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YOU OWN IT AND YOUR CO-OP NEEDS YOU

Did you know that YOUR co-op is the only consumer-owned food co-op in the entire state of Nevada?  Yep, that means that over 5,000 Nevadans own and operate this business.  In an age where corporate control over the marketplace is becoming all consuming and everything seems to look, taste and smell the same, YOUR co-op is unique...it supports small sustainable producers and keeps money (and jobs) within our local community.  We have 25 dedicated staff members and over 120 Hands On Owners who work hard to keep our store clean, stocked and filled with the best local and regional products that we can find.  In addition to that we host events, movies, educational forums and we are working on our first newsletter publication since we moved into the new store.  We also visit and inspect EVERY SINGLE FARM and RANCH that we buy from to ensure that quality and production methods meets our guidelines.
Your co-op didn't start up on grants or large donations either.  We started on $814 saved up in a little box hidden under my bed.  That $814 came from a small buying club that we ran out of our kitchen.  We would buy large quantities of organic food and then charge ourselves 15% above our cost.  Those small funds continued to grow until 8 years later they turned into over $700,000 (largely due to member-owners who lent the co-op money)...the amount needed to complete this move and build our new store.
I am writing you this today to encourage you to SHOP CO-OP FIRST.  We know that we often times don't have everything that you are looking for and because we have limited buying power on the larger organic and natural brands, it can sometimes be difficult to compete (though we are getting better and better each month with our pricing).  Despite our independent business challenges, WE DO HAVE exceptional local goods and products that no one else around town carries.  We are also the only retail outlet that stocks dozens and dozens of local and organic fruits, seeds and vegetables as late into the season as possible.  We carry local organic, grass-fed meats from within our food shed, local honey in bulk, organic and wild berries IN BULK in the frozen dept (to help cut down on the use of plastic), local Kombucha from Minden, NV, local cheese from Fallon, NV, a variety of locally roasted coffees, locally hand-made herbal salves, lips balms, lotions and sea salts upstairs in our wellness department and MUCH MORE!  We recently opened our basement kitchen and are now preparing fresh grab and go items made with local and organic ingredients.  I could go on and on but I'd rather that you come and see for yourself instead.  Just the experience of the new co-op is quite a treat as most of our store was constructed and decorated by local artists and community members using recycled and re-purposed materials.
Our co-op is SO CLOSE to hitting the sales mark that we need to get into the National Cooperative Grocers Association (NCGA).  For those of who who don't know, the NCGA hosts the second largest buying power for organics in our nation and the first largest buying power for co-ops!  In order to qualify we need to hit $2,000,000 annually in sales or $500,000 per quarter.  Last quarter sales came in at $476,000...SO CLOSE!  If we can get sales up a bit then we will qualify to receive significant discounts on our wholesale prices which in turn will allow us to bring the prices down on a lot of our staple items.  However, WE NEED YOU TO SHOP CO-OP FIRST in order to get there.  If all of our active members spent just $20 more of their grocery bill per month at the co-op we would easily hit the projections that we need to enter the NCGA and pay all of our monthly bills.
$20 per month is a very attainable goal and I know that our community can do it!  In most cases its a matter of making it a point to come to the co-op and shop.  Supporting local isn't always the easiest or most convenient but it ensures the future of good food in Northern Nevada and it is definitely WORTH IT!  Independent, community-owned businesses are not the norm in America any longer but they certainly are the rare treasures that each community has.  Local flare, expression and charisma come from unique entities like OUR co-op, Sundance Books, Bibo Coffee, Hub coffee, Pneumatic Diner, Campo, Junkee, Craft and every other locally owned business in Reno! 
Help YOUR co-op and your community by making it a point to SHOP CO-OP FIRST! 
If you have questions, concerns or would like to learn more, please email me:   OR participate in the co-op survery to help us learn more about which direction you want your co-op to move in.  https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/NewHome2012  Be sure to complete the entire survey and print the last page to receive 10% off you next shopping trip to the co-op.
Thank you,
Amber Sallaberry
Co-Founder & General Manager
www.greatbasinfood.coop
240 Court St. Reno, NV 89501
(775) 324-6133
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