Sharing the 
at GBCFC
It's February and Valentine's Day is around the corner. While we believe in love every month of the year, we're especially expressive in February. That's why we've got you covered... chocolate covered that is. 🍫 ❤️
New to our shelves are Big Picture Farm's award-winning sea salt and vanilla farmstead goat milk caramels lovingly dipped in organic, fair-trade dark chocolate. These are completely irresistible. Winners of a 2015 SILVER SOFI as well as a 2016 GOOD FOOD AWARD, each caramel is topped with a cocoa butter impression of one of their goats. A little piece of art. They come in boxes of 6 and each box includes a storybook pamphlet to accompany the drawings on the caramels. A superior gift if there ever was one. 🩷
Be sure to catch a whiff of the ruby red beeswax roses 🌹 and hearts from Sunbeam Candles. This company uses 100% pure beeswax, eco-friendly dyes, and a cotton wick. We LOVE supporting Sunbeam Candles because they only use paper products to ship (NO PLASTIC), their entire facility is powered by solar, they pay all employees livable wages and benefits, and they share 10% of the company profits with the team!
We've also got organic flowers from Thomas Ranch (Aptos, CA), on sale for February; house made, regional direct blood orange juice from Johansen Ranch (Orland, CA); as well as some tasty new sparkling beverages. Freshly squeezed blood orange mimosas or Spindrift sparklers anyone?
Let the bubbly (and the love) pour on your cherished ones this month. 🥂💋
Decoding Signage At GBCFC
Part 2 - Produce Department
Last month we discussed the colored tag signage system for the Grocery & Wellness Departments at our co-op. This month, we are going to walk y'all through how we label things in the produce department because one of our Board of Directors' desired outcomes or "ends" is to achieve as a cooperatively owned business a "knowledgeable and empowered community that can make informed food choices." One of the ways we do this is by using color-coded shelf tags to provide our member-owners with information about the products we carry. This enables you to make the choice that feels the best for your life. Your co-op has your back!
Green Shelf Tags: LOCAL ITEMS is a tag for goods that are locally sourced - any products that are produced within our foodshed. We define our foodshed by the watershed (or drainage basin) of the Truckee, Carson, and Walker Rivers. Water is the geographical lifeblood of our community. All farmers in the Great Basin share this scarce resource and have to keep it clean for everyone to thrive. You know you are strengthening our local food system, supporting local farmers and artisan producers when you choose these items.
Yellow Shelf Tags: ORGANIC & NON-GMO represents products that are at minimum non-GMO, which is EVERYTHING in our produce department. All produce that comes from our two larger wholesale distributors is certified organic - Veritable Vegetable and NorCal. The only non-certified organic produce comes from the smaller local farms that we support. In these cases, we do our own "inspections" and offer producers a seal of GBCFC Approved (see next heart bullet). In many cases, we believe that our smaller producers are doing it better than most large-scale organic farms. Choosing holistic and integrative practices like permaculture methodology, composting, insects instead of herbicides, no till, and more!
Purple Shelf Tags: GBCFC APPROVED applies to local farms, ranches, and products that are produced without the use of synthetic fertilizers, chemical pesticides, toxic pesticides, genetically modified seeds, or other toxic substances. We call a farm GBCFC Approved when the farm exhibits practices that foster a living soil and a commitment to growing nutritionally dense foods. All GBCFC Approved entities are either certified organic or have an initial site visit by GBCFC. The National Organic Program’s List of Allowable and Prohibited Substances is our baseline when considering the use of agricultural substances. After the initial application process and site visit, producers commit to informing us if their practices change since their most recent application.
Pink Shelf Tags: REGIONAL DIRECT signage allows you to see which products are grown or produced from our neighboring watershed within a 200-mile radius. Regional Direct means that we have a direct relationship with the producers and we do not go through a wholesale middleman. We have been able to visit this operation personally to ensure that it meets the GBCFC Approved standards.LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR BUYING GUIDELINES
Our Co-op Is Growing Up
🌱 Philip Moore 🥬 💻 Erin Hanna-Butros Meyering 🎥
Over the last year, our team has gained some very skilled and dynamic human beings to help us continue to grow the co-op. Introducing Philip Moore, our Local Food & Sustainability Director (pictured top or left), and Erin Meyering, our Marketing Director (pictured bottom or right). Both of these individuals have been involved with the co-op for a long time, Philip since the beginning days, and Erin for the last 7 years. We are not sure how the stars aligned so perfectly to allow for these folks to enter our organization but they did, and we are here, and it's incredible!
Philip is a computer software engineer and his Excel spreadsheet abilities are beyond anything we've experienced in this sector... the only thing more impressive we've ever seen are the kids who figured out how to make these pixelated spreadsheet images. Just kiddin' 😂
For real though, Philip is probably a genius and he's capable of storing, processing, and converting massive amounts of complex crop data, with both his mind and his heart. A computer software engineer by trade, Philip has also been an ardent supporter of local food system development in Northern Nevada for the past 20 years. He is involved in almost every single local food initiative in our area and he does an amazing job of communicating the needs of our producers to the larger governmental bodies who oversee these systems in our state.
Erin's motto is "Create. Collaborate. Support". We've never seen a human live the virtues of their brand like we have with Erin. She is fervently and infectiously optimistic and she never misses an opportunity to cast light on a person's attributes and strengths. She works through new media and traditional storytelling to create messaging that is both informational and visually appealing. She has experience with project management, website redesign, crisis management, PR, social media, advertising, digital design, blogging, writing, and supporting a diverse marketing team.
We feel like we hit the jackpot when both Philip and Erin expressed interest in these roles at the co-op. As we watch this new team take form, we continue to pinch ourselves and ask if it's all real. 🥹💚
- Amber & Mel, GBCFC Co-General Managers
P.S. It's also worth noting that Philip started on 8/8/23 and Erin started on 1/8/24. Both are on the 8th. In Jin Shin Jyutsu, an art that some of us practice at the co-op, Safety Energy Lock 8 means magic, which allows for the possibility of complete and utter transformation at any time. Magic is about mystery rather than certainty, flow rather than stasis. It’s about beauty unfolding one moment at a time, rather than following some kind of set plan set out by the rational mind. We don't think it's a coincidence that both Erin and Philip started working at the co-op on the 8 of the month. Big things ahead 💫 ♾️
Little Frog Farm (Reno, NV)
Last month we introduced Little Frog Farm (Reno, NV) to the Great Basin Community Food Co-op! Their tasty and ethically-grown microgreens have been flying off the shelves. While we encourage you to read our last e-letter for the scoop, you can also watch this rad, short reel of their operation. 🫶🏻🐸
P.S the full-length video of their farm tour has even juicier content, especially of their angel pup Dharma. 🐶
P.P.S. The containers that Little Frog Farm uses are PLA compostable and these vendors pay 10 times the amount for these than they would just buying cheap standard plastic.
BOGO Jan 31st - Feb 13th
Check out all of these awesome BUY ONE GET ONE free products thanks to our collective buying power with the National Cooperative Grocers. Look for the orange BOGO tags in the store, there are over 2 dozen items included in this promo!
FEBRUARY GBCFC SALES 💕
20% OFF
Your Next Lunch or Dinner at Home (Minden & Carson City, NV)
All local Black Rock Grass Fed & Finished Bison Products including stew, chili, and meatballs (Minden, NV) as well as all Local Pink Elephant Curries (Carson City NV).
On Sale February 1st - 29th
20% OFF
Local Radish Hotel Hair & Body Care (Sparks, NV)
Pick up locally-made shampoo, conditioner, and soap bars right here at the co-op. Radish Hotel uses 100% pure essential oil (and not fragrance oil) in their products along with a blend of rich oils that will leave the skin and hair feeling soft and luxurious.
On Sale February 1st - 29th
$3 OFF Our House Made 72 Hour Chicken Bone Broth
On Sale February 1st - February 29th
$2 OFF Marybeth's Vegan and Gluten Free Apple Crisp
On Sale February 1st - February 29th
$1 Off
Avocados
Just in time for the big game! Enjoy our Hass Avocados to indulge in guacamole, or just by the spoonful (we won't judge).
On Sale February 1st - 29th
20% OFF
Organic Flowers - Thomas Ranch
Celebrate you and yours with stunning flowers from Thomas Ranch (Aptos, CA)! Choose from a variety of size bouquets to hit your price point.
On Sale February 1st - 29th
A few words of nutritional wisdom from our in-house nutritionist:
Michelle Nash
Nutrition Education Director (NED)
Certified NTP & MScN
The Great Basin Community Food Co-op.
Bad To The Bone (In A Good Way) Quality Bone Broth Is Chock-Full Of Health Benefits
Bone broth is an ancient tradition (practice) that dates back to the Stone Age, a time before there were pots available for cooking. Soups were then made by taking hot stones from the fire and placing them into the cavities and abdominal pouches of butchered animals with various other ingredients to simmer up a mixture of “stone soup.” Utilized all around the world, bone broths are a culinary and medicinal staple to many different cultures.
There are several components of bone broth that lend to its nutrient rich properties. Collagen is a protein found throughout the body and is the glue that holds it all together, lending to the body’s elasticity and resiliency. As collagen is cooked down in the process of making broth, it becomes gelatin, which is what makes a good quality broth jiggle like jello. Gelatin contains several amino acids, primarily proline, glycine, glutamine, and alanine. Each of these provides individual contributions to the healing benefits of broth. Cartilage helps to cushion joints and prevent bones from rubbing together. Chicken feet and knuckle bones are excellent sources of cartilage. Bone marrow is the soft silky inner portion of the bone; it is creamy and decadent and is incredibly nutritious. Marrow from grass-fed bones is an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids and heart protective conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Minerals extracted from the bones throughout the cooking process make bone broth a good source of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and other trace minerals. A broth made with a variety of bones (knuckle bones, feet, marrow bones and rib or meat bones) will provide a nice array of these nutrients to create a well rounded and nutrient dense broth.
So, what health benefits do these nourishing
components of bone broth provide?
- Perhaps one of the more prominent benefits of broth is the ways in which it supports healthy digestion, this really is a super food when it comes to gut health. The amino acid glutamine is a primary nutrient for the cells that absorb food into the blood stream (enterocytes) as well as the main immune cells of the gut (GALT: gut-associated lymphoid tissue). Additionally, glutamine fuels the pancreas to produce enzymes required for proper digestion. The amino acid glycine supports gastric acid secretion, which plays essential roles in both digestion and immune support through the digestive tract. These gut supportive effects also help to promote sleep, support brain function and stabilize moods.
- It comes as no surprise that bone broth has also been shown to support bone and joint health. The glycosaminolycans (GAGs) that come from the cartilage in bones have been used to treat osteoarthritis and can reduce arthritis and joint pain. Due to its high mineral content, bone broth promotes healthy bone growth and repair and is also really hydrating. The water within the broth is more easily absorbed in the body with the help of the electrolyte activity of the minerals.
- And let us not forget the ever-popular anti-aging properties of bone broth. The collagen and gelatin components contribute to healthy skin, hair and nails. In addition to the valuable nourishing properties of broth, another primary premise of broth is the idea of letting nothing go to waste, utilizing vegetable and meat scraps and bones. This can easily be done at home by keeping a store of leftover bones, poultry carcasses, meat and veggie scraps (like broccoli stalks and onion skins) in the freezer until you have acquired enough to fill a large stock pot for a homemade broth, adding to your body’s nourishment and reducing food scraps from landfills.
Keep an eye out for these nourishing broths served warm every day in the Foodshed Café starting on April 1, 2024 🥣
Your Round Up $$ At Work
Your food justice funds are now supporting boxes of fresh organic and local produce via the Reno Mobile Market at the Riverside Farmers Market!
A letter from Reno Mobile Market's Director, Aycan Altinmekik:
"We are super excited to share some great news about our GiftBox program! If you haven’t heard about the GiftBox program yet, every week, we give away fresh, organic produce to our low-income/unemployed neighbors and their families in our community. We currently have 120 people on our program participant list who expressed their need for fresh produce, something that they cannot easily find at the local food banks. We have people with autoimmune or genetic diseases, those who have to follow a vegan diet, or those who are waiting for their EBT or social security income, all of whom are seeking access to healthy, fresh, and whole foods.
This program has been around on and off since 2020. As of July 2023, we have been working on revamping it, making it financially sustainable, and also expanding it. Prema Farm has been our continuing and faithful vegetable donor since day one. As you can imagine, in winter time the veggie donations we receive get either very small or none existent. Since October 2023, RMM has stepped in and used its tiny non-profit budget to subsidize and keep the program going even with 1 GiftBox per week at times.
On some weeks, when we receive more GiftBox requests than we are able to offer, and we are having to turn down several requests, sometimes as many as 6-8 people. We see the need and the demand, but we are not able to fulfill it due to our restricted budget. Our efforts at this point are to increase the weekly GiftBox offers to a point where we hopefully don’t need to turn down anyone. Continuing community support is crucial to make important and valuable programs like our GiftBox program viable.
With this intention, a few weeks ago, we reached out to Great Basin Community Food Coop to seek support for our program. The co-op not only listened to our needs wholeheartedly but also expressed immediate interest in supporting us. We are extremely happy and excited to share that GBCFC management has decided to sponsor our GiftBox program with a recurring donation which will allow us to prepare 16 GiftBoxes per month for at least 12 months and perhaps beyond. This means RMM will be able to provide GiftBoxes to 4 individuals/families every week. We are grateful for this gift which will allow us to keep serving our community.
We also started a community fundraising campaign to increase our weekly offer even more. If you are able and would like to sponsor a GiftBox (or more!) with a one-time or recurring donation, you can do so through this link or the button below. You can choose any amount you would like and even the smallest amounts are helpful to expand our program. You need to know that 100% of donated funds pay for the cost of the food, not for overhead expenses, so we get the most food possible into the hands and bellies that deserve it.
And last but not least, if you know anyone who can benefit from our GiftBox program please guide them to sign up by filling out a simple form on our website. There is no approval process. Anyone who expresses a need is welcome to join.
We welcome you to share this post with your networks. Even our littlest efforts create a ripple effect to build a stronger and more resilient community. Thank you for your part in this."
DONATE A RENO MOBILE MARKET VEGGIE GIFT BOX TODAY
Foodshed Cafe Deck
Construction Update 🦺
The pictures below represent the Foodshed Cafe space as it is right now. The inside wall is being taken out next Monday by our GC and we have 8 weeks to dial in the final layout (image above) that we came up with. Exciting times ahead 🎉
Beginning on Saturday, February 3rd the entire upstairs will be closed (public bathrooms included) for construction.
Beginning on Monday, February 5th, the inside wall of the Cafe is coming down and the salad bar is being moved over to the side where the No City Coffee seating tables were located. The final 8 weeks of this project will consist of the custom builds for our new space, tiling, decorations, painting, and stringing fun lights for better ambiance!
The No City Coffee Trailer will be set up outside in our parking lot starting Monday, February 5th. It will be there each Monday - Thursday while we are closed upstairs for construction. Ryan will be there each morning at 7:30 am when the co-op opens and he will stay open until noon.
The co-op's upstairs space will reopen on Monday, April 1st when we unveil the new and improved Foodshed Cafe! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
E-GIFT CARDS... PERFECT GIFT
We've got the perfect gift for any occasion! Buy a co-op gift card online and then text or email it to your recipient. They can scan it from their phone at the register to pay for their next grocery trip. 🥳
ORDER YOUR ONLINE E-GIFT CARD
Soup's on!
All soups are made daily with
in the co-op kitchen. We use all certified organic ingredients and as much local as seasonally available.OMNI = short for omnivore.
All soups in this listing are always GF.
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
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or
