'Squashing' 2023 - A Year In Review From Our Co-GMs
Melanie Stephenson, Co-GM & Ops - pictured left/top with one of her favorite things in life - organic flowers 💐 ❤️
Amber Sallaberry - Co-Founder, Co-GM & Admin - pictured right/bottom with her firstborn baby lamb of the season
🐑 ❤️
2023 was a pivotal year for our co-op and we set the stage for so many large-scale moves that it’s hard to believe this all took place in the last 12 months! 😱🤯🤩
- Adopt A Squash - We moved nearly 80,000 lbs of local squash for our local farmers thanks to y'all for adopting 40lb boxes of squash and to the Co-op Kitchen team for pureeing and freezing thousands of pounds of pumpkin!
- Foodshed Cafe Project - We officially kicked off an extensive project to remodel and reopen the Foodshed Cafe (Grand Reopening April 1, 2024). This includes the construction and completion of our beautiful new deck with amazing views of the Eastern Sierra!
- Lower Prices - We put a focused effort and a lot of labor into making sure we are price-competitive (meeting or beating) main competitors like Pouts and Amahole on the most commercially available items we carry in 2023. When we did our focused basket comparison in April 2024, we were between 6.4% and 10.6% lower on the specific grocery staple items we compared. Our produce comparison showed that we were 20% lower on the organic produce items we price-checked against Amahole (Pouts doesn't carry a lot of organic produce). See our April newsletter for the details Price Match - April 2024 Newsletter. In 2024, we plan to revamp the way we price our local and regional meat so that it is priced competitively and is more consistently priced across producers.
- Potential 2nd Location in South Reno - We started the process of looking for a larger location in another part of Reno. We started doing research and laying the groundwork necessary to launch a multi-year project to open a larger South Reno location (with hella parking spots). We even looked at a few potential locations that would allow us to reopen our DROPP Foodhub! Stay tuned for future updates on this...
- First Love Your Farmer Dinner since 2017 - We said hello to dozens of new ranchers and producers and said goodbye to the Matriarch and Patriarch of Local Food in Northern Nevada - Virginia Johnson & Rick Lattin
- Hired a full Admin Team! - GBCFC now has a full-time Marketing Director, Local Food & Sustainability Director, and Finance/Nutrition Director.
- Completely revamped the GAPs Local Food purchasing systems (sans DROPP) - this is the process where we meet with every single farmer that we work work to develop a 52 week plans with crop commitments for the entire year! Sounds simple but this might be the biggest project from 2023.
- Grew Sales to 5.3 Million without DROPP and the Foodshed Cafe - Thank you for an amazing year! Our grocery sales grew to 5.3 million--a 7.4% increase over 2022. We also saw the percentage of member sales increase to 75.52%, a 2.73% increase over the prior year. This is our biggest year to date and all without sales from Foodshed Cafe and D.R.O.P.P.
- Inherited 43-year-old Sourdough Starter from Feather River Food Co-op - Thanks to the Quincy, CA co-op, our team was able to learn how to bake our own delicious organic bread. In February, we were given a 40+ year-old sourdough starter from the Feather River Food Co-op in Quincy, CA. If you've tried our delicious cold case sandwiches, then you know how amazing the sourdough bread from this starter is!
- Launched Full Wellness Benefits for ALL employees at the co-op working 30+ hours or more a week - In early 2023 we offered full health and wellness benefits for all employees over 30+ hours per week. Along with traditional medical, dental, and vision, we have an alternative wellness stipend program for employees who don't need traditional benefits. With traditional and alternative benefits, we're able to meet the needs of all of our employees.
- Became Co-GMs and negotiated unique contracts that allow us to be the humans we are outside of the co-op - In April 2024, Melanie Stephenson, our former Operations Manager signed on as Co-GM with Amber Sallaberry. This new structure allows for more work-life balance for our senior managers with double the focus during project time!
Food Covering - Not So 'Apeel'ing
It's good to be in the know! 💡
Information from our Local Food & Sustainability Director, Philip Moore 🌱
Apeel is a new product being applied to produce to extend shelf life and to cut down on expensive storage. While covering food is not a new concept as wax has been used for hundreds of years to preserve fruit, it’s important to be diligent and know WHAT is being put on your food in the name of preservation. The latest food covering is a mix of citric acid (active ingredient) as well as monoglycerides and diglycerides (fatty acids derived from plants). Sounds yummy, huh?!
Organic standards do allow for the use of Apeel’s product “Organipeel” on organic produce, despite the fact that Organipeel is currently registered as a fungicide with the EPA. We've had several inquiries from studious customers concerning Apeel. We are vetting our produce as best we can, as we do not believe we should be introducing this product into the co-op.
Currently we get produce from more than 20 local and regional producers as well as two distributors, Veritable Vegetable and NorCal Produce (part of United Natural Foods). Our local producers do not use Organipeel. Veritable Vegetable has confirmed that they do not have any products with Apeel (or Organipeel) and will let us know if that changes. NorCal currently only has products with Organipeel that are special ordered directly and not in the produce we order. Again, they will let us know if that changes.
We will continue to monitor this situation to ensure we do not offer products with Organipeel. Our goal is to avoid all synthetic fungicides, where exposure has been linked to cancer, metabolic and neurological-related diseases, reproductive defects, and other endocrine abnormalities. Your best answer to avoid this product is to continue to shop at the co-op! 😃
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR BUYING GUIDELINES
I 
My Co-op
(and your boots)
"There are many reasons why I love the Co-op! I love the friendly faces when you pop in for something local & healthy and I love that I can always find something special when in a pinch like a bouquet of flowers, bottle of wine, or fresh baguette."
— Denise Ruiz, Member-Owner
Wolf Pack Meats (Reno, NV)
Meet Cara Goss and her flock 🐑🐑🐑 - Cara is the Livestock Coordinator at UNR's Main Station Farm. We recently visited their Reno ranch facility located right off of McCarran & Mill St., one of our last urban agricultural facilities within Reno city limits.
Care touched on the future of ag and dove into how they care for their sheep. Tune into the short reel here, or watch the full-length tour for views of the gorgeous property and details on what their sheep are fed. P.S. If you watch the longer video (less than 10 minutes of your day) you'll get to see our Marketing Director's son, Brio meet a sheep for the first time. 🐑 'S'ewe' cute! 🐑
March GBCFC Sales 🍀
Valid Through 3.1.24 - 3.31.24
$2 OFF
Housemade
Line-Caught Wild
Salmon Sushi Roll
Wild Caught Salmon, *Avocado *Sushi Rice - *Certified Organic 
$2 OFF
Housemade
Sunny Veggie
Sushi Roll
*Carrot, *Sunflower Shoots, *Avocado & *Housemade Vegan Kimchi, *Sushi Rice - *Certified Organic 
25% OFF
Ataulfo "Champagne" Mangoes
$2 OFF
Pint O' Blueberries
Original Price was $7.99, on sale for $5.99 a pint until 3.31.24
20% OFF
Local & Regional Hemp Products
We're offering a variety of products including oils, single rolls, and more from Sierra NV Hemp (Minden, NV), Custom Gardens (Silver Springs, NV), and Jamason Farms (Battle Mountain, NV).
Don't miss this chance to get your favorite hemp products at 20% off OR maybe try some of these local gems for the first time.
🌿
20% OFF
Lummi Island Wild Caught Salmon & Black Cod
Lumi Island Fishery is located near Bellingham, Washington. Lummi Island is best known for their vibrant artist community, Pacific Northwest salmon run and their reefnet solar powered fishery. Reefnetting is a historical fishing method that has almost zero bycatch mortality, meaning that our catch and release efforts of non-targeted species are highly successful.
$2 OFF Local, Pastured, Organic Fed Eggs 🥚 🥚
Original price $9.99, on sale for $7.99 until 3.9.24 or while supplies last
Want to be a "kool kid" and buy local? For years, we had a local egg shortage, but thanks to Kool Kid Ranch (Spanish Springs, NV), we have a surplus! Because these hens have access to certified organic feed AND fresh veggie scraps, foraging through the Palomino Valley (after cows ), they have an amino acid-rich diet, and produce eggs with GOLDEN YELLOW YOLKS. Not only does this create a picture perfect brunch pic, but also eggs this rich have a lot less of the bad cholesterol, and some studies say are chalked with up to 10 times as many fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, K, E)! To add to the allure ... Kid Kools Ranch actually invites school-age kids to come visit, and teaches them where REAL food comes from. P.S. You can't miss them in store. Just look for the PINK cartons.
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.
Sourcing Fine Fish
Wild Caught Seafood's Abundance Of Benefits
Fish and other types of seafood contain a well-rounded, bioavailable nutrient profile that makes them an excellent addition to your diet. In lemans terms – quality fish is really, really good for you. From a macronutrient standpoint fish is a great source of protein, which is essential for the growth, development, and repair of cells and tissues; as well as omega-3 fatty acids, which can help reduce inflammation in the body, contribute to brain and heart tissue maintenance, and promote healthy immune and endocrine function. In addition to the wonderful fats and proteins provided by fish and seafood, they are also a good source of vitamins B, A and D, as well as minerals calcium, iron, iodine, selenium, and zinc.
While fish and seafood can be an excellent source for nutrients, it is important to be mindful of the sourcing and practices used to bring that seafood to you. It’s (unfortunately) common for the health of the environment, animals, and those consuming them to be sacrificed for the sake of profit, and seafood sourcing/production is no exception. There are many things to be aware of as you navigate seafood choices. For starters, seafood is often categorized as either wild-caught or farmed.
Farmed seafood is raised in captivity, either contained in the wild waters of lakes, rivers, and oceans or in tanks and are typically fed manufactured feed. There are both advantages and disadvantages to these conditions, and it is important to know about farming practices and local regulations to get an idea of whether a specific farmed product is something you’d feel good about consuming. Due to the stress caused by crowded and unnatural living conditions, many farmed fish are more susceptible to disease and infection and are therefore treated with antibiotics.
Wild-caught seafood, in comparison, has lived in its natural environment and eaten the plants, insects, and other natural foods of those lakes, rivers, and oceans. Concerns regarding the consumption of wild-caught fish relate to contamination of the waters in which they are sourced, as they will be exposed to any contaminants, such as mercury, microplastic particles, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and pesticides, that have made their way into those waters. Smaller fish further down the food chain will have smaller amounts of these contaminants, as they bioaccumulate in bigger fish. Additionally, there are environmental consequences to be aware of, as some industrial fishing methods lead to over-fishing, the destruction of natural habitat, and the catching and waste of untargeted species, known as bycatch.
All concerns considered, wild-caught seafood that is sustainably harvested is generally a preferred and more healthful option than farmed seafood. While ethical seafood farming operations do exist, they are not as common so without knowing specific information about the practices of a farm, I recommend avoiding farmed seafood, and opting for a responsibly sourced wild-caught variety. The Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch (seafoodwatch.org) is a great resource for the best choices when it comes to seafood selection that can be searched by species and region of sourcing.
Canned, dried, or frozen options are often the best or only choices for us landlocked dwellers and we have a variety of choices at the co-op. You can find our new line of Lumi Island sustainably caught wild salmon, cod, tuna, shrimp, and scallops in the freezer section (conveniently on sale), as well as a variety of wild canned fish, oysters, mussels, clams, and crab options in the grocery department. Our kitchen uses line-caught wild salmon for our in-house sushi rolls that can be found daily in the prepared foods fridge (also on sale this month).
Literally Watch Your Round Up $$ Make A Difference
A portion of your food justice funds support Soulful Seeds, a local non-profit increasing access to fresh, healthy food for the most vulnerable. While there's not much Soulful Seeds doesn't do in our community (including pick up our weekly compost), they focus on building & maintaining gardens directly in neighborhoods to teach people to plant, grow, and harvest their own food.
Construction Update 🦺
Our building's stark white walls are on their way out. After we added the new upper-level deck, we needed to patch up the siding ... but the fresh coat of paint made us realize it was time to give the entire building some love and a much-needed face lift after nearly 12 years in this building. Rest assured the plain white will be short-lived as we have a few murals and signage projects in the works!
Thank you for your continued patience with the sights and sounds construction brings. We promise the cafe will be worth it!
A big shoutout to our incredible construction crews ... if you see them at the co-op, a high five and thank you go a long way.
The No City Coffee Trailer will be set up outside along the front of the building Monday & Tuesdays. Aside from that, you can find Ryan at his new brick & mortar location at West Street Market just across the river. On April 1st when our new cafe opens, we will once again be serving coffee, and the good news is Ryan is training our staff members to sling AMAZING espresso, just like what was served at No City!
⭐️ ⭐️ The countdown is on! ⭐️ ⭐️
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
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