Where is the Next Generation of Nevada Farmers & Ranchers?
In the December E-Letter, I alluded to the monumental shift that has been taking place within the local food community over the past 3 years. This is a lot to unpack in just one E-Letter and I've already written about ten versions of this email with about 15 times the word count... then obviously deleted it all. After getting all of this excess out of my system, I'll just get straight to the point -
In the past few years, we've lost generations of old Nevada farmers and ranchers, hundreds of acres of land, and years of agricultural experience with few younger agricultural entrepreneurs stepping in to fill these slots.
While the list below shows more incoming producers than those leaving the industry, the total food production and acreage owned by small farmers in Northern NV has drastically decreased these past few years.
EXITING PRODUCERS:
- Sandhill Dairy (Fallon, NV) - Isidro's Dairy situation was extensively covered in the December 2022 E-Letter.
- Avanzino Farms (Reno, NV & Palomino Valley, NV) - Doug was our annual provider of local Jack O lanterns and a large variety of produce farmed on close to 100 acres. He and his family sold the farm that their family has been on since the early 1900s. This farm was the last medium-sized old family farm within Reno City limits. He is looking for new land to farm on. We still carry his grass-fed & finished beef.
- Wolfpack Meats (Reno, NV) - will be reopening in early March with new operators from the private sector. The closure was abrupt and set a lot of ranchers back significantly.
- Holley Family Farm (Dayton, NV) - Loni & Rob stopped producing Beef and Lamb for consumers. Slaughter is too expensive and hard to access in NV. We still carry their pastured non-gmo pork.
- Albaugh Ranch (Fallon, NV) - Norris no longer felt that his children would have a future with agriculture in Nevada. We covered this story on social media last Spring. Obstacles were enough water and accessible/affordable slaughter in NV.
- Montero Goat Ranch (Lovelock, NV) - slaughter is too expensive and hard to access in NV.
- Lattin Farms (Fallon, NV) - Rick is getting older and retiring. He leased over 300 acres of his farm to an alfalfa producer. He will continue the pumpkin patch and the corn maze and his farm manager is going to try and keep the raspberries going.
- Mewaldt Organics (Fallon, NV) - Bill is getting older and also retiring. We thoroughly enjoyed the small deliveries of garlic that we received this past season and we are hoping for more in 2023. We missed his incredibly flavorful hand-grown tomatoes and basil this past season. This was the first seedling sale that Bill was not at since our first street sale in 2007
- Nevada Ag (Wadsworth, NV) - Spencer closed this operation prior to the pandemic but we were not able to fully report on things as we got swept up in the essential grocer role for the past few years. Spencer's situation was heartbreaking as he would have been the largest year-round greenhouse produce grower in Northern NV. His family and his investors spent tens of thousands of dollars trying to comply with the county codes. They were held to the same standards as large marijuana growing facilities and they simply could not keep up with the costs and restrictions of this process. Their project was never approved but it was beautiful 😢 🌈
- Kennedy Ranch (Lamoille Canyon, NV) - Sue is selling her ranch and she has already sold all of her poultry processing equipment, for personal reasons.
- Washoe Valley Mushrooms (Washoe Valley, NV) - Levi, Linda, and Paul have closed their shitake and lion's mane mushroom operation for personal reasons.
- 509 Flower Farm (Reno, NV) - Dena paused her flower production for personal reasons.
- Dayton Valley Aquaponics (Dayton Valley, NV) - Trevor and his team wanted to buy this operation from the investors who owned it. The investors needed a larger profit and this young startup could not deliver that in the necessary timeframe. They produced Tilapia, Tomatoes, Edible Flowers and Sprouts.
- Nevada Freshpak/Peri & Sons (Yerington, NV) - we were no longer able to pick up large deliveries from this outfit after closing DROPP. We did not have refrigerated trucks and warehouse space to meet the necessary economies of scale needed for weekly pickups.
- Bare Ranch (Surprise Valley, CA) - the Estill family had hundreds of non gmo pastured hens and were the largest egg producer in Reno. They closed shortly after DROPP closed.
- Palomino Valley Chicken & Eggs (Palomino Valley, NV) - Paula and Chuck were the second largest egg producers in our network. They were certified organic and closed for personal reasons.
- There are three more significantly sized producers in Northern Nevada who do not wish to be named at this time. They have all stopped producing food due to local policy restrictions, zoning issues, and some of the "one size fits all" ag regulations set forth by the powers that be. Two of them are in the process of trying to sell their operations in Nevada. One of these producers told me that he "has no more will to push a boulder up a hill in Nevada", he is currently looking for land and water in another state.
- Jamason Farms (Battle Mountain, NV) - Dennis lost all of his pumpkins last year due to the late June freezes. He still provides the co-op with his amazing garlic and we are hoping for more pumpkins in 2023.
- Jacobs Berries (Minden, NV) - Jack sold his property and the transition was a bit rough with some of the berries not being watered for a lot of last April. This resulted in a fraction of the yield that we typically see from this farm. The good news is that Rachel & Dan from Nevada's Own have recently started to manage the berry side of this historical NV operation and we are hoping for some BERRY GOOD YIELDS in 2023 :)
- Petals and Pages (Fernley, NV) - Trish battled cancer and won! She's already back on her feet and doing what she loves with her incredible flowers 🌷🌺🌼🌻🌸💐🌹
- Pioneer Farms (Fallon, NV) - hardly any yield in 2022 as Scott reported not having any labor to harvest.
- Hulsman Ranch (Susanville, CA) - Hannah and her family lost their nearly century-old barn along with hundreds of acres of property when the wildfires swept through in 2020. They have since rebuilt and are focusing on their cattle operation. As of 2022 she has decided to pass the sheep operation to her cousin in Oroville, CA - see the incoming list below.
NEW & INCOMING PRODUCERS
- Alturas Ranch - Regional Sand Hill Wild Rice, 2021
- Bertanga Nut Co. - Regional Walnut Farm, 2020
- Biggest Little Mushroom - Local Mushrooms, 2022
- Borda Ranch - Local Grass F&F Lamb, 2020
- Bradley & Son Cattle - Regional Grass F&F Beef, 2020
- Beri Basseri Farm - Local Farm, 2022
- Cirque Du Ferment - Local Kombucha, 2022
- City Green Gardens - longtime local farmer Craig Frezzette, started selling produce to GBCFC, 2022.
- Elixart Jun Kombucha - Regional, 2022
- First Fruits Sustainable Farms - started buying Tim's local chickens, 2022.
- High Sierra Microgreens - Local microgreens, 2020
- Jim Davenport’s Farm - Certified Organic farm in Yerington, NV. Currently grows garlic and carrots, 2021
- Mitch’s Vegan Jerky - Local, 2021
- Mile High Mill and Grain - Regional Flour, 2021
- Mother of Macros - High Protein, GF & Local Donuts, 2020
- No City Coffee - Locally Roasted Coffee, 2022
- Petals & Pages - Local Flowers, 2021
- Pink Elephant - Local Thai Curry, 2022
- Ripcord Farms - Certified Organic Local Produce Farm, 2022
- Roots n Bone - Regional Direct Bone Broth, 2022
- Sierra Roots Wellness - Regional Direct Herbal Medicine, 2020
- Sterling Farm - Local Produce, 2020
- Sundahl & Sons Livestock - Regional Grass F&F Lamb (this is the cousin of Hannah Tangeman - owner of Hulsman Ranch), 2022
- Tahoe Pops - Local Popsicles, 2020
Where is the next generation of NV farmers?
We need you now 🌱🤎. If you are ready to grow at a larger scale, please email localfood@greatbasinfood.coopTo all of the current co-op farmers and ranchers out there, we have some great news! 2023 will be the first year since before the pandemic that we are going to hold the Annual Love Your Farmer Dinner ❤️👩🏻🌾🧑🏿🌾👨🏽🌾❤️. We obviously have a lot to talk about and we've got a LOT of local ag heroes to honor for their incredible commitments and service towards feeding our state. Stay tuned for more details.
In Food Sovereignty,
Amber Sallaberry
Co-Founder & General Manager
A warm welcome to our newest local grower, Berri Basseri. Have you ever tried Bill Mewaldt's Lahontan Garlic at the GBCFC? In 2021, one of our co-op co-founders, Nicole Sallaberry, purchased about 200lb of Bill's garlic for seed. She had noticed his garlic crops diminishing in volume over the last several years and wanted to keep the garlic growing and increase our local supply. In the fall of 2021 bulbs were cracked and The Sallaberry Family planted approximately 1/4 acre of Bill's babies. The weeds were pernicious but luckily Nicole's son, Enzo, is a master weeder. The weeds were kept at bay just enough for a bountiful harvest of approximately 1500lb in the Summer of 22. Once all of the local soft neck garlic sold out from Bill Mewaldt, Berri Basseri's garlic supply hit the shelves. The supply is enough to keep the GBCFC supplied with local garlic until the new local crops arrive this coming July. Our hope is that the new walk-in cooler in the basement can keep the bulbs consistently cool and dark (so that they do not sprout). We just might have our first full year of only local garlic on our shelves for the first time ever!
Basseri Berri/a = New Farm in Euskara (Basque Language)
Berri Basseri looks forward to the 2023 season and is aiming to provide local winter squash varieties and pie pumpkins to us in the fall/winter of this year.
$100 Co-op Gift Card Survey Raffle Winners!
Thank you all so much for taking the 2023 Co-op Shopper & Owner Survey. There were 584 total participants. We used a random number generator that we found on google and then we matched up the 3 winning numbers to the respondent numbers in the survey. Here are the winners:
1. Nick Martin
2. Marnie Mattice
3. Scott Callaghan
2. Marnie Mattice
3. Scott Callaghan
We have sent you all an email with the details for redemption. Congratulations!!! 🥳🥳🥳
February 2023 Sales
Organic Blood Oranges $2.49/lb
from Johansen Ranch (Orland, CA)Regular price $3.99 per lb.
Organic & Fair Trade Large Avocados
2 for $3
On Sale Feb 1st - 14th
Regular Price $2.49/lb
2 for $3
$3 off 16oz. Regional Direct Organic Orange Juice from Johansen Ranch (Orland, CA)
On Sale Feb 1st - 28th
Regular price $9.99
Regional Direct Blood Orange Juice 8oz. $3.99 & 16oz. $6.99
from Johansen Ranch (Orland, CA)
On Sale Feb 1st - 28th or while supplies last
Regular Price 8oz $5.99 16oz $9.99
Meet Birdie and Tony of Pink Elephant!
Meet Birdie and Tony, the hands and hearts behind Pink Elephant Kitchen. After moving to Reno in 2016, they decided to shift their focus from operating a full-service restaurant to doing what they love most: making delicious food and sharing it directly with their customers. Their curries are the culmination of Birdie's childhood in Thailand and Tony's training as a Japanese chef. Birdie never enjoyed the spiciness of most traditional Thai curries, so she became quite skilled at making her own — sans the spice! Together, they've created a business that highlights our unique skills and backgrounds, while also offering them time to enjoy and care for their two sons.
New Organic Skincare Line in Bulk and Individual Retail - 15% off
Oneka person care products are 15% off for the month of February. This line is especially exciting as it helps reduce plastic with much of their retail product in glass plus the refillable option in bulk.Oneka's line of natural personal care products was created out of a deep love and respect for our natural habitat and fellow living beings. From growing the plants used in their products on their organic farms to partnering with experts and businesses to implement their vision of change and taking care of their community. Oneka seeks to act as guardians of our water sources and the many organisms that help clean and purify water along its way; and contribute to the preservation of natural ecosystems by creating and selling high-quality personal care products.
LOCAL! Pink Elephant Curries
$1 off the month of Feb
Pink Elephant curries are the culmination of founders Birdie's childhood in Thailand and Tony's training as a Japanese chef. These two have created delicious curry sauces using quality ingredients that will spice up your week day dishes.
$2 off No City Bagged Coffee Varieties
All bagged coffee from No City coffee is $2 off for the month of February! One bag will serve a daily coffee drinker for a week or so. Enjoy our fresh roasted Indian coffee that's smooth and has subtle notes of chocolate. Each bag is also compostable so each bag puts less in the landfill.
3 Organic Valentine's Bouquets!
All Certified Organic from Thomas Family Farm in Aptos, CA.Seasonal Mixed Bouquet
$24.99 each
10 Stem Tulips
$19.99 each
Cutie Bouquet
$19.99 each
2023 Health Benefits for All Full-Time Staff Members & Our Unique Wellness Stipend Program
Beginning in July 2022, the operations team (with the support and blessing from our Board of Directors) made the decision to offer all full-time staff members (working 30+ hours per week) FULL PAID HEALTH BENEFITS. With healthcare costs going up nearly 20% at the beginning of 2022, this was no small feat or expense for our co-op.
In addition to offering the Hometown Health Gold EPO package, Best Dental, and Arch Vision insurance, our co-op also offers alternative wellness packages for staff members who do not use traditional insurance.
After realizing that a significant number of our staff members were not receiving many benefits from the traditional insurance plans... because these staff members are fortunate enough to enjoy good health, we decided to try out an alternative program idea.
We figured out how much each employee would cost the co-op on a monthly basis if we paid for medical, dental, and vision insurance. We then offered this total amount to all employees to be used in whatever way best suited their lifestyle. Employees could choose a la carte from any of the traditional plans and/or they could choose to join just the catastrophic and planned surgery medical discount program that we offer. Whatever amount that they had remaining went into a monthly pool of funds that the employee could use towards any purchase that they could justify benefitted their psychological, physical, or spiritual health. Our team can now afford monthly Acupuncture, Massage, Supplements, Behavioral Therapy, Gym Memberships, Snowboarding Passes, and more!
The feedback thus far has been great and everyone really loves the new traditional and alternative benefits! 🫶🏻🫀🫁🧠💆🏽♀️😍
Co-op E - Gift Cards 👩🏻🎤
The gift of good food is as quick as a text message now! We are now offering online gift cards that you can email or text to that special person in your life. With a variety of designs to choose from, these are perfect for any occasion. Simply click on the link below (or visit our website) and choose the amount, add your recipient name and their email or phone number... Voila, your recipient will have a virtual gift card sent to them that they can scan from their smartphone!
ORDER E-GIFT CARDS HERE
Anyone can shop, everyone can join!
Open everyday from 7:30am – 9pm
Great Basin Community Food Co-op
240 Court St Reno, NV 89501
775.324.6133
info@greatbasinfood.coop
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