December 2022

The Landscape of Local Food is Changing in Northern Nevada 
Saying Goodbye to Sandhill Dairy

HEADS UP - this post is heavy and it has taken a couple of months to be able to publish, mostly for emotional reasons.  There are a lot of shifts happening right now with local food and agriculture in Northern Nevada... an unprecedented amount, really.  It's hard to gauge whether these changes are a part of some kind of natural cycle or if they are a warning sign of something more permanent on the horizon.  Needless to say, we all need to be aware of what is really happening in Nevada with the folks working to create food security and land preservation through good agricultural practices.
Last September our team heard from Isidro Alves, the owner and former operator of Sandhill Dairy, that his processing facility was closing down.  Isidro was one of the few small-scale dairy producers in Northern Nevada and one of the only in our state who bred A2 cattle.  He did not homogenize his milk and he pasteurized it at low temps to help keep beneficial bacteria and enzymes present.  All of these practices resulted in the creation of the BEST dairy products that you could find in the Reno market.  Over the years we met hundreds of people who specifically came into the co-op to buy his goods.  Many of you probably remember Sandhill's deliciously creamy, non-homogenized milk, its distinctive cheeses, and maybe even its award-winning chocolate milk.  
As a relatively small-scale operator, Sandhill Dairy had incredible reach in the Reno and Vegas markets.  Sandhill Dairy supplied dozens of Hispanic grocery stores and bodegas in Nevada along with several Safeways, Sprouts (all of the Nevada locations, including Las Vegas), The Urban Market, Bibo Coffee, Perenn Bakery, Coffeebar, our very own No City Reno and dozens of other local businesses. 
This video interview (link below) happened on one of our last in-person visits to Sandhill Dairy in 2018. As you can hear in the jokes in the video, Isidro slept very little, worked very hard, and cared a great deal about his employees and his cows. He is a first-generation American.  His parents left Portugal and came to California to work at dairy farms. 
It was an absolute honor to get to know and do business with Isidro Alves, a rare human indeed.  After Isidro announced that he was ceasing his processing operations, I was able to catch up with him for nearly an hour on the phone. He shared many heartbreaking details about what ultimately led to his decision...though I am also not at liberty to disclose all of it.  What I can say is that our small-scale farmers and ranchers here in Nevada are pushing boulders up mountains.  Most of them with incredible grace and agility.
I'm heading into my 18th year since we started our food co-op and in that time I've watched dozens and dozens of local producers come and go.  I've sat and listened as folks break down into tears after fighting a food system that doesn't want them involved - a system that favors the big factory farms and massive ag conglomerates with everything from subsidies to legislation.  
These major food & ag corporations are the ones killing the soil microbes, and creating toxic rivers and lakes.  They create sick animals and underpaid workers with no opportunity to gain skills.  They are the reason that we have so many food processing laws... MOST OF THE FOOD POISONING OUTBREAKS IN THIS COUNTRY HAVE COME FROM LARGE-SCALE COMMERCIAL AGRICULTURE.  Because of this, small-scale producers are regulated to death (ACTUAL DEATH!!!) and expected to conform to the same guidelines as processing facilities who are doing 200 thousand times the business.  A lot of these guidelines are not even financially feasible for our small-scale family-owned operations.
Really sit back and think about this - a smaller farm that uses organic and regenerative practices is healing the land, bolstering the local economy, and creating balanced relationships with animals and nature. These farms promote soil health, sequester carbon, and purify water via the healthy microbes in their soil.  The small & mid-sized farms are stewarding food sovereignty as well as biological and economic diversity all the way up and down the food chain.  A large-scale conventional commercial farm is typically doing the opposite; killing the soil and necessary microbes for nutrient cycling... which means that lots of synthetic fertilizers and other toxic chemicals have to get sprayed onto the land. These contaminants bleed into the water and pollute nearby creeks and rivers, bodies of water, and countless other ecological systems. The humans who directly labor in these systems often suffer the effects of exposure with little recourse - it's no wonder these positions have become increasingly harder to fill.
Small-scale, organic, and regenerative forms of farming help to preserve the Nevada that you know and love. When we keep land ownership with folks who know how to take care of it and its animals, we cut down on toxic environments that are created by large-scale agriculture and other kinds of commercial development. If someone is protecting and preserving a piece of Nevada that you love, support them relentlessly. ❤️
 
- Amber Sallaberry, Co-Founder & GM of GBCFC
P.S.  Stay tuned for next month's E-Letter when we will be able to properly say goodbye to all of the producers who hung up their hats this past year... along with welcoming our newest stewards.

 

CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO VIEW THE 2018 SANDHILL DAIRY FARM BIO INTERVIEW

Dark Cherry Cheesecakes

Classic and Vegan options are both available in a reusable jar.  Remember to bring back your clean jar for a deposit refund ♻️💰 
*Always Organic Ingredients 

Grandma Fern's Pudding

*Whole Milk, *Cup For Cup Gluten Free Flour, *Cane Sugar, *Cocoa Powder, *EGGS, *Butter, Vanilla Extract, *Heavy Whipping Cream, *Maple Syrup
*Organic Ingredient

The Gobbler

Thanksgiving leftovers for days! This delicious wrap is packed with our housebrined organic lemon turkey, cream cheese, our housemade cranberry maple sauce, spinach, and our housemade stuffing. *Always Organic
Take $1 off 12/1 - 12/31
 

Bidi Bidi Bom Bowl

Tempeh, Roasted Sweet Potato, Black Beans in a Cumin Coconut Cream Lime Dressing, Cabbage and Quinoa! * Always Organic
 

💸 Patronage Dividends Have Been Dispersed! 💸

  There is still close to $4000 of patronage dividend funds sitting on Member-Owners accounts. You need to spend your patronage dividends by 12/31/22 or it disappears.  Now is a great time to come in and check to see if you have money on your account, we've got all of the holiday goods in stock. 🥳

Our Co-op shares the food, the love, and the profits!!! One benefit of ownership that came to fruition in 2022 is patronage dividends. Think of it as profit sharing. At the end of the year, we take a % of profits and give it back to YOU, our member-owners.  It's based on $$$ spent at the Co-op. Thus, the more you spend, the more $$$ you get back on your account.

The GBCFC board of directors voted to give back 25% of the 2021 profits, for a total of nearly $9,000.  We're excited about this development and hope you are, too. Just another reason why Co-op's rule!

When you shop here you aren't contributing to a corporate shareholder's second yacht-you're the beneficiary! 🤑

$1 off All Varieties of Mile High Mill Flour (Ravendale, CA)

sale runs from 12/01 - 12/31
Original price $9.29 each
 

$1 off Alteya Organics Floral Mists

sale runs from 12/01 - 12/31
Original price $9.99 - $11.49 each
Organically grown flowers
 

 

$1 Organic Satsumas

sale runs from 12/01 - 12/31
Original price $3.99/lb

$3 off No City Coffee Beans (Bulk)
 

sale runs from 12/01 - 12/31 Original price $18/lb

$1 off All 🔥 HOT SOUP 🔥 Cups 

sale runs from 12/01 - 12/31
Original price $3.99/lb

🦃 Specialty Pricing on Local and Organic Turkey Through 12/31 🦃

 Buy One Get One Free GROCERIES!
Dec 14th - Jan 3rd
 

BOARD ELECTION RESULTS 🗳💌

Welcome James Conway to the Board of Directors. James brings his beliefs and values about what farming is and should be.

Erin Meyering is returning for her 6th year on the Great Basin Co-op Board of Directors.

Jake O'Farrell is returning for his 5th year on the Great Basin Co-op Board of Directors.

🛒   Thank you so much for shopping into a basket or cart.  We have been experiencing an increase in theft lately.  We want to keep our prices as low as possible, your cooperation counts!    🛒

 

Basque Heritage and Your
Co-op 
"The GBCFC plays a unique role in connecting consumers with local producers who are dedicated to sustainable agriculture."
Check out this awesome article written by member-owner Zoe Bray highlighting our co-op's Nevada Basque heritage.
Read More 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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