Come and join us for our annual co-op membership meeting, party and potluck at the River School on Saturday June 11 starting at 6:00 p.m.:

• 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. POTLUCK
• 7:00 – 7:30 p.m. NEW BOARD NOMINEES AND VOTING
• 7:30 – 8:30 p.m. SQUARE DANCING W/LIVE BAND
• 8:30 – 9:00 p.m. MOVING UPDATE COLLAGE AND VIDEO (OUTSIDE)
• 9:00 p.m. – ??? LIVE MUSIC FROM LOCAL BANDS: BINDLE STIFFS and MY FLAG IS ON FIRE.

If you plan on eating please bring a dish to share and your own dishes! This is outdoor picnic style on the river. We will have organic kegs from Great Basin Brewery in Sparks, NV. We will also be featuring their new LOCAL beer from wheat grown in Fallon, NV.

We hope to see you there!

Local produce available this week: Spring is in the air and we have a bountiful supply of local greens, herbs, lettuce and more! Rhubarb is in from our distributors and it’s time to start making your Strawberry Rhubarb Pies! Mmm Strawberry Shortcake. It’s time….visit produce.greatbasinfood.coop for a more complete listing of what fresh produce is currently available at your food co-op.

Local Produce Truck Benefit Show

On April 29 at 9 p.m. at Lincoln Lounge we are having the first of 3 benefit shows in hopes that we raise $1,600 for a refrigerated/freezer truck that one of our farmers is selling in Lovelock, NV as part of the Cooperative Distribution Center (CDC) project for local farm goods. The cover is $5 and the the owners of the bar (also owners of Imperial and Granite St.) have said that they will match whatever we make at the door.  Check out the show flier with the picture of the produce truck.

Earth Day 2011 – Food Village

On Sunday, May 1, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., your food co-op is hosting the Food Village at Earth Day! Come join us and just about every other awesome community food group like Slow Food Reno, Friends of NV Organics, Edible Reno-Tahoe and more!!  There will also be dozens of the areas local farmers and plenty of fun, educational booths for the entire family. Get directions to Idlewild Park here.

Spring Seedling Sale

Our annual parking lot spring seedling sale this year is on Saturday, May 21 from 9 a.m. to noon.   Basil, Tomatoes, Kale varieties, herbs, melons, lettuce, flowers and more!!  All local from the same farmers who bring you the best food Reno has to offer.

Learn more about the upcoming, annual seedling sale here!

We are down to our last 2 moving presentations…don’t miss your chance to get involved with the future success of YOUR local food co-op!

As of this morning, our co-op has received $72,000 in member loan pledges towards the move!! We have also received $7,910 in membership equity investments from February 14 – March 2…a grand total of almost $80,000!!! We are only 2 weeks into the drive…this is a great start but we are going to need ALL of our members support in order to keep our community-owned food co-op alive…a.k.a – “Move in time before our lease ends!” Learn more about how you can get involved and keep the GBCFC alive and well.

Local Seeds. Spring Seedling Sale.

Local seeds are back at the co-op from our beloved farmers at Mewladt Organics and Churchill Butte Organics! Save the date for the annual co-op spring seedling sale on Saturday, May 21.

Upcoming Co-op Fundraisers and Community Events

Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School. Brüka Theater.

Chad Sweet, member-owner of your Great Basin Community Food Co-op, is host of Reno’ Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School, a life drawing group that often combines elements of burlesque in events, and consists of chapters in more than 100 cities worldwide. All proceeds for the Dr. Sketchy’s event scheduled for Wednesday, March 16 at the Brüka Theater will be generously donated to your Great Basin Community Food Co-op to assist with the effort in relocating the store this year. For more information about the upcoming event, visit the Dr. Sketchy’s Anti-Art School, Reno-Edition website.

edible Reno-Tahoe Magazine

edible Reno-Tahoe magazine celebrates one-year anniversary with party!! This edition features the Great Basin Community Food Co-op!! — Local food and drink magazine edible Reno-Tahoe celebrates its One-Year Anniversary Party from 1 to 4 PM, Saturday, March 5 at Whole Foods Market in Reno. Participants will meet top Reno-Tahoe chefs such as Nancy Horn, chef/owner of Dish Café & Catering in Reno, Nev.; Mark Estee, chef/owner of Moody’s Bistro & Lounge and Burger Me in Truckee, Calif.; and Lara Ritchie, chef/owner of Nothing To It Culinary School in Reno. Participants can grab the brand-new spring issue of edibleReno-Tahoe, eat samples from the chefs, drink local wine and beer, nibble on locally made products, meet the publishers, and mingle with other foodies. The event is $10 per person and includes a commemorative wine glass. EdibleReno-Tahoe invites the public to come celebrate our local food culture! For details, call 775-746-3299 or visit edibleRenoTahoe.com.

UNR bookstore to go Local

Organic and Green by working with the Great Basin Community Food Co-op, read more here.

Soil Whisperer to Speak at Nevada Small Farm Conference

Soil guru Ron Godin, known as the “soil whisperer”, will speak at the Nevada Small Farm Conference on March 11-12 at the Fallon Convention Center. Godin will discuss soil life, plant deficiencies, weed and disease problems, and how to amend soils for maximum health and crop yields. He is the Extension Agronomist for Organic and Sustainable Agriculture at Colorado State University and 2010 New Mexico Organic Farming Conference Educator of the year. The small farm conference includes a diverse program of topics including beekeeping, small fruit production, marketing local beef, hoop houses, soil fertility and composting, egg handling, business planning, urban and school gardens and more.
For conference details, registration information and fees, visit www.wnc.edu/sci, or contact Ann Louhela, 775-351-2551.

Fresh, Local and Organic Gluten-Free Breads, Baguettes and Cinnamon Rolls from Haven on Earth certified GF Bakery in Reno. We are excited to say that they have created their first organic and gluten-free line for the co-op!! Find them fresh and in our frozen section.

DIY!

Reno’s DIY guide to Reno…a local zine produced by two wonderfully adventurous women…everything that you need to know to have a great time exploring the oddities in innities of RENO! On sale now at the co-op :)

Getting Involved in the Future Success of YOUR Co-op

Want to get involved in the future success of your food co-op? We hope so, because its going to take all of our members to help make our upcoming move a reality. Come to one of the moving presentations located across the street from the co-op’s potential new building. Sign-up at rsvp.greatbasinfood.coop for details.

This year we need all of our members to think of a simple way that they can thank our lovely farmers.  A gift certificate, a homemade candle, a homemade mixed CD, movie passes, hand made scarves or hats, etc.  We have approx. 50 farmers and local producers who will be attending the February event.  If you are interested in providing a gift or card or a token of your appreciation please e-mail info@greatbasinfood.coop or drop it off at the co-op office (next door to the co-op) by Saturday February 11, 2011.

Wait, it gets even better…

Project Moonshine is currently accepting applications from local high school students for the upcoming program in 2011, which includes a documentary on local food production and sustainability.  This will be a hands-on, educational documentary video production program that chronicles a year in the life of local Northern Nevada farmers.   There is no cost to participate in Project Moonshine, but acceptance is competitive.

Project Moonshine is a non-profit organization designed to teach filmmaking skills to students by providing opportunities to document important events happening in their community. Started in 2006, Project Moonshine has made documentaries on a variety of subjects including Sonic Youth, Califone, Mount Eerie, Orchestra Baobab, Tour de Nez, Artown, Nevada Beekeepers and Dada Motel…READ MORE

All of you Raw food enthusiasts be sure to check out Naturally Nana’s Raw food class on January 29th from 1-3pm at ST PAULS UNITED METHODIST CHURCH –1660 GRANDSVIEW AVE– RENO, NV 89503 (this one is a Christian based class, called Your Health According to the Scriptures…. PLEASE RSVP (a must–gotta know how many snacks to make! :) lrevlin123@yahoo.com or call 747-3542/247-5014.

Also, the wonderful FREEMAN’s natural & organic meat and vegan hot dog shop (right around the corner from the co-op) has started serving fresh organic juice! The carrot, apple, ginger juice is scrumptious :)

There is no cost to participate in Project Moonshine, but acceptance is competitive.

Project Moonshine is a non-profit organization designed to teach filmmaking skills to students by providing opportunities to document important events happening in their community. Started in 2006, Project Moonshine has made documentaries on a variety of subjects including Sonic Youth, Califone, Mount Eerie, Orchestra Baobab, Tour de Nez, Artown, Nevada Beekeepers and Dada Motel.

• Apply today–download the Project Moonshine 2011 Application (deadline: Feb. 4, 2011)
• Learn more–visit Project Moonshine’s website

Annual Letter

Once a year, at the end of January, your co-op sends out a paper letter to every single one of its member-owners letting them know how their community-owned business is doing and what’s on the horizon. This year’s letter is sure to be packed with lots of juicy information and we want to make sure you get it! Help save us a lot of time, money and energy by making sure that we have YOUR UPDATED ADDRESS on file. You can come down or call the store at 775-324-6133. In the spirit of the the 4th Cooperative Principle — Autonomy and Independence, please take the time to participate and do your part in this very necessary food movement!

QUICK REFRESHER — The 7 Cooperative Principles:

1. Voluntary and Open Membership
   Cooperatives are voluntary organizations, open to all people able to use its services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination.
2. Democratic Member Control
   Cooperatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members—those who buy the goods or use the services of the cooperative—who actively participate in setting policies and making decisions.
3. Members’ Economic Participation
   Members contribute equally to, and democratically control, the capital of the cooperative. This benefits members in proportion to the business they conduct with the cooperative rather than on the capital invested.
4. Autonomy and Independence
   Cooperatives are autonomous, self-help organizations controlled by their members. If the co-op enters into agreements with other organizations or raises capital from external sources, it is done so based on terms that ensure democratic control by the members and maintains the cooperative’s autonomy.
5. Education, Training and Information
   Cooperatives provide education and training for members, elected representatives, managers and employees so they can contribute effectively to the development of their cooperative. Members also inform the general public about the nature and benefits of cooperatives.
6. Cooperation among Cooperatives
   Cooperatives serve their members most effectively and strengthen the cooperative movement by working together through local, national, regional and international structures.
7. Concern for Community
   While focusing on member needs, cooperatives work for the sustainable development of communities through policies and programs accepted by the members.

Learn more about your food co-operative!

GBCFC Side note things: Hulsman Ranch local grass-fed ground beef is back in stock and We have raw organic cacao powder in bulk at $9.99lb (best price in town)!!

In addition to our new raw bulk goods we also have a variety of new seaweeds including packaged Dulse, Arame, Wakame, Nori, spicy seaweed nori strips, and also Kombu in the BULK section! Organic CHIA seeds are back in stock as is the local creamed honey and local honeycomb!! All of these wonderful goods would be the perfect companion for the River School’s 30-Day Raw Food Challenge which kicks off on January 2,2011…learn more on their site.

Your co-op is doing its annual inventory this Thursday the 30th…we understand that everyone is busy during the holidays and probably can’t make it in to help us count. However, one easy way to support this endeavor is to help us get some stock off our shelves before the end of the year!! We have done a bit of price slashing on certain items to try and help move things out of here…come down and try something new this week: par baked organic sourdough bread in the freezer section, jalapeno Redwood Hill goat cheese, packaged Daiya “cheddar” vegan cheese (its melts:), raw bulk banana spears, Kaia Foods chili lime KALE chips, Hulsman Ranch local stew beef in the freezer, and so much more….

We are OPEN every day this week for normal hours 9am – 9pm…which includes New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Happy. Happy.

In the spirit of thankfulness, we would like to encourage all members to take a moment and SUPPORT OUR SMALL FAMILY FARMERS by making sure that Bills in favor of Big Agriculture don’t put them out of business.

UPDATE: Senate Bill 510 — (The Food Safety Modernization Bill…a very dangerous bill that could really hurt our small local farmers and producers)

• A cloture vote passed on Wednesday, November 17, but . . .
• there will be ANOTHER cloture vote on the 29th on an amended “manager’s” version of the bill.
• As we understand it, this new version will include the Tester-Hagan amendments to exempt small farms, as we have consistently demanded.
• In fact, if this new version DOESN’T pass cloture, the Senate will revert to considering the bill WITHOUT the small farm exemption; obviously we don’t want that to happen.
• As a reminder, it takes 60 votes to pass cloture

A simple stance to take when calling our senators:

a) support the Tester-Hagan small farm exemptions, but

b) oppose the final bill. https://secure.downsizedc.org/etp/campaigns/111

Call both senators today–it takes less than a minute!

Senator Harry Reid (202) 224-3542 OR Senator John Ensign (202) 224-6244

Thank you and have a wonderful, warm Thanksgiving!

Your Great Basin Community Food Co-op

Senator Harry Reid
(202) 224-3542
Senator John Ensign
(202) 224-6244

On Nov. 17, the Senate is finally set to vote on the controversial bill (s.510), and small-scale and organic farmers urgently need two important amendments so the new regulations don’t place huge financial burdens on small farmers.

Without these two important amendments — currently opposed by all the big names in agribusiness — small farmers will not be protected from inappropriate regulations meant to curtail the largest and most likely culprits of food safety outbreaks in the U.S.: giant, consolidated agribusinesses and their massive processing partners.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FOOD SAFETY MODERNIZATION BILL (S.510)»»

For those who have followed this debate closely, one needs to only consider that earlier this week a Who’s Who of Big Ag sent Congress a letter demanding that your Senators not allow the Tester Amendment nor the Manager’s Amendments to pass.

The battle lines are drawn, with the American Meat Institute, National Chicken Council, National Meat Association, National Pork Producers Council and the National Turkey Federation once again railing against small-scale family farms and local food production.

It is clear that we need food safety legislation. However, without the Tester-Hagan Amendment, small farmers will be subject to “one size fits all” food safety regulations that will unfairly subject them to the same standards as Tyson, Smithfield, DeCoster and the worst food safety abusers.

Sustainable Ag groups such as the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) have been hard at work for the past 18 months on this bill, protecting the interests of small farmers and we need to support their efforts.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FOOD SAFETY MODERNIZATION BILL (S.510)»»

Farmer Protections from The Tester-Hagan Amendment

The first and most important provision is the Tester-Hagan amendment, which provides an exemption for family farmers who gross less than $500,000 and sell direct to farmers markets, restaurants, customers and local stores within 400 miles of their farm/processing facility. As the only organic farmer in the U.S. Senate, John Tester has made sure that this amendment protects the growing local food movement and allows small and beginning farmers the opportunity to grow the most economically vibrant part of agriculture, without excessive fees or paperwork that could harm smaller-scale producers.

The Manager’s Amendment

In addition, the Manager’s Amendment, which includes 5 vital amendments, would protect small-scale farmers from burdensome paperwork, offer farmers competitive grants for food safety training, allow them to engage in co-mingling of products from multiple farms in processing, reduce paperwork and excessive traceability requirements, and protect wildlife and wildlife habitat.

While we understand that there are fears from many members within the sustainable food and agriculture community regarding S. 510, only the Tester-Hagan Amendment and the Manager’s Amendment stand to offer real protections to small-scale local and organic farmers that are at the center of a resurgence in agriculture today, while protecting all of America’s food consumers.

__________

To help bring this issue a little closer to home please understand that this bill could harm the MAJORITY of the co-op’s small scale producers.  Here is one of the emails that we received this evening from local producer Hannah Tangeman of Hulsman Ranch:

Hi,
I know there will be very little time when you guys get this but hope you might be able to make a few calls or send a mass email to your members.  This would certainly affect people like me and I hope that the Tester amendment is approved or it will be more difficult for little people.
Thanks.
hannah

Hannah Tangeman
Hulsman Ranch
530-257-7262

__________________

We have all helped to save the Organic Division of the Nevada Department of Agriculture (two years in a row) from being cut out of our state’s budget.  Now is the time to stand up as Nevadan’s and let the Senate know that we need our small family farms to thrive and be well in order for our people to be well.  THINGS DO GROW HERE!

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE FOOD SAFETY MODERNIZATION BILL (S.510)»»

Download the Fall 2010 GBCFC Newsletter!

Thanksgiving is right around the corner and what a better way to boost our local economy by keeping your money local at your neighborhood food co-op.  We have all of your basic holiday needs including local potatoes, mushrooms, greens, onions and more!  You can also come down to the co-op and sign up for a special ordered Organic Turkey, Free Range Turkey, Vegetarian Tofurkey, Vegan Field Roast and 1 lb offerings of local NV’s Own stuffing mushrooms!  Ask a staff member for more details about wholesale turkey and Veg turkey options.

We have spoken with a few of the the local turkey producers and most of them seem to be sold out for the season…there is a woman who recently told us that she has birds left for Thanksgiving or Christmas orders.  Contact us soon though because supply is dwindling.  Her name is Shannon Gray, in Gardnerville, and she can be reached at 775-782-4747 or e-mailed at:  shannon@greytv.com.

Local Turkeys at the Food Co-op. Advocate.

You may be wondering why the co-op doesn’t have local turkeys yet… Our answer:  According to the Health Department, we can only buy from certified sources (produce/veggie vendors that have their certification with the department of agriculture or meat/poultry producers who butcher in a USDA certified facility).  At this point in time there are not many meat producers who utilize a USDA certified facility and no poultry producers that we know of.  We, here at the co-op do our best to advocate and promote this kind of localized production and we need our members and local consumers to do the same.  Start asking for it and talking about it, seek out venues that provide local meat products (like your local farmer, farmer’s markets and the co-op for Hulsman beef and lamb)  and attend meetings that pertain to local meat production in NV.  As long as our interest and demand holds strong, the market will move in that direction.  The co-op started with three (3) local producers five (5) years ago and now we have over 47! Change happens when you want it to :)

Bookluck

The coop’s monthly Book Luck meeting is today (Wednesday, Oct. 27) at 6:30 p.m. in the co-op parking lot (or the office if its cold). Everyone is welcome and there is no assigned book–just come and tell us what you’ve been reading lately! This is a great way for members to share what they know with each other and learn new things. Bring some food to share, a plate and utensils to eat with, and a chair or something to sit on, and join us for some fun and enlightening conversation.

Survey Reminder

We need your input to make the co-op’s next move to a bigger location a success!  Take the survey here

Gluten-Free Cookies are Back

Absolutely Michelle’s homemade Gluten-Free cookies are back!!  Yeah, we sold out in under a day last week, so she tripled the batch this week.  Mmmmm, I think this very well could be the best GF cookie we’ve ever tried…soft and delicious!!

Update on Credit/Debit Card Fee

Last week we sent out an announcement letting everyone know that we discontinued the credit card fee due to member request.  What we didn’t state was that there were quite a few other reasons and good logic behind our Finance Committee’s decision.  We received so much feedback and response from our smart, aware and passionate members that we posted some info about the removal of the credit/debit card fee on our website’s FAQ section. Read more at faq.greatbasinfood.coop.

There will be fresh-baked, locally prepared gluten-free goods, local hand-made goat milk soaps, hand-made jewelery, a variety of egg and chicken farmers, and hourly goat milking!! Come early to enjoy the Hub’s responsibly sourced french-pressed coffee and learn more about what other cool grassroots and nonprofit organizations are doing in Reno.

The Great Unleashing is a one-day event on the 10 of October, 2010, that will engage a collective response to a transition away from fossil fuels into a localized, resilient community. Learn what Transition is about, hear an inspiring keynote speaker, eat a free delicious lunch, and make community connections by participating in a collective envisioning of a vibrant, dramatically less energy dependent Reno. This brainstorming event will kick-off the process of creating a long-term Energy Descent Action Plan, a game plan for a thriving Reno in a powered-down future, by prioritizing and forming Action Groups.

The Great Unleashing is part of the 350.org Global Work Party, an action day with over 2500 events in 150 countries taking part. The 350.org mission is to inspire the world to rise to the challenge of the climate crisis. By joining this Transition Reno event, you can be part of the world-wide work party!

Your Great Basin Community Food Co-op will be there. Learn more!

Take part in supporting a local food system by shopping at YOUR food co-op! Learn more…

We are down to our last two (2) farm tours of the season! On Saturday, Sept. 4 we will be meeting at the Co-op to carpool and head out to Salisha’s Delicious, Pioneer Farms and Lattin Farms. Bring a hat, sunscreen, water, a lunch, containers and $ for the U-Pick…everything is 50 cents a pound!

Canning Workshop

On Sunday, Sept. 5 Canning Workshop at the River School, 9 a.m. until noon: learn how to preserve your harvest at this hands-on canning workshop with Marcia Litsinger and Jana Vanderhaar. Go home with a jar of canned vegetables or fruit. $20/pp. RSVP by calling the River School at 775-747-3910 or visit www.riverschool.info.

New Membership Tiers

The Co-op is excited to announce that we have new membership tiers including: family memberships, business memberships, non-profit organization memberships, senior memberships, disability memberships and low-income memberships! Please come in and pick up one of our new membership forms or ask one of the staff for more details.

Omega 3: Did you know?

Do you get enough omega 3 fatty acids in your diet? Did you know that these are the only essential nutrients that your bod NEEDS but does not manufacture? A lack of omega 3s can cause a variety of symptoms from depression, skin disorders, cardiovascular disease and an inability to concentrate. To learn more click here. Due to popular request, your co-op just started stocking Nordic Naturals omega 3 fish oil and cod liver oil. We also carry a vegan omega 3 cultivated from algae. In our fridge section we have liquid flax oil (you can also special order this for better savings), In bulk we have walnuts and flax seeds, and in the freezer we have LOCAL grass-fed beef and lamb and wild coho salmon filets… all great sources of omega 3 fatty acids!

Save the Date

On Sept. 9 the USDA is hosting a Red Meat Mobile Slaughter Unit Information Session from 8:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. The goal of this information session is to educate local farmers, ranchers and processors on how to set up mobile slaughter units so that they can receive a federal grant of inspection and sell their goods to the public. For more information or to RSVP contact: Clint Koble 775.784.5411 ext.117

Have a great day! – GBCFC