey syrup.
2. Add ice.
3. Top with sparkling water and stir.
4. Smack the mint between your palms to release aromatics, then add as a garnish.
5. Finish with orange wheel on the rim.
hello + goodbye
Welcome Joe Riemann –Finance Manager
Ukiah Natural Foods Co-op is pleased to welcome Joe Riemann as our new Finance Manager. Joe brings with him a lifetime of dedication to the cooperative movement and a deep belief in food as both a personal value and a collective action. Straight out of college, he found his footing in the co-op world at The Wedge Co-op in Minneapolis, where he worked in produce, coordinated organic certification, and built relationships with local farms. His early involvement in the fair trade movement led him to become a worker-owner at Equal Exchange, where he helped launch a Midwest distribution hub and played a key role in the growth, logistics, and accounting of the fair trade banana program.
Over the years, Joe’s experience has spanned operations, marketing, international logistics, and finance — always within mission-driven organizations. He worked with Shared Capital Cooperative, a national cooperative loan fund, supporting co-ops across the country, and has served on co-op boards while continuing to build his expertise in accounting. His path reflects a consistent theme: aligning his skills with organizations committed to building a more just and cooperative economy.
Joe’s journey to Northern California began with a visit to Humboldt County, where the landscape and community immediately felt like home. After living and working in Eureka, he knew he wanted to return to California and find a role that matched both his professional strengths and his cooperative values. When the Finance Manager position opened at Ukiah Natural Foods Co-op, the timing felt right. We’re excited to have Joe’s experience, commitment, and co-op spirit guiding our financial stewardship as we continue to grow together.
Celebrating Anne Wright: 27 Years of Dedication
After 27 years of dedicated service, Ukiah Natural Foods Co-op is saying a heartfelt thank you and farewell to Accounting Manager Anne Wright as she begins her well-earned retirement.
Anne has been a steady and trusted presence at the Co-op for nearly three decades. As Accounting Manager, she played a vital role behind the scenes, helping ensure the financial health and stability that allowed the Co-op to grow and thrive. Her careful stewardship, attention to detail, and commitment to integrity helped support the Co-op’s mission and the community it serves.
Anne’s connection to the Co-op goes far beyond her professional role. As a long-time natural foods enthusiast, the Co-op’s values have always aligned closely with her personal relationship to food and wellness. That shared passion made her work especially meaningful and helped strengthen the culture that makes the Co-op such a special place.
Throughout her time here, Anne has appreciated the strong work-life balance the Co-op fosters and has been proud to witness the organization’s growth and evolution over the years. From expansion and change to new opportunities and challenges, Anne has been an important part of the Co-op’s journey.
After 27 remarkable years, Anne has decided it is time to pass the torch and enjoy the next chapter of her life. While she will certainly be missed, her contributions have left a lasting mark on Ukiah Natural Foods Co-op.
Please join us in thanking Anne for her years of service, dedication, and care for our Co-op community. We wish her all the best in her retirement and the many adventures ahead.
Spring
HAPPENINGS
WELLNESS WEDNESDAYS
15% Off All Wellness, Health & Beauty
Every second Wednesday
Wednesday, April 8
Wednesday, May 13
Wednesday, June 10
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETINGS
5:30pm
All members invited to attend.
Email board@ukiahcoop.com for the online link.
Monday, April 20
Monday, May 18
Monday, June 15
MISSION: VISION:
We join together for a common purpose: to sell trusted food and goods for the health of our community.
We envision a thriving, healthy community in which we are a vital link in the local food system.