Great Basin Community Food Co-op

Staff

We have awesome staff! Meet some of the friendliest and most helpful folks in Reno! And don’t forget to let us know if we can do anything to make your Co-op better for you!

Anthony (Tony) Basile

Hi.

I’m Tony. You can find me poking around the garden, chasing my chickens out of the kale, changing poopy diapers, admiring my amazing partner, cooking delicious healthy meals for my family and keeping the shelves full at the store. I value the simple and nourished life and am thrilled to be a part of the ever growing and illuminating co-op and its amazing community.”

Elias Dechent

I am the one with the funny accent, who has to ask you often for the names of the products you purchase. Born and raised in good old Germany, I grew up with my mother, passionate about healthy food and natural healing, and my dad who ran a little organic food store.

I moved to Reno in December of 2009 with my American wife Robin. We like Reno, because of it’s cute little downtown, the nice down-to-earth people and the beautiful landscape from Mt. Rose to the desert; albeit, I haven’t seen a lot of places in the US… yet!

We wanted to find a community where we felt at home and integrated. There is probably no better place than the Great Basin Community Food Co-op.

Robin and I started Reno-Artemisia, a grassroots organization, that shows independent movies in Reno, come and check it out.

Laila Murfin

Hi all! My name is Laila Murfin. While I grew up in Western Massachusetts and consider the Pacific Northwest to be home, I recently took a chance on Reno and fell in love. I find the hills, mountains and deserts of Northern Nevada have a quiet magic that takes hold of me each day. After five years working in forestry (from trails, to ranger, to fire…) I am happy to be grounded and active here in Reno. People, the natural environment, art and food inspire me; I feel fortunate to have joined Reno’s fast growing local foods movement and blossoming co-op as the Member Worker Coordinator. The opportunity to witness and contribute to positive growth and change in our small city is an exciting and precious gift.

I am continually amazed by the energy, enthusiasm and dedication within this community. When I’m not at the co-op you’ll find me cooking, making art and music, teaching yoga, backcountry snowboarding, and climbing large rocks.

Amber Sallaberry

I was born and raised in Reno, NV. I am a sixth generation Nevadan who can trace my lineage back to a long line of growers, producers, farmers and regional botanists. My interest in sustainable and local food systems did not present itself through these familial lines of work, instead I discovered the importance of creating a local infrastructure for “home” grown whole foods through social justice and mental health issues. My research and subsequent understanding of the effects that irradiated, preservative-laden, and chemically toxic foods can have on all life systems including the human mind and body were the primary catalysts in my becoming a food activist. In delving further into the global and national systems by which we grow, harvest, produce and trade edible commodities I came to understand more about the exploitation and degradation of our land and our peoples’ who work the land. Through this I became interested in helping to create socially and environmentally just food systems that are accessible to ALL people, regardless of their personal demographics and/or socio-economic backgrounds. I am one of the original co-founders of the Great Basin Community Food Co-op (Fall, 2005). My educational background prior to this endeavor consisted of studies in: Performance Art, Social Activism, Psychology, Writing and Women’s Studies. I went back to school in January 2008 at the Evergreen State College in Olympia, WA to pursue an education in Cooperative Business Management, Co-op Financial Procedure, International Fair Trade Issues and Local Food Security Issues. In June 2008 I returned to Reno and the GBCFC after acquiring a one year (Fall 2008-Spring 2009) independent contract/internship with Grace Cox, National Cooperative Grocers Association board member and Olympia Food Co-op Workers Collective Financial/Accounting staff member. I feel grateful to be a part of the State of Nevada’s only currently existing food co-op and I hope that we continue to find the resources that our co-op needs to become a sustainable, accessible and affordable food source for our entire community.

Nicole Sallaberry

I am Nicole Sallaberry, born and raised in Reno, Nevada. The daughter of an educator and a basque rancher. I believe that the combination of my mother’s enthusiasm for learning and my father’s desire for self-sufficiency gave me my start as a food lover and activist. I delved into the world of organic gardening, permaculture and earthen construction around the age of 19. I have been involved with the Great Basin Community Food Coop since the first meeting in September 2005. I am currently a full time employee and have the privilege of being the produce buyer. This means I communicate with local farmers on a daily basis, striving to help create a local food system here in Reno! I believe our consumer choices directly affect the quality of our water, our neighborhoods and our citizens. I am focusing on co-creating a walkable, edible, safe, healthy and enjoyable city!

Shanna Strong

Hi there. My name is Shanna Strong. I am a passionate and dedicated partner and mother. And a budding gardener and herbalist. My amazing partner, Tony, and I just had our first son in August 2011. He is the light of my life and I feel so blessed to have an opportunity to raise this little soul. I love spending time in the mountains and at the lakes and rivers in our area. Having lived in Truckee for 8 years, I have come to have an unending appreciation for nature and all of her gifts. I love learning about our plant friends and find new ways to integrate them into our life every day. I enjoy helping friends and family heal their basic ailments from insomnia to sunburn- firmly believing in the gentle, yet powerful approach of natural medicine. I find myself back in Reno after 12 years of being gone. I’m excited to learn this town in a whole new way. Being a part of the co-op and it’s growing community is an incredible gift. I look forward to meeting you in the aisles of our Health and Wellness department.