January 2026

Pivotal Study From 25 Years Ago Claiming Glyphosate (Roundup) was Safe, Retracted Earlier This Month

In the Summer of 2024, we published an article, "If It's Not the Gluten, Is It the Glyphosate?" This was one of the most responded-to articles we've ever put out in our monthly E-Letter.  Obviously, there are many gut feelings and personal experiences on the subject. 🧠 (no emoji for the GI tract, but the connection to the brain is irrefutable at this point... hence the term "gut brain axis or connection")
Nevada might be one of the most important states to explore the use of Roundup (glyphosate), as our number one agricultural export is alfalfa (typical hay feed for livestock), and it's speculated that over 80% of the alfalfa grown in Nevada is Roundup Ready.
"Roundup Ready (RR) Alfalfa was developed through a joint project between Monsanto and Forage Genetics International (FGI), creating the first genetically engineered (GE) perennial crop resistant to glyphosate (Roundup) herbicide, allowing farmers to spray the entire field for weeds without harming the alfalfa. This technology, which inserts a bacterial gene for glyphosate tolerance, was marketed by Monsanto under the "Genuity" brand."

On January 2nd, 2026, The New York Times published an article stating that one of the most important and fundamental studies performed on Round Up in the year 2000 was retracted. This study told the public that it was completely safe to use and apply this toxic herbicide, and to spray it all over our lawns, where our kids and pets play, and on the food that feeds the majority of livestock in America.  
Excerpts from the NY Times Article:
"In 2000, a landmark study claimed to set the record straight on glyphosate, a contentious weedkiller used on hundreds of millions of acres of farmland. The paper found that the chemical, the active ingredient in Roundup, wasn’t a human health risk despite evidence of a cancer link.
Last month, the study was retracted by the scientific journal that published it a quarter century ago, setting off a crisis of confidence in the science behind a weedkiller that has become the backbone of American food production. It is used on soybeans, corn and wheat, on specialty crops like almonds, and on cotton and in home gardens.
... The 2000 paper, a scientific review conducted by three independent scientists, was for decades cited by other researchers as evidence of Roundup’s safety. It became the cornerstone of regulations that deemed the weedkiller safe.
But since then, emails uncovered as part of lawsuits against the weedkiller’s manufacturer, Monsanto, have shown that

the company’s scientists played a significant role in conceiving and writing the study."

How is the science true or good if it's created and funded by the very company that seeks to profit from the product??!!

If you read the article that we published in 2024 ("If It's Not the Gluten, Is It the Glyphosate?"), You will see that as of March of that year, Monsanto/Bayer had reached settlement agreements (primarily for cancer cases) in nearly 100,000 Roundup lawsuits. Monsanto/Bayer had paid approximately $11 billion at that time. They accomplished this by negotiating block settlement arrangements with plaintiffs’ lawyers who have significant cases in the litigation… and by settling with plaintiffs before trial.  Here's just one of these cases:  https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/29/us/roundup-cancer-verdict-philadelphia-bayer-monsanto/index.html
Dr. Zach Bush, a leading expert on the subject, says that if glyphosate (the primary ingredient in Roundup) were to stop being used immediately, it would still take approximately 50 years for environmental levels to drop to tolerable, non-toxic levels.

Key points regarding this projection include:

• Environmental Cleanup: While glyphosate is highly pervasive, natural microbial digestion in the soil can break it down, but this process will take over 50 years to reverse current contamination.

• Current Crisis: Dr. Bush notes that 75% of air and rain samples tested contain Roundup, meaning it is raining down on organic crops.

• Biological Impact: The 50-year projection is crucial because, according to Dr. Bush, the current widespread use of glyphosate is destroying soil microbiology and human gut health, leading to a rise in chronic disease and a potential collapse in human fertility.

• The Path Forward: Through his work with Farmer's Footprint, Dr. Bush advocates for a rapid transition to regenerative agriculture to accelerate the healing of the soil microbiome. 

You may think to yourself, How does this affect me? I'm not a cow, and I don't eat alfalfa. The saying "you are what you eat" has never been truer. If you eat meat, then you are likely getting a small dose of glyphosate with every meal. Whatever animals consume shows up in the finished product and on your plate. The same is true for antibiotics, synthetic hormones, fertilizers, and a variety of other inputs, such as the herbicide glyphosate. Not to mention the residue in the soil and within our watershed. Heck, even if you eat veggies exclusively, you are getting a small dose on top of those crops every time it rains! It should be noted that NONE of the local farmers or ranchers that we work with use glyphosate.  It's one of our most important , and all GBCFC producers adhere to it.
At this point, it's pretty clear that we've been misled and that we've been openly dousing our food supply and farmlands with this toxic poison. Thanks to independent scientific researchers and doctors like Zach Bush, a gut biome-healing product has been developed to help you address these toxic levels in your body. If you're interested in learning more, continue to the next article, written by our in-house nutritionist.

Michelle Nash
Nutrition Education Director
Certified NTP & MScN
The Great Basin Community Food Co-op
ION* Gut Support and ION* Plus Drink Mix
The gut lining is made up of a network of cells that form a vital barrier between the small/large intestines and the bloodstream.  These cells are held together by protein complexes called tight junctions that act as the “gatekeepers” controlling what passes between them, letting nutrients through but keeping out toxins, pathogens, and undigested food. 
Overexposure to toxins weakens these tight junctions. With nearly 300 million pounds of glyphosate—a chemical found in herbicides like Roundup—used annually in the US, it's no surprise that it significantly impacts Americans’ gut health. Glyphosate directly damages tight junctions, compromising this protective barrier and allowing toxins and pathogens to pass through the gut lining into the bloodstream.  Furthermore, gluten can be particularly harmful to individuals with gluten sensitivity or celiac disease because gliadin, a protein in gluten, triggers the gut lining to release zonulin, which disrupts tight junctions.  Nearly all conventional grains are sprayed with glyphosate to hasten harvests, creating conditions that increase the risk of gut inflammation and junction damage - glyphosate damages the gut lining, impairs gluten digestion, and ultimately leads to further gluten-related harm.
When the integrity of tight junctions is compromised, larger gaps form between the cells in the gut lining, allowing undigested food, toxins, and pathogens to "leak" from your intestines into your bloodstream. This is what is referred to as intestinal permeability or leaky gut, which triggers inflammation, food allergies and intolerances, autoimmune disorders, and gastrointestinal diseases because the body is responding to substances in the bloodstream that should not be there.
ION* Gut Support is a liquid, earth-derived mineral supplement that promotes health by strengthening tight junction integrity, even in the presence of glyphosate and gluten. This approach to promoting gut health is foundational because it strengthens the gut at the cellular level and improves cellular communication within the gut lining. The active ingredient is Terrahydrite, a family of soil-based carbon molecules derived from the bacterial metabolism of nutrients in fossil soil (lignite), leveraging the Intelligence of Nature to naturally strengthen the gut lining, improve immune function, and promote overall gut and brain health.
ION* Gut Support also supports nutrient absorption, hydration, and detoxification. The humic molecules bind to minerals, amino acids, and other nutrients and transport them into cells. As nutrients are moved into cells, water is also pulled across cell membranes, leading to cellular hydration. The molecules also aid in detoxification by binding to toxins and other waste materials within cells and transporting them out of the cell. ION* Gut Support promotes a strong microbiome and deep hydration, resulting in a supercharged capacity for life at the cellular level.
We are super excited about the new ION* Plus line.  These drink mixes are made with high-quality plant-based ingredients and contain no added sugars or artificial flavorings.  Each variety provides targeted nutrients to support immunity & recovery, cognitive function & mental energy, and improve sleep.  These powerful blends provide many benefits when taken on their own, but when taken with ION* Gut Support, they provide additional support for holistic gut-immune and gut-brain health.
ION* + Vital Immunity is formulated to help modulate immune response, scavenge free radicals, and support cellular defense mechanisms.
ION* + Focused Mind is a crash-free, guilt-free creative energy boost that prioritizes the gut-brain connection as the cornerstone of mental energy, motivation, and focus.
ION* + Restful Sleep is a holistic approach to a better night’s sleep that targets the symbiotic relationship between gut health (where roughly 95% of serotonin is produced) and healthy sleep. Learn more here: https://zachbushmd.com/shop/
Find all ION* Plus formulas and ION* Gut Support (32oz, 16oz & 3oz) at the co-op for 15% off from January 21 through February 17.

HUGE Thank You To Everyone Who Stepped Up in The Community 🙌🏽 🤗

At the end of 2026, we announced the difficulties that we were having due to the Arlington Bridge closure.  A situation we've been in before with the exact same sales decline... but last time only lasted a month.  Our co-op is currently performing about 22-33% below our regular sales.  This all happened the very week the Arlington Bridge closed, and it only got worse throughout the summer, fall, and winter. 
The year prior, we had exhausted all of our savings on the $1.2 million Foodshed Cafe project, which meant we didn't have much extra cash flow to handle a decrease of this magnitude. Honestly, 2025 was the most BRUTAL year we've ever experienced in terms of paying our bills and making payroll, but somehow, by the grace of the angels of Reno, WE DID IT! 
ANGEL SHOUT OUT 😇
Reno community - thank you all for showing up and spending your holidays with us ❤️
23 Member-Owners who donated to the Friends of the Foodshed Campaign
Chris Burke, VP Nevada Regions, Granite Construction
City of Reno - Councilwoman Kathleen Taylor of Ward 1
Washoe County Commissioners - Mariluz Garcia of Ward 3

The other angels were all behind the scenes, our glorious team! 2025 was such a trying year that we fully expected to see some resignations, especially at the senior leadership level. NOT A ONE. Each management leader rolled with the punches, made smart purchasing and labor decisions, and leveled up wherever they could.  As the sole acting GM this year, I shed so many tears of utter gratitude for the heart this team shares.  In 20 years of running the co-op, I have never had the honor of working with such tremendous humans... even though many of us have worked together for many years, it was this year that showed me what real-life diamonds look like under pressure. 💎 😭 💎
Sales are still down, and we anticipate these trends will continue until our main thoroughfare (Arlington Bridge) opens again. We have tightened our belts significantly, and we are back to hitting the labor benchmarks that match the current projected sales. To give a little perspective, we ended the year about $600K below the projected 2025 budgeted sales, just under $5.8 million total sales. Our budget goal was $6.4. More financial details in the March E-Letter, where we publish the Annual Report.
Are we out of the clear? Heck no. The first 3 weeks of January have been pretty slow, about 28% below last year's sales. We know it's a pain to get to us, but please choose your local food co-op at least once a week or once a month.  Please go out of your way until the bridge reopens in the summer of 2026. That's about 6 months away, and while we can trim a hefty amount of labor, we can only cut so deep before we lose great and valuable team members and services offered by the State of Nevada's only community-owned food cooperative.  🥰



Pictured Top: Commissioner Mariluz Garcia, Board of County Commissioners: District 3
Pictured Bottom Left: Kathleen Taylor, Reno City Councilmember: Ward 1
Pictured Bottom Right: Chris Burke, Vice President, Nevada Region, Granite Construction

Local Shepherd's Pies - $1 Off

Find these in our frozen to-go meals section - eating nutritiously and close to home is way easier. Just pop these in the oven or toaster oven (after removing the plastic lid), and you've got a meal in 20-30 mins.
Local Beef Shepherd's Pie - original price $14.99 - sale price $13.99
Local or Organic Potatoes (Farmer Todd Rissone - Reno, NV), Local Grass-Fed & Finished Ground Beef (Avanzino Farms - Reno, NV), Housemade Beef Stock, *Onion, *Garlic *Peas, *Carrot, *Celery, *Red Wine Vinegar, *Butter, *Tomato Paste, *Olive Oil, *Cheddar, Non-GMO Asiago, *Rosemary, *Thyme, *Bay Leaf, *Arrowroot,  Kosher Salt, *Black Pepper.
*Indicates Organic Ingredient
Gluten-Free & Seed Oil Free
Contains: Dairy.
Local Mushroom Shepherd's Pie - original price $14.99 - sale price $13.99
Local or Organic Potatoes (Farmer Todd Rissone - Reno, NV), Local Mushroom (Mountain Mushroom - Bordertown, NV), *Red Lentil, *Housemade Veggie Stock, *Onion, *Garlic *Peas, *Carrot, *Celery, *Red Wine Vinegar, *Tomato Paste, *Olive Oil, *Gluten-Free Tamari, *Rosemary, *Thyme, *Bay Leaf, *Arrowroot,  Kosher Salt, *Black Pepper
*Indicates Organic Ingredient.
Gluten-Free & Seed Oil Free
Contains: Soy.
 Sale Cycle Dates 1.21.26 - 2.17.26

Produce Sales!
It's time to get your stock on, and we've got Organic Celery & Topped Carrots on Sale to help you whip up your favorite comfort foods.  

Organic Celery Bunch
Original Price: $3.99/lb
Sale Price: $2.99/lb
Organic Topped Carrots
Original Price: $1.99/lb
Sale Price: $1.49/lb
 Sale Cycle Dates 1.21.26 - 2.17.26

GROCERY SALES: Wild Caught & Sustainably Farmed Frozen Seafood 15 - 25% OFF

All frozen wild caught: tuna, snapper, cod, salmon, scallops, langostino & Patagonia shrimp.
Sustainably farmed in the NZ ocean: green mussels.
Natural & sustainable farmed (no gmo or antibiotics): Henry & Lisa shrimp
 Sale Cycle Dates 1.21.26 - 2.17.26

WELLNESS SALES: Ion Biome Products 15% OFF

 Check out this month's article from our in-house nutritionist above to learn more
 Sale Cycle Dates 1.21.26 - 2.17.26

The Nevada Farmers' Forum is This Weekend!
Join Nevada’s farmers, ranchers, and agricultural leaders for two days of education and community building, by farmers for farmers. Discover practical methods and innovative strategies to strengthen small farm agriculture. 
Featuring special guest: Ben Hartman— nationally recognized farmer and author of The Lean Farm and The Lean Micro Farm 
Nevada Farmers Forum 2026 Registration Link

Friends of The Foodshed, 501c3 Not For Profit Companion to GBCFC

If you like the work our food co-op has been doing over the past 20 years, please consider donating to our companion not-for-profit, Friends Of The Foodshed. 
We don't know of a single other co-op in the nation doing the work we do with local food, and there's a reason for that: nobody has the labor budget to pay for it. Grocery stores have such slim annual profits (good years are 1-3%), and not many of them could afford this extra work while staying in business.  Our founders and salaried managers have been putting in 60-80-hour work weeks for the past 20 years to make this happen, volunteering their time.  We have so many stories that we want to share with you, and there is so much advocacy needed for farmers and ranchers in Northern NV.  Please help us meet our goal of dedicating labor hours to the most important cause we can think of: protecting independent food for our community.
Friends of the Foodshed is a 501(c)(3) that has been preserving the work of Farmers and Ranchers in Northern Nevada and connected watersheds for over 20 years. We are dedicated to providing education about health and environmental issues and to promoting a healthy lifestyle for all living things. ❤️
Friends of the Foodshed Donation Link

Valentine's Goodies For Your BB 💗

Pictured Left: Lots of new Valentine's candles from both Sunbeam and Big Dipper - both companies use 100% beeswax, and Sunbeam is 100% solar powered.  Be sure to check out the new Valentine's bonbons from local chocolatier, Dorinda's (Reno, NV)
Pictured Right: NEW Strawberry Buns from Perenn Bakery (Reno, NV)  These will land at the co-op next week, just in time for the upcoming V-Day weekend!

Meet Your New Board Members

Pictured left: David Funk of Four Dog Farm & returning heavyweight board champion of 10 years 🐾
Pictured right: Crystal Leon of Radish Hotel & community organizer extraordinaire 🫜


Pictured left: Rob Holley of Holley Family Farms & organic transition expert  🐖
Pictured right: Jasmine Cividino of Crush & Upside Tidying & small/local business whiz and advocate 💇🏻‍♀️ 🧼


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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