~Thomas Jefferson
2017 ANNUAL REPORT UPDATES
So, on our 2017 Annual Report that we published, we included some fun facts about local sales through the store, like the hundreds of gallons of Sand Hill Dairy milk that we sold through the store to our wonderful customers. However, those numbers only tell part of the story - When the report was due we were so busy and exhausted in working to get the Food Shed Cafe open that we left out thousands of units of data from DROPP, our local food hub!!!
In relooking at all of the stats we realized that we had actually sold and moved thousands of pounds of local food that wasn't factored into our annual reporting. Obviously this is a huge bummer because that is the number one area that we pride ourselves in, SUPPORTING LOCAL PRODUCERS.
We apologize for the blunders and hope that you will accept the consolation prize of having a really awesome locally sourced Cafe in your favorite city.
Without further ado, here are the corrected local sales for the annual report (Full report found here or link in bio) https://www.greatbasinfood.coop/2017-annual-report/
NEW STATS FROM DROPP - 1489.25 gallons of milk sold, rather than just the 483.25 that we sold in the store from Sandhill Dairy out in Fallon, NV.
NEW STATS FROM DROPP - 722 lbs of local shiitakes and oysters sold from Mountain Mushrooms behind Bordertown, NV. (Pictured left - Nate Rosenbloom with his oysters.)
NEW STATS FROM DROPP - 1,383.38 lbs of pea shoots sold from New Harvest Farm in Reno, NV.
NEW STATS FROM DROPP - We actually sold 16,089 lbs of local and regional tomatoes as opposed to 4,444 lbs that we originally reported! Thanks to Dayton Valley Aquaponics, Lattin Farms, Bee Here Now, Prema Farms, Greg's Organics, Mewaldt Organics, Custom Gardens and more!
NEW STATS FROM DROPP - While we sold 44,463 local and regional eggs in the store, we sold, used, AND distributed 73,384 eggs in 2017 - more than sixteen dozen eggs a day! Shout out to Bare Ranch, Palomino Valley, Holley Family Farms, Hungry Mother Organics, Rusty Skillet Quail Eggs, and Sweeting Ranch!
COMPOSTABLE BAGS
You may have noticed our new compostable bags in our produce section. With plastic pollution becoming an increasingly problematic issue for ecosystems worldwide, we all need to work together to reduce plastic waste. Of course, the best way to do that is to bring in your own bags for produce and bulk items. But when that just isn't possible, or you need one more bag of spinach than you thought you did, we have brought in the only compostable-at-the-home-level bags on the market.
Most "certified compostable" material won't break down except at the highest (and hardest to reach) composting temperatures, which makes them impossible to compost in a non-commercial settling. But the Bio-bags in our produce set are recyclable in backyard compost piles, and are made with certified non-GMO corn so there is no more plastic waste from bagged produce! That being said, these bags are significantly more expensive than the cheap plastic ones we used to carry.
We spend a lot of time talking about the true cost of food - why is conventional processed food so much cheaper? (We use the word "food" with a grain of non-iodized sea salt, as most industrially processed "food" sold in this country is dubious in its edibility and digestibility.) Well, that goes for the packaging that we use to hold our food, as well, and a system where people can take free bags encourages more waste. Many states (next door California being one of them) have instituted bag charges to reflect the true cost of packaging, and to help reduce unnecessary waste. Nevada has no such laws, but beginning EARTH DAY we will begin charing for produce, bulk, and grocery bags - 5 cents for every bag you need. We will no longer be offering bag credits for bringing in your own bags, just a hearty "THANK YOU" for taking the time to reduce plastic waste.
Thank you all for working with us to reduce our collective waste stream, thank you for remembering to bring in your own bags, and thank you for supporting us through this upcoming transition!
Hi, I'm Jake.
You may not know me, but I'm a member of the co-op's board of directors. We do a lot of organizational planning and help make big decisions here at the co-op. Rather than diving into the details of operating a $5 million cooperative, we focus on the big picture - helping to guide the organization towards our ends and goals.
Every member of the board has a different background and life experiences that they bring to the table. I'm the Facility Manager for Dayton Valley Aquaponics, a sustainable, year-round greenhouse operation, others are chefs, entrepreneurs, or marketing proffessionals, but we all share the same goal: promoting broader access to local and organic foods by doing what we can to ensure the success of the co-op.
Here are some of the bigger picture projects we're working on! Although it was conceived of long ago, the Distributors of Regional Organic Produce and Products has really taken off in the last year. They've helped move thousands of pounds of local products to wholesale buyers, and are enjoying steady year over year growth. As many of you may already know, the Food Shed Cafe is now open on the second floor of the co-op. They're serving up delicious cuisine, hot and cold, all made with locally sourced, organic ingredients. A third project the board has been providing input on are the Farm Bios. Created out of a desire to help the public connect with their food and farmers in a meaningful way, the co-op team has taken the time to personally interview all of our regions local farmers and producers about their stories, and will be sharing it with you.
We measure our success as a board by looking at how our triple bottom line results fit into the four year strategic plan that we developed last year, which focuses on four main topics: Healthy Business, Local Food System Development, Awareness in the Marketplace, and Advocacy and Education. All the board members will be taking the time to share our process with YOU, our member-owners and Northern Nevada community, to truly reflect a transparent and cooperatively owned business.
Thank you.
RECYCLING UPDATES
Here at the GBCFC we are committed to reducing as much waste as possible. You can help by always asking for ceramic plates and mugs and metal utensils. But we understand that may not always be possible, so when waste is created, we want to recycle as much as possible!
Please help ensure that our recycling remains free from non-recyclable contaminants. Also, you may notice that our compostable soup cups, coffee cups, and utensils are destined for the landfill.
To properly break down a "compostable" cup or utensil, a compost pile has to get to incredibly high temperatures, and only industrial composting facilities can manage that (there are none in Reno). We have made the difficult decision that a plant-based cup or utensil breaking down in a landfill is better than a plastic one being recycled down the chain but never completely breaking down.
Our lovely Dane built us this incredible visual aide to help folks know where to deposit each kind container. Thank you being conscious about these items and for helping us reduce our waste!
And keep your ears and eyes out for our soon-to-come bokashi composting system for food scraps!
THE BEST OLIVES!
Olives are pretty awesome. They're even better when they're organically grown, and brined raw.
Good Faith Farm, just northwest of Chico, CA, is doing it right on a small scale and highlights specific varieties of olives in their amazing brines.
We just started getting their olives in bulk and repackaging them in glass jars to reduce waste while serving up the best olives imaginable.
We have raw Kalamata olives brined with just sea salt to let the olives shine, and a melange of olives cured for 9 months in herbs de Provence.
GLUTEN FREE Salted chocolate bavarian cream-filled eclairs!
Yes, that's right.
Let's go through that, word by word. Gluten-free. Made with the amazing Cup 4 Cup certified gluten free flour, you will never be able to tell the difference :)
Salted Chocolate. Because while chocolate is great, salted chocolate is the best. And of course, it's a homemade chocolate topping made with all organic ingredients.
And last but not least, Bavarian Cream-filled Eclair. Made with Straus organic heavy whipping cream, organic vanilla, all layered together with the chocolate and gluten-free eclair to make the best GF dessert in the Great Basin and beyond.
Oh yeah, we are also making amazing fresh paleo vegan smoothie bowls, with fresh organic berries, homemade organic maple syrup GF granola, organic coconut shreds, all on an acai base.
...For when you've had enough salted chocolate Bavarian cream filled eclairs and are looking for something healthy that makes you feel great :)
LOCAL FARM SELLS BIOREGIONALLY ADAPTED PLANTS!
FFA LIVESTOCK SALE!
High Desert Grange is participating in the 2018 Nevada Junior Livestock Sale with their organically raised and grass fed animals, led by Gloria of Montero/Clinger Goat Farm! Click on the image below for the full catalog/schedule.
SEEDLING SALE SAVE THE DATE
EVERYONE IS WELCOME! Open every day from 7:30am-9pm
Our mailing address is:
240 Court St Reno, NV 89501
775.324.6133
info@greatbasinfood.coop
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