May 2024
Botany Plants Lately?
While we currently have locally-grown seedlings at the co-op from Grow Up Farm (Bordertown, NV) and Fisk Farm (Fallon, NV), we're just holding our breath for what's to come on Saturday!
Pre-orders for the seedling sale have closed, but you can still bring cash and choose from a huge variety of seedlings at the event this Saturday, May 18th, from 8 AM to noon in front of the co-op! If you purchased online, all seedlings will still be picked up from the farmer you purchased them from, be sure to check your pre-order receipt for all details.
This is also a great way to come out, connect with your community, and meet your local farmers! We'll see you there! 😀
Things You May Not Know About The Foodshed Cafe (But May Want to Know)
The Foodshed Cafe has been open for about a month and a half and we are continuing to dial in all of the little things, including our timing. First off, thank you for your support as we grow and learn and create a restaurant we envision as the meccca for local food and for community. Here are a few fun facts that you may not have realized about our cafe!
- Living Plant Installation ... you may have noticed our growing greenery within the cafe. The inspiration, in-part, is Downtown Reno Library (a mecca for healthy indoor foliage). You can expect to see less and less white space on the walls, enriching the space with actual LIFE, oxygen, and beauty. Thanks to Colin Watley of Scrub Jay Farm (Reno, NV). 🌱🌿🪴
- Housemade Bread! That's right, every single piece of our Sourdough bread is mixed, proofed, and baked in-house. Plus, we're working with an over 40-year-old starter, shared from our friends at the Feather River Food Co-Op (Quincy, CA & Portola, CA). The labor, love, and heritage that goes into this bread is unparalleled. 🍞❤️
- Jars of Housemade Dressing NOW Available! These salad dressings ARE TASTY. When we announced we'd be selling them, one co-op shopper even said, "take all my money." While we won't do that ... we will have a healthy supply of all of our dressings for sale in the cold case downstairs on the main grocery floor (which was just re-filled to the brim after opening the Foodshed Cafe). And we've expanded our dressing selection from what you've seen previously. The stars of the show are: SUNSHINE DRESSING, CILANTRO LIME DRESSING (think OJ, ginger, garlic & lemon), MISO TAHINI DRESSING, TAMARI SEAWEED, BALSAMIC, CAESAR, AND RANCH. All of our dressings are gluten-free, vegan, and made with organic ingredients but without seed oils, a rarity in today's market. Plus, all ingredients are listed right on the bottle, so there are no questions when it comes to the transparency of your food. The date on the bottle indicates a sell by date but our dressings should be good about 7 days after that (and you purchasing). We'll see you soon - enjoy! 🥗
- TOAST Online Ordering Coming Soon! We think this will be a game changer for those with short lunches or maybe picking up dinner 💻📲, stay tuned, we are in the final stages of calibration. We hope to have the ordering link in our June Coop Scoop E-News! Thank you for your patience as we learn how to scale up to better serve our member-owners.
Edible Landscape Updates
A few snapshots from the last GBCFC Edible Landscape Team meetup in April & May. Benny helped Farmer Todd water the beds (and eat the carrots that intertwined). 🥕 Plus, Chris, Mary, and the team fine-tuned the irrigation system and cleaned up the beds! Tis the season that you'll see this stellar team out in the sunshine currating our awesome edible gardens! 🌞
May GBCFC Sales 🍳💐
$2 OFF
FOODSHED Salad, Made To Order in The Cafe
When we say LOCAL, we mean it. It's all defined by our local foodshed and watershed. This vibrant salad is made fresh at our Foodshed Cafe in the upstairs of the co-op. Although the greens sometime vary from farm to farm, the filling salad proves to be this beautiful and mouth-watering every time.
*Local Greens (Bridge 33 or Prema Farm), *Shredded Carrot, *Seasonal Fruit, *1/2 Avocado, *Toasted Pumpkin Seeds, LOCAL Microgreens (Little Frog or Prema Farm), *Housemade Sunshine Dressing *Certified Organic
Valid 5.1.24 - 5.31.24
$2 OFF
Fungi & Eggs Breakfast Sandwhich (Vegan Optional)
If you're a breakfast person, and you should be (read our nutrition article below), you're sure to love our take on the classic combo of mushroom & eggs.
*Butter-Toasted Housemade Sourdough Bread, LOCAL Eggs (Kool Kids Ranch), Tamari-Sauteed LOCAL Mushrooms (Mountain Mushrooms), *Provolone, Housemade Vegan Pesto (LOCAL basil coming soon)
Valid 5.1.24 - 5.31.24
20% OFF
LOCAL & CA Organic Flower Bouquets
We're bolstering up our array of flower bouquets available at the co-op! Whether you're treating yourself because you're you, or surprising a friend or loved one ... our flowers are sure to be a show stopper.
Sales prices vary depending on the bouquet but start at $15.99. Plus, all of our bouquets are grown either regionally or locally (shout out to Tiffany - pictured above - with Earth & Seeds - Reno, NV)!
This is a stellar (and rare) deal so put your petal to the metal.
Valid 5.1.24 - 5.31.24
20% OFF
Happy Mushroom Tinctures
Tinctures are a great way to incorporate loads of health & wellness benefits into a few drops of magic elixer. Happy Mushroom Tinctures are made locally in Reno, NV with sustainability grown mushrooms. Adding adaptogens like this into your wellness routine (Chaga, Lion's Mane, and Cordyceps) have proven mental health & clarity benefits. Try a few drops in your smoothie or warm tea.
Valid 5.1.24 - 5.31.24
20% OFF
LOCAL/REGIONAL Eggs
Kool Kids Ranch Eggs (Spanish Springs, NV), Cherry Dog Farm Eggs (Fallon, NV), Nevada's Own Eggs (Smith Valley, NV), Sonny's Farm Eggs (Rescue, CA), and Rusty Skillet Quail Eggs (Reno, NV) will all be featured in this incredible egg sale. Whether you're frying up for a savory breakfast, enjoying them ol' fashioned hard boiled, or cracking for a baked treat, these eggs are some of the richest and healthiest you'll find.
Valid 5.1.24 - 5.31.24
A few words of nutritional wisdom from our in-house nutritionist:
Michelle Nash
Nutrition Education Director
Certified NTP & MScN
The Great Basin Community Food Co-op
Breakfast, Breakfast Breakfast
Most Important (And Arguably Most Delicious) Meal of The Day
As the word breakfast suggests, this meal serves to break the overnight fast. Depending on when you last ate, this fasting time is generally between ten to twelve hours. Breakfast supplies the body with initial daily nutrients and consuming a well-balanced breakfast provides many benefits.
Breakfast is often touted as the most important meal of the day because of its impact on regulating blood sugar levels, which really cannot be overstated due to the fundamental influence blood sugar levels have on overall health. Some benefits of balanced blood sugar levels include more stabilized energy & decreased fatigue, improved sleep, enhanced mood, increased focus, decreased cravings, maintained weight loss, reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic health issues. To maximize the blood sugar balancing benefits of breakfast, it is important for this meal to be complete with adequate fat, protein, and fiber. Aiming to consume between 35 and 50 grams of protein in the morning is a great guideline for a balanced breakfast.
It is ideal to eat within one hour of waking. An appetite for breakfast is a sign of good digestive health, in the form of adequate stomach acid, as well as regulated blood sugar levels. If eating breakfast is unappetizing to you, start small, with a high protein breakfast snack to ease your body into building a morning appetite. A cup of warm bone broth, a hardboiled egg, a hand full of nuts, or yogurt (dairy or plant based) can be good options when working to gradually increase hunger for breakfast.
And, you've come to the right place ... we have some great breakfast options (something for everyone including vegan, gluten-free, and paleo options) available in the Foodshed Café. As an added bonus, all local/regional eggs in grocery are 20% off for the entire month of May.
Loving Up On Local & Bulk -
Our Aisle 2 & 3 End Cap Got A Facelift
You may have noticed our bakecase made the big move from downstairs across from the cold case with our grab & go items. This was done primarily to allow you to grab a pastry while you grabbed your morning cup of joe ... but also to make room for an end cap we've been dreaming up for quite some time. In it's place, we've created an area to feature several local shelf-stable items such as Stellar Pretzels (Carson City, NV), Radish Hotel Soaps and Hair Care (Reno, NV), Sierra Roots Wellness/Mountain Song Gardens Tallow and Syrups (Sierra Valley, CA), and Happy Mushroom Tinctures (Reno, NV - also on sale this month - see below). 🧼🥨🍄
Additionally, we're featuring NEW PRE-PACKAGED BULK. These are some of our top-movers, all ready for you to pick up and check out. They're a great price point for all you get, and you can re-use or return ($1.50 deposit) the mason jars they come in (reducing single-use plastic ... one of our big goals in our current strategic plan).
Love Your (LOCAL) Farmer and Their Awesome Produce Coming In 🥬🥕🍅🧄
Update from our Local Food & Sustainability Director, Philip Moore 🌱
Last month we teased all the local farms we'd be expecting produce from this season. The time has come and despite a cooler spring, crops are starting to trickle in. Here is what you can expect in coming weeks in-store.
- Asparagus from Jamason Farms (Reno, NV) and Sierra Valley Farm (Beckworth, NV)
- Strawberries from Nevada's Own (Wellington, NV) (SO SWEET & DELICIOUS)
- Seedlings from Fisk Farm (Fallon, NV) and Grow Up Farm (Bordertown, NV)
- Baby Bok Choy, Herbs, Cilanto, Parsley, Kale, Radishes, Turnips from Prema Farm (Loyalton, CA)
Reno Seed Exchange Cabinet Inside Foodshed Cafe
We're thrilled to once again host The Reno Seed Exchange's yellow file cabinet, chalked with a variety of FREE seeds. This unique opportunity for all plant enthusiasts in Reno is free to participate in, thanks to Molly Brown, creator of the Reno Seed Exchange.
Her concept is simple: take some seeds, grow your plants, save the seeds, and share some back with the Reno Seed Exchange. This exchange program not only helps you save money but also ensures that you have access to a wide variety. Both Molly and the co-op believe that everyone should have access to healthy, organic produce, and the ability to grow your own vegetables, herbs, and fruits. By participating in our seed exchange program, you'll be doing your part to promote sustainable agriculture practices in the Reno area. We can't wait to see what you grow!
Check out our cutie yellow cabinet in the cafe upstairs in the Foodshed Cafe for all your seed needs.
Good Practices To Follow:
- Whenever possible, try to use organic seeds, fertilizers and pesticides for your plants. This ensures that the plants are grown without harmful chemicals, making them healthier and safer for consumption.
- It's important to make sure your seeds are properly dried before donating them to the exchange. This ensures they will be viable for planting when someone else takes them home.
- It's important to label your seeds with the name of the plant and the date that they were harvested. This helps other gardeners know exactly what they are getting and how fresh the seeds are.
- When donating seeds to the exchange, make sure that they are viable and have a good chance of growing. Seeds that are too old or have been improperly stored may not be viable.
- One of the best things about the seed exchange is the opportunity to learn from other gardeners. Share your knowledge and experiences with others, and don't be afraid to ask questions and learn from them as well.
- By following these good practices, we can ensure that the Reno Seed Exchange is a vibrant and successful community resource for all gardeners in the Reno area.
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! And MOVED UPSTAIRS!
All soups are made daily with
in the co-op kitchen. We use all certified organic ingredients and as much local as seasonally available. Check out our weekly rotating soup schedule on our website.
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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