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Co-Op NEWS
we grow community
vol. 3 #1 ~ november 2014
A quarterly publication for members of the Great Basin Community Food Co-op and surrounding communities
Co-GM Report
yay for the holidays!
By Amber Sallaberry and Jolene Cook, General Managers
Maybe
it’s because I am pregnant
and due in the New Year (surprise! – for
those of you who didn’t know), but I am
more excited about all the FOOD and
FAMILY and FESTIVITIES this year than
ever before.
With Amber Sallaberry, the Co-Op’s cofounder and former GM, returning from
‘one of the best years of her life’ sabbatical to
co-manage the Co-Op until 2015, we are in
a special place – having more resources on
board than we have ever had.
As your fearless leaders, we’ve hit the
ground running. Needless to say, there is always so much work to do! In conjoining our
management forces, we have been able to
take on several long overdue co-op projects.
Having brought our finances back in house,
contents
FEATURES:
Food News & Politics: Back To Our Roots........ 2-3
[Co-] Op Ed: The Plastic Bag Ban........................3
Farmer Highlight:
Nevada Ag....................................................... 6-7
Board Communication:
The Co-Op is a Vision..........................................8
DEPARTMENTS:
The Co-GM Report..............................................1
Local Flora & Fauna.............................................5
Health & Wellness: Holiday Wellness Tips...........9
Directors’ Notes:
3rd Quarter Financial Update..............................10
HOO Highlights..................................................11
From the Co-op Kitchen....................................12
we are now in the process of overhauling
several financial systems to allow for much
improved tracking of key management
indicators. Our goal is to create efficient and
strategic operational systems so that we can
better meet our ENDS. (GBCFC’s ENDS
may be accessed on our website under
‘About Us - Purpose Statement and Ends’. )
We distributed, and are now analyzing, our
every-other-year GBCFC customer survey,
which proved incredibly insightful. The
majority of the feedback that we received
from you were in reference to Ends #4
and 5.* A continued commitment to ‘local’
and offering better prices both rang out
loud and clear as the cornerstones of most
survey participants’ responses. Thank you
to all you folks who took the time to share
your opinions and feedback.
We also completed a successful Visioning
exercise with you, our Member Owners,
Community Partners, staff, HOOs, &
board directors. See a refined summary in
our Board President’s, Armando Ornelas,
article on Page 9, more info will follow in
our Annual Report due out in the next
newsletter around mid-February.
Our annual member drive proved effective
once again with over 298 new members
and membership renewals within two
weeks. Isn’t that amazing? Your equity is
not only an essential part of the financial
health of the organization but also prompts
a reminder of Co-Op Principle #3, Member
Economic Participation – WE OWN OUR
OWN GROCERY STORE! Each person’s
equity is an equal share of OUR company.
In comparison with the lack of community orientation in the business models of
the vast majority of corporate entities, we
couldn’t be prouder of ours. Did you know
that community owned co-ops re-invest
20% more back into our local economies
than any other type of retail entity?
Our emphasis on community focus
prompts us to strive to purchase as many
locally grown products as possible. Hence,
we are committed to contracting with
even more of our small, sustainably run
local farms. We have been working with
our department leaders to establish new
benchmarks and metrics to help us achieve
more local purchases in every department.
See the Food News & Politics article on the
next page for an update on these efforts and
also exciting news about our Distributors of
Regional and Organic Produce and Products (DROPP) system developments.
We will use our data for the past two
years’ purchases of out-of-state produce —
mainly from small, always organic farms
in California’s Central Valley as the basis
for our transitioning effort back to our
local foodshed. We have already begun
to contract healthy percentages of our
purchases with farmers with whom we’ve
had longstanding, successful relationships. Now that our own growth is starting
to stabilize, we’re able to focus more on
becoming an even bigger player in helping
GROW our COMMUNITY. *End #4 - An economically viable, cooperatively owned
business that creates a social and economic network that
is just, trustworthy, and transformative.
End #5 - A stronger local food system which includes a
marketplace that uses fair and just buying practices to
support growers, vendors, and artisans from within our
foodshed.
Local Food News & Politics
back to
our Roots
vol. 3 #1 ~ november 2014
Downtown LocatioN
By Amber Sallaberry, Co-GM
240 Court Street • Reno, Nevada 89501 • (775) 324.6133
Open 8 am to 9pm daily
www.greatbasinfood.coop
facebook.com/gbcfc
twitter.com/gbcfc
It’s good
EditorS
Glee Willis, Jolene Cook,
and Gillian Logan
Staff Liaison/Coordinator
The Co-op News is published on
a quarterly basis. Look for the
next issue in February 2015.
Please contact Jolene Cook at
jolene@greatbasinfood.coop, or
775-324.6133 x110 to discuss your
article idea or advertising inquiry.
You may also mail them to us,
Attention: Co-op News.
Jolene Cook
Newsletter Layout/Design
Double Click Design
Opinions expressed in the Co-op
News are those of the authors and do
not necessarily reflect the views of the
Co-op staff, board of directors, Co-op
advertisers, or anyone else. Co-op
members are welcome to respond.
Great Basin Community Food Co-op
Purpose Statement: To promote our local food system* and to serve as a
sustainable cooperative model for access to wholesome food.
*What is a food system? A food system includes all processes and infrastructure involved in feeding a population: growing, harvesting, processing,
packaging, transporting, marketing, consumption, and disposal of food
and food-related items.
Our Slogan: “We Grow Community.”
Ends (as of Board 2013 retreat): Under the Policy Governance model adopted
by the Board of Directors, “Ends” describe the desired outcomes of the
GBCFC cooperative community. Our Ends take into account a “triple bottom
line” that reflects the co-op’s economic, social, and environmental values. The
co-op’s General Manager implements and measures achievement of Ends
with oversight by the Board. As a result of our efforts, we will have:
to be back! Jumping into things at the
Co-Op in the middle of harvest season and bringing our
finances back in house at the same time makes for a fast and
no BS kind of re-entry. Scrutiny of our local food and finance
systems provided me with ample opportunity to pour over the
numbers, create spreadsheets and compare Year-Over-Year
metrics and data. This crash course also helped me to wrap
my brain around the big financial picture of where our co-op
is today. Examining some key indicators such as inventory
turns by department and percent of local food sales allowed
me to see what we are doing well and also where we can grow
the most — our co-op’s commitment to buying and supporting local farmers, ranchers, artisans and producers!
GBCFC’s lineage of developing and nurturing local food
systems has been echoed again and again as one of the
primary reasons why our members and shoppers support
us. Over the years we have done our very best to track this
local data. When the Co-Op started in 2005 we purchased
goods from three local farms: Lattin Farms, Sierra Valley
Farms and Churchill Butte Organics, and one local ranch:
Smith Family Farms. Back then we did our best (with no
formal accounting or data tracking systems) to just take a
head count of our local producers. Beginning in 2008 we
entered the world of Quickbooks and POS systems and we
started breaking out annual local and regional purchases.
ENDS:
• Broad access to local and organic food.
• A knowledgeable and empowered community that can make informed
food choices.
• A gathering place where people can gain a greater awareness of the 7
cooperative principles through engagement, ownership, and community.
• An economically viable, cooperatively owned business that creates a social
and economic network that is just, trustworthy, and transformative.
• A stronger local food system, which includes a marketplace that uses fair
and just buying practices to support growers, vendors, and artisans from
within our food shed.
• A local business that models, practices, and promotes environmental
stewardship.
• A cooperative work environment that is respectful and diverse, providing
a livable wage and benefits to a kind and knowledgeable staff.
2
november 2014
www.greatbasinfood.coop
The graph below shows our co-op’s local and regional sales growth and the
percentages that these categories are of
our store’s total purchases:
This coming year marks yet another
exciting point of data extraction for our
co-op – DROPP sales and purchases
and COPOS FLONS reportings (method of tracking green attributes through
our register system). Wait, wait!! Don’t
get too excited over the possibility of
accessing more purpose-based data —
nor the expansion of our vast co-op
spreadsheet world — just let me tell you
the best part: for the first time ever we
have been able to track a higher level of
local food purchases, regionally grown
goods and even our co-op’s sales of
items like fair trade, NON GMO, and
goods bought from small Ma and Pa
type of independent companies!
Now that you’re at the point where you
can’t wait to join the GBCFC
dream data team (also known
as ‘Team Sum Function’), I
thought I would share the
greatest highlight: all of this
data has been used to help us
set up and create the most aggressive local food contracts for
the 2015 growing season.
We mined the last year of
produce sales data that we’ve
bought out of state — mainly
from small, organic farms in
California’s Central Valley.
Organic California avocados,
you say — wha!? Well, you
asked for them and you buy
them like crazy! Let’s save for
another time the conversation
on the disconnect between what
consumers say they want (in
our highly greenwashed market
where ‘Farm Fresh’ and ‘Local’
is now at your neighborhood gas
station) and where we actually
spend the bulk of our money
– that is coming soon . The
bottom line is that until some
genius up here in northern Nevada creates a microclimate for
organic bananas we will continue to purchase these kinds
of organic goods from outside
www.greatbasinfood.coop
nia. This year Gary contracted with us
to grow 1,000 bunches of those carrots
in his growing season. Why not all 3,000
bunches, you ask? Well, our customers
want bunched carrots all year round.
Gary can produce them from the last
week of July until Thanksgiving, that’s
roughly 1/3 of the year and he contracted for 1/3 of our demand. Math, pretty
simple deductions.
of our foodshed. But for everything else:
carrots, greens, kale, potatoes, you name
it — let’s transition that contracted $$
back to the local farmers in our area!
Recently we held our first meeting of this
nature was with one of our foodshed’s
finest: Gary Romano of Sierra Valley
Farms. In 2013 we bought 3,000 bunches
of organic bunched carrots from Califor-
This is just the beginning, we have another
1.5 months to meet with as many of our
great producers in the area to contract out
as much of our customers’ demand from
goods harvested right here in the Great
Basin as possible. Think you can grow
lemons in Nevada or carrots in March?
Hit me up! We will have lots to talk about:
amber@greatbasinfood.coop.
GBCFC Local and Regional Sales Growth
Percentage of Store’s Total Purchase
:#
#
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#
#
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2
*
01$606
0..5
/1
*
/42$040
*
/63$.24
0..6
07
*
/5$672
*
0./$344
7:
*
026$166
5:
0..7
26
*
33$/.2
*
2..$..2
/2:
*
3/6$7.6
//:
0./.
42
*
72$77/
*
361$040
/4:
*
6/5$.20
/0:
0.//
64
*
0.$201
*
/.5$.05
*
/05$23/
*
5..$130
/6:
*
773$622
/1:
0./0
77
*
05$405
*
//6$35.
*
/24$/75
*
/$/74$241
/0:
*
/$6/0$.1.
6:
0./1
/.3
*
52$032
*
0.1$100
*
055$354
*
/$433$556
/5:
*
0$300$7/6
//:
+
"
0..4
&!%
'
!
"
**The GBCFC defines locally/regionally PRODUCED goods as those that are altered in a local or regional area. This includes
roasting coffee, value added goods and anything that does not contain 100% local ingredients.
*The GBCFC defines locally/regionally GROWN goods as anything that is grown or raised 100% in our local or regional area. This
can include value-added goods if every single ingredient is locally or regionally grown.
NOVEMBER 2014
3
[Co-]Op-Ed:
PLASTIC BAG BAN:
Ahead of the curve, or long past due?
By Meghan Collins, GBCFC Outreach Coordinator
Less junk
, but more junk science. That’s what I found when I began to
investigate the decisions leading up to California’s recent single-use plastic bag ban.
If you’ve been wanting some background
on the new policy, here’s the short version: the law prohibits single-use plastic
bags to be distributed at grocery stores and
large pharmacies. This prohibition will be
phased in by July 1, 2015, and allows stores
to charge at least 10 cents for bags made
from recycled paper or from compostable
material. Exceptions exist, such as for
produce and carry-out food.
The aim of this law is to reduce plastic bag
waste, as plastic does not degrade in landfills and often finds its way into waterways,
wetlands and of course, the ocean. The
costs of disposal and removal of plastic bag
waste in California was mounting and one
factor motivating this regulatory change.
Reducing waste and contamination of recycling and composting programs will also
save taxpayer dollars.
California’s governor, Jerry Brown, made
this statement at the law’s signing ceremony: “This bill is a step in the right direction
– it reduces the torrent of plastic polluting
our beaches, parks and even the vast ocean
itself.”
The pushback on this bill has been staggering. I’ve shared a few quotes from news
articles criticizing this ban to paint a wee
picture of the ruckus that’s being raised
against the ban:
“[The bill is] a back room deal between the
grocers and union bosses to scam California
consumers out of billions of dollars without
providing any public benefit – all under the
guise of environmentalism.”1
- The American Progressive Bag Alliance
4
“This was an exercise in punishing an
industry, and the thousands of hard-working
Californians it employs, that Big Green finds
politically distasteful … Jobs will be lost
and food-insecure families will be forced to
appropriate precious money for bags. No
protein for you tonight, Jimmy, because
mommy had to pay for bags.”2 - Forbes
Other responses to the law predict jeopardizing thousands of jobs, fault lawmakers for transferring millions of dollars
to “grocers and their union bosses”, and
accuse California of “descending into
madness” by micro-managing every
aspect of its citizens’ lives.
I feel as if I’m reading something out of
The Onion. In my search for responses
to this ban, it was far easier to find angry
criticisms of the ban than it was to find
solid evidence supporting these statements of opposition. In fact, I struggled
to find evidence that was, for either side,
independently produced or disseminated.
November 2014
The scorecards on both sides of the
debate seem to depend on what criteria
are being considered: CO2 emissions in
production, water used in production,
energy in joules used in production,
ability to recycle, ability to biodegrade,
incidence of litter vs. recycling, volume of
municipal solid waste, etc. My intention
in writing this newsletter article was to
analyze these facts from the point of view
of our independent grocery store. However, this virulent (and interest-laden)
debate actually shifted my attention in
another direction.
So is this bag ban long ahead of
the curve, or is it long overdue?
This debate begs the question of whether
or not we are seeking a solution in the
right place? It seems that we’re debating
marginal improvements in one direction
or the other — in terms of solid waste or
energy inputs, or… or…. Relying on one
www.greatbasinfood.coop
type of recycled paper or compostable
bag or the other still relies on continued
investment of energy, resources and
landfill space.
Local Flora & Fauna
What if we’re due for a shift in how we
transport our food from store to home?
What if we question the assumptions
about how people shop which, in this debate, default to either disposing, littering
or recycling the bags?
By Jake Francis, HOO Extraordinaire
What if we’re due
for a shift in how we
transport our food
from store to home?
In Reno, single-use plastic bags are not
accepted at present for recycling by
Waste Management. Some grocery stores
accept a specific subset of plastic bags for
recycling. To reduce the waste stream,
the Co-Op receives paper bag donations
by customers and keeps them circulating.
Estimates report that over 1 trillion single-use plastic bags are distributed yearly
worldwide, which is over 2 million per
minute3. From a sustainability point of
view, this is a heavy burden, in addition
to the packaging that helps much of our
food reach the kitchen safely and without
spoiling. The plastic bag is just the last
step in the journey to your mouth.
So what do you think? Can you imagine
an alternative universe where ‘disposable’
doesn’t exist? Would reusable grocery
bags be used in place of this, or some
other system entirely?
Considering this at the Co-Op, we’d love to
hear your thoughts. Please email me with
them at outreach@greatbasinfood.coop.
1
American Progressive Bag Alliance. http://www.
sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/
article2616122.html
Forbes http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2014/10/22/california-outlaws-plastic-bags-andignores-the-scientific-evidence/
2
3
Earth Policy Institute http://www.earth-policy.org/
plan_b_updates/2014/update123
www.greatbasinfood.coop
winter 2014
When
I ask the majority of people “What do birds do to cope with the winter?”,
I invariably get the response, “Migrate!” It is true that many of our summer avian
residents move to the southern hemisphere during the winter to take advantage of the
abundant food and milder climate available there, but there are a subset of birds whom
we call year-round residents that spend the winter around the Biggest Little City. These
year-round residents face a number of challenges during the colder months, but one of
the largest is meeting their caloric needs. Unlike the lucky members of GBCFC, who
have an amazing co-operative calorie source right on Court Street, some birds’ food
sources disappear as fall moves southward. This selective pressure has led to an amazing array of adaptations that help birds cope with limited food availability and the need
to conserve energy.
Many omnivorous birds, i.e. those who eat both plants and animals, completely switch
their diet for the winter. One bird that employs this wintry dietary change up is the
Western Scrub-Jay. The Scrub-Jay can be found across northern Nevada and, in particular, across the scrublands surrounding Reno. During the spring and summer ScrubJays can be seen eating small vertebrates (organisms with spines), but as animal-based
food sources become
scarce, the jays begin eating primarily
plant material.
Scrub-Jays’ winter
diet consists of high-calorie
foods like acorns,
pine nuts, sunflower
seeds, and juniper
berries. To hedge their
bets, Scrub-Jays will
hide seeds so that they
can consume them
at a later date, which
behavioral ecologists call “caching“. In
addition to caching their
own food, Scrub-Jays
actually watch other birds
create caches, then steal
the hidden seeds. Pilfering is so
common that the jays will
actually try to fake-out onlookers by moving hidden seeds if they believe they
are being watched. In order to keep track of their many caches, jays have excellent spatial memory, but they are not the only bird that exhibits this amazing caching behavior.
Researchers in the Pravosudov Lab of Cognitive and Behavioral Ecology at the University of Nevada, Reno have been studying caching in the Mountain Chickadee. Like
the Scrub-Jay, the Mountain Chickadee switches its diet with the seasons. During the
spring they consume mostly insects, but when the snow falls they switch primarily to
seeds that they have stored. These very small birds, who weigh around 0.4 oz (the same
weight as one of the clear plastic containers in the bulk section of our co-op), require a
massive amount of plant-based fat to make it through the harsh winter. Interestingly,
members of the Pravosudov Lab have found that birds in harsher environments at high
elevation actually have more neurons and larger hippocampi, the portion of the brain
involved in making and storing spatial memories, than their lower elevation counterparts who experience a less harsh winter. Additionally, researchers in the lab are
investigating how urbanization might shape the cognitive ability of the small birds and
are currently looking for urban backyard areas in and around Reno to collect data. For
more information, readers can contact dkozlovsky@unr.edu).
As the winter comes to Reno, keep an eye out for some of our year-round feathered
friends. You can even attract them to your backyard with some simple black-oil
sunflower seed, and watch this amazing seed caching behavior in action (check out
http://www.bestbirdfoodever.com/ for a great local source). As for me, I will be taking
a page out of the chickadee’s book by exchanging some of my animal-based diet for the
healthy fats in pine nuts, almonds, and flax seeds (which I may or may not be burying
in the backyard for later!)
November 2014
5
Farmer Highlight
Nevada Ag
By Nicole Sallaberry, Local Food & Sustainability Coordinator
The
beginning of fall marks the time when we say
goodbye to the summer abundance in our foodshed. Goodbye
to our local farmers’ cucumbers, broccoli, cabbages, peppers,
melons, basil, and summer squash. We have a last taste of a
delicious tomato while canning up the last few jars of preserves
until next season…..and we say hello to the hardy greens and
storage crops of the winter, such as onions, potatoes, sweet
carrots, winter squashes, and the items that will persist in hoop
houses such as greens, herbs, and radishes. We usually say hi to
a lot of produce sourced from California to the Equator.
6
Thanks to the efforts of one local farm, Nevada Ag, we have
been enjoying in the winter the summer produce that it is
growing in our area. Last winter we enjoyed tomatoes and
peppers throughout most of the winter months. Despite the
frosts that hit most of our local farms in late September,
we have been eating, without interruption, local Armenian
cucumbers, peppers, basil. We hope to source tomatoes from
this farm as soon as February of 2015.
Nevada Ag is a farm in Wadsworth, Nevada situated on 13
NOVEMBER 2014
www.greatbasinfood.coop
acres right next to where the Truckee
River makes its bend to head north to
Pyramid Lake. Nevada Ag is operated
by Spencer Scott, an experienced organic farmer who spent the last decade
in the Okanogan Valley in Washington
growing organic commercial pears, soft
fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Nevada Ag
is owned by Don Evans, a visionary and
the founder of multinational company,
EVCO Plastics. Don is from the Reno/
Tahoe area and has a vision of increasing the food security in our region. Don
and Spencer met about five years ago. In
2013, they decided to make the vision a
reality. Don invested in the infrastructure; Spencer and his family moved to
the area to start raising the plants. The
first 4,000 square foot greenhouse was
built and Nevada Ag was born. Its goal
is to provide high quality produce and
products for the Reno/Tahoe Basin 365
days a year and to fill in the gaps in
our local food supply. Spencer grows
field crops, as well as in the greenhouse
crops. This year, Nevada Ag is working
on completing its second production
greenhouse which is even larger (one
full acre in size). Nevada Ag has five
full acre production greenhouses in the
works and plans on building one per
year. Any rainwater that is collected by
the greenhouses is filtered, then used
for the plants or for cooling the greenhouses, when needed, in the fashion of
a huge swamp cooler. The greenhouses
also use the EPIC system invented by
Jonas Sipaila. The plants grow in a sand
medium (in this case the sand is sourced
from a local quarry). Nutrients are
introduced via water that is a foot below
the surface of the sand, and capillary action brings the nutrients up to the roots
of the plants.
Nevada Ag is continuing to work on
building its greenhouses, tending its
crops, investigating the potential for
harvesting geothermal energy on their
property, and securing water rights.
Don and Spencer have enjoyed being
suppliers in the Reno market and look
forward to providing more food to our
region, as well as custom growing for
restaurants and stores. It is on track to
becoming certified organic and its next
venture is to fill in one of the biggest
gaps we have in our local food system —
fruit! This winter, look for these vibrant
crops for sale from the crew at the
Co-Op or on the DROPP website: bell
peppers, mini sweet bell peppers, sweet
Basil, Thai basil, purple basil, Armenian
cucumbers, Straight 8 cucumbers, and
tomatoes coming mid-winter.
Other local winter delicacies available at
the Co-Op include: pea and sunflower
greens from New Harvest Farm; Hawaiian baby ginger from Custom Gardens;
basil and Shisito peppers from Sterling Farms; sweet Nantes carrots from
Avanzino Farms; horseradish, watermelon radish and rainbow carrots from
Sierra Valley Farms; sprouts from Mary
Alice’s Sprout Farm; greens from Spanish Spring Greens; winter squash and
garlic from Lattin Farms; sunchokes
from Mewaldt’s Organic Produce;
greens, herbs, and winter squash from
Salisha’s Delicious; butternut squash
from Pioneer Farms; specialty potatoes
from Mathis Farm; and a variety of
onions from Peri and Sons… to name
some of the produce and the farms and
ranches supplying it to us, along with
much more: honey, milk, cheeses, eggs,
jams, jellies, pickles, horseradish mustard, beef, lamb, goat, pork, and bison.
Thank you, Nevada Ag, as well as all of
our other local producers! www.greatbasinfood.coop
NOVEMBER 2014
7
Board Communication
the co-op is a vision
By Armando Ornelas, GBCFC Board President
This
past September’s board election
resulted in a change for three (of seven)
board seats. The Co-Op’s member-owners
elected Matt Johnson, Marcia Litsinger and
Jeannette Smith. A warm welcome to each
of these GBCFC members who will volunteer their time and talents to help lead the
Co-Op over the next two (at least) years.
The board also extends a heartfelt “thank
you” to outgoing board members Greta de
Jong, Laura Fillmore and Dagny Stapleton
for their service to the Co-Op.
The board’s work in the coming year will
be informed in part by two outreach ef-
Broader
Access
which encompasses
objectives such
competitive prices;
a greater selection
of products; and, in
time, a larger and/
or additional stores.
forts. One is the recently completed online
survey of our member-owners. Thanks
to the over 320 people who participated
in taking this detailed survey. The second
is the Co-Op’s Visioning process. The
board is now working with Jolene Cook
and Amber Sallaberry, our co-GMs, and a
committee that includes other Hands On
Owners (HOOs), to distill and prioritize
your ideas and input to create an updated
Vision for the Co-op.
8
The Co-Op exists to serves its members
and our common goals through a jointlyowned and democratically-controlled
business. While we are still studying the
survey results and input from the visioning process, some major themes are clear,
including that our membership desires:
strive to refine our business model to
achieve and balance these and other goals,
such as being an employer of choice. We
understand that accomplishing these ends
requires the Co-Op be a viable business,
and that we face growing competition
from both existing and new-to-themarket grocers. The Co-Op must adapt
and evolve to survive, and accept that
we’ll need to emphasize different goals at
different times. We realize each memberowner, each household that shops our
store, has their own needs and priorities, but we encourage you to continue
supporting us, and thus your priorities,
by “shopping the Co-Op first.” Please
more
organic &
locallyproduced food more
as well as the Coservice
Op continuing to
play a lead role in
the development of a
local food system.
✓ Broader access, which encompasses
objectives such competitive prices;
a greater selection of products; and,
in time, a larger and/or additional
stores.
✓ More organic and locally produced
food, as well as the Co-Op continuing to play a lead role in the development of a local food system.
✓ More service as a community hub
and vehicle for fostering just, cooperative and environmentally sustainable business practices.
as a community
hub and vehicle
for fostering just,
cooperative and
environmentally
sustainable business
practices.
continue to tell us what is important to
you and to vote for your own priorities
with your household dollars. Only in this
manner can we cooperatively achieve our
common goals and our vision.
In the coming months and years the CoOp’s board and staff will continuously
NOVEMBER 2014
www.greatbasinfood.coop
Health & Wellness
The Seven
Holiday Wellness Tips
Co-operative
Principles
These seven (7) Co-operative Principles
were established by the first successful
co-op in Rochdale, England in the 1840s.
They were later amended by the International Co-operative Alliance in 1996. All
true cooperatives use these guidelines to
put their values into practice.
• Voluntary and Open Membership — Cooperatives are voluntary organizations, open
to all persons able to use their services and
willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination.
• Democratic Member Control — Co-operatives are democratic organizations controlled by their members, who actively participate in setting their policies and making
decisions. Men and women serving as elected representatives are accountable to the
membership. In primary cooperatives, members have equal voting rights (one member,
one vote) and cooperatives at other levels are
organized in a democratic manner.
• Member Economic Participation — Members contribute equitably to, and democratically control, the capital of their cooperative.
At least part of that capital is usually the common property of the cooperative. They usually
receive limited compensation, if any, on capital subscribed as a condition of membership.
Members allocate surpluses for any or all of
the following purposes: developing the cooperative, possibly by setting up reserves, part of
which at least would be indivisible; benefiting
members in proportion to their transactions
with the cooperative; and supporting other
activities approved by the membership.
• Autonomy and Independence — Co-operatives are autonomous, self-help organizations
controlled by their members. If they enter into
agreements with other organizations, including governments, or raise capital from external sources, they do so on terms that ensure
democratic control by their members and
maintain their cooperative autonomy.
• Education, Training and Information
— Co-operatives provide education and
training for their members, elected representatives, managers and employees so they
can contribute effectively to the development of their cooperatives. They inform the
general public — particularly young people
and opinion leaders — about the nature and
benefits of cooperation.
• Cooperation among Co-operatives —
Co-operatives serve their members most
effectively and strengthen the cooperative
movement by working together through local, national, regional and international
structures.
• Concern for Community — While focusing on member needs, cooperatives work for
the sustainable development of their communities through policies accepted by their
members.
www.greatbasinfood.coop
By Gillie Logan, Wellness Team Member
When
it comes to the holiday season, Halloween feels like the starting line
of a long two months, and the countdowns
seem to start earlier and earlier every year!
Preparing for the holidays is half the fun.
After all, the best part of the holidays is enjoying time with family and friends! When
it comes to this blissfully busy season, have
a happy, healthy holiday by remembering to
care for yourself, both body and mind!
Adding key supplements to our daily
routines can help strengthen our immune
systems. Upstairs in the Wellness Department we love our probiotics. More and
more research shows that a healthy gut
leads to overall wellness, especially during
cold and flu season. We love Flora Udo’s
Choice Adult Probiotics and Garden
of Life’s Primal Defense Ultra. Both
provide ample healthy bacteria to
bolster the bacteria in your gut! In
addition to a healthy gut, we
also recommend Oreganol’s
Oregano Oil for its immunityboosting properties. Oregano
oil is powerfully effective against
bacteria, germs, and viruses;
taking a daily supplement of oregano oil
can help strengthen cells! Or consider an
organic mushroom supplement from Host
Defense since they, also, have been found
to be beneficial when it comes to boosting
immunity. Host Defense Mycoshield Throat
Spray is a great on-the-go option as it’s
small enough to carry!
To help prevent colds and flu, eating foods
rich in vitamins and minerals is just as
important as adding key supplements to
one‘s diet. We’re lucky at the Co-Op to have
access to delicious, organic produce. Vegetables that promote healthy liver functions
not only help with immunity-boosting
by delivering vitamins and minerals but
they also encourage natural detoxifying
processes to clean out the gunk that’s not
aiding your body in recovery. These veggies
include kale, broccoli, lettuce, and cabbage.
Try the varieties from some of our local
producers and taste the difference! Additionally, many of our seasonal favorites,
NOVEMBER 2014
such as pumpkin, figs, pomegranates, and
cranberries, are brimming with healthy
vitamins that not only make us feel beautiful on the inside but on the outside, too!
Stress is one thing that can defeat your
attention to eating well and boosting your
immunity with supplements. We can eat
healthy foods and take supplements, but if
we’re stressed, we’re putting our body in a
state of tension. Alex King, HOO extraordinaire, suggests meditation (even/especially
if you’re stuck in holiday shopping traffic!)
Stuck at a large intersection in the Truckee
Meadows? Take 5 seconds and breathe in
deeply. Find a quiet place in your home, set
an alarm for five minutes, and start to focus on your breathing, If you find your
thoughts racing in the middle of your
meditation, don’t worry — just start
over and concentrate on your breathing. You can check out more of
Alex’s meditation tips on his
blog: evokebliss.com
We can’t end our holiday article
without mentioning a few great gift
finds in our Wellness Department. With
a range of locally produced personal care
and beauty items, check out the goodies
offered by a couple of our local producers
Sacred Seed Herbals (handcrafted by our
very own Willow Romska) and Golden
Monarch Herbals. With decadent lip
balms, bath scrubs, and muscle soothers,
you’re sure to find something for everyone
on the list! Customers continue to praise
Sacred Seed Herbals Vegan Lip Balm and
Golden Monarch Herbals Golden Glow
Scrub! We are also loving the Michael
Roger, Inc. Decomposition Notebooks, and
greeting cards from Sanctuary Spring!
From cookbooks to candles, and check out
our second annual Holiday Fair upstairs in
the Community Space on December 6th
from 11am-3pm featuring over a dozen
local vendors! Photo courtesy of MeditationMusic.net
9
Directors’ Notes
GBCFC 3rd Quarter 2014 Financial Update
By Steve Edmundson, Director
Anyone
who loves great local
produce (who doesn’t?) knows that late
summer and fall are a special time to be a
GBCFC shopper. More and more people
realize that putting real organic food
from local farmers and ranchers on the
dinner table not only makes sense from the
standpoint of personal and environmental
health, it makes for much better tasting
meals. And as this movement and awareness
around great local food continues to take
hold, it’s not surprising that sales at the CoOp continue to grow with it. After all, our
co-op is not only the best place in town to
buy local food; it’s the only place that makes
it one of its top priorities. Because of this,
we are happy to report that, even though
marginally below original forecast, sales
during the quarter ended September were
the highest on record.
The Co-Op finished the September quarter
with $740,215 in sales compared to sales of
$667,850 in the same quarter last calendar
year which represents yet another quarter
of year-over-year double digit sales growth.
However, strong sales are only one piece of
our goal of achieving sustained profitability.
Having an emphasis on providing superior
locally sourced food also brings added
costs and complexity, which can pressure
margins. Anyone who has run a business
knows that providing a superior product at
a competitive price is no easy task. However,
we continue to make meaningful strides to
this end, albeit at a slightly slower pace than
originally forecast.
The included table highlights actual versus
budgeted financial performance for the
quarter ended September. The bottom row
of the table is the “big picture” row that we
are focusing on as a business. Operating
cash flow includes total net revenue less
expenses (excluding depreciation). The
second quarter of this calendar year was
the first in which we experienced positive
operating cash flow. And while we slipped
into a negative position again this past
quarter, we continue to expect that we will
more consistently reach this important
financial goal in the near future.
Looking ahead to the final quarter of the
calendar year, we are hopeful the strong
sales momentum will continue and the
longer-term trend of improving cash flow
will persist. The Co-Op’s commitment
to local organic food, combined with the
most stringent buying guidelines in town
for all products, make us the single best
place in Reno to shop for consumers who
value putting healthy and responsibly
sourced food on their family’s table. We are
confident that our commitment to these
high standards along with the democratic,
community based business model that the
Co-Op provides will translate into a healthy
bottom line.
If you would like more information or
would like to talk to us about the Co-Op’s
finances, please feel free to attend any one
of the monthly Board meetings, which are
held the third Monday of every month at
6:00 PM on the second floor of the Co-op.
Remember, being a Co-Op member means
you are an owner of the store, so your input
is always appreciated.
To contact the board, e-mail
board@greatbasinfood.coop
SUMMARY FINANCE REPORT FOR GREAT BASIN COMMUNITY FOOD CO-OP
Q3 2014
Revenue
Sales
Cost of Goods Sold (COGS)
Other Income
Total Net Revenue
10
Actuals Q3 2014
$740,215.10
$(493,791.05)
$3,211.35
$249,635.40
Budget Q3 2014
$753,500.00
$(495,606.00)
$720.00
$258,614.00
Difference
$(13,284.90)
$(1,814.95)
$2,491.35
$(8,978.60)
Expenses
Staffing
Occupancy
Operating
Depreciation
Marketing
Governance
Administration
Total Expenses
$176,283.51
$46,082.47
$15,345.53
$24,253.56
$11,595.28
$2,493.44
$15,169.79
$291,223.58
$174,650.00
$44,050.00
$17,150.00
$24,300.00
$13,550.00
$2,800.00
$10,900.00
$287,400.00
$1,633.51
$2,032.47
$(1,804.47)
$(46.44)
$(1,954.72)
$(306.56)
$4,269.79
$3,823.58
Net Income
Operating Cash Flow (excludes depreciation)
$(41,588.18)
$(17,334.62)
$(28,786.00)
$(4,486.00)
$(12,802.18)
$(12,848.62)
NOVEMBER 2014
www.greatbasinfood.coop
TEN REASONS
CO-OPS ROCK!
HOO HIGHLIGHTS
Highlighting Wonderful Hands-On Owners of the GBCFC
By Gillian Logan, HOO Coordinator
• Cooperatives are democratic businesses and organizations, equally owned
and controlled by a group of people.
There are worker co-ops, consumer
co-ops, producer co-ops, financial coops, housing co-ops, and more. In a
cooperative, one member has one vote.
What kind of things do you do as a HOO?
I do a bit of everything! I help out in
grocery or wellness, depending on the
need. I’ve done everything from stocking
to helping customers out to their cars. I
chat with folks, get to know the staff, and
spread the word about the GBCFC!
• Because cooperatives are democratically owned by community members,
co-ops keep money (and jobs) in their
communities.
What are your hopes for the Co-Op?
• Co-ops aren’t charity; they’re empowering means for self-help and solidarity.
Dreaming big? I’d love to see the Co-Op
serve as an integral mind, body, and spirit
center, focusing on health and wellness
through nutrition and education. I’d love
to see the Co-Op continue to connect
within the community to spread the word
on eating local!
• Members of cooperatives equally share
the burden in hard times and equally
share the benefits in good times.
Encouragement to others thinking
about HOOing?
• Cooperatives aren’t a far off theory.
Cooperatives offer achievable and
practical solutions to many economic,
environmental, and social problems
that can be implemented right now.
• Cooperatives are more resilient in economic downturns and in impoverished
communities. When other businesses
may shut down or lay off workers, coop members pull together to work out
solutions.
• Cooperatives are an international
movement. There are thousands upon
thousands of cooperatives around the
world that are making major differences locally and globally.
• Cooperatives strive to make people’s
lives, communities, and economies
more just, equitable, and democratic.
• There’s no one right way to do a coop. They can be flexible to fit different community and individual needs.
There are big co-ops with thousands
of members, and there are small coops with 3 members.
• Cooperatives are owned and governed
by their members! This gives those
taking the service or buying the product control of the organization–in the
coop world the consumers are the ones
who determine the corporation's values
as well as what to do with profits.
www.greatbasinfood.coop
Name: Galen Gorelangton
How long have you been a HOO?
Around 4-5 months
When you aren’t a HOO, what do you do?
I am currently finishing my degree at
UNR in philosophy with a minor in
English. I practice tai chi and qi gong,
too! I love animals and sometimes help
out at the ASPCA. I also enjoy gardening
and cooking (my partner tells me I’m an
excellent cook!).
What made you want to HOO?
I love the Co-Op; it’s been an integral part
of my life for a while now. My mom got
involved early on and I’ve gotten to watch
it grow! I love the community aspect of the
Co-Op and how it brings people together. I
wanted to be a part of this as I really believe
in its mission.
NOVEMBER 2014
Whatever skill set a person possesses, you
have something to offer the Co-Op! The
HOO program is flexible and there’s always
an interesting task that needs a dedicated
HOO to help with!
Your most memorable HOO experience?
Every day the staff makes me laugh! I’m
glad to be part of the Co-Op! We’re really
transforming Reno in a positive way!
If you would like to learn more about
becoming a Hands On Owner (HOO)
at your co-op contact hands-on@
greatbasinfood.coop. The benefits of
joining the HOO Program are immense!
You get to meet other wonderful co-op
members, you are eligible to receive instore discounts, you help YOUR co-op
to thrive and you can place bulk special
orders at wholesale cost. What are you
waiting for?
11
From The
Co-op Kitchen
Turkey Brine
Ingredients
2 gal. cold water
2 cups kosher salt
1 cups granulated sugar
3 teaspoons crushed garlic
fresh rosemary, thyme, and sage – 4 twigs of each herb*
1.5 teaspoons cracked allspice berries
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 stick of cinnamon
3 bay leaves
*If you use dried herbs,
use about 1 tablespoon of
each herb.
VEGAN PUMPKIN CHEESE CAKE!!!
Ingredients 1 (12 ounce) package firm silken tofu 1 (8 ounce) container vegan cream cheese
1 cup pumpkin puree 1 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 graham cracker crust
Preparation
Yield: Enough brine for a
12 to 15-Pound Turkey
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Except for graham cracker crust,
purée all ingredients in a food processor.
2.Pour into the crust.
Preparation
This is enough for a 12 to 15 pound turkey, but if you have to increase
the amount of water to cover the turkey, add proportionately more salt,
sugar, and herbs.
1. For each gallon of water: 1 cup kosher salt, 1/2 cup granulated
sugar, and approximately 1 teaspoon crushed garlic, 1 to 2 twigs of
the herbs, about 1/2 teaspoon of cracked berries and 1/4 teaspoon
pepper.
2.Submerge the turkey in the brine, top with a plate and put a large
can on that to hold the turkey under the brine. Refrigerate for 12 to
24 hours.
3. Before roasting, rinse the turkey well and pat dry. Roast without
added salt following your favorite recipe for roasted turkey.
save 10
% on your next
purchase
Member-Owners!
Save 10% on your next purchase! Not eligible for member equity
payments, gift cards, or special orders. Must have coupon present
to redeem. Limited to one coupon per member per quarter.
Valid until February 15, 2014
Look for additional coupons in each quarterly newsletter!
Member Name:______________________
Member #:__________________________ Date:______________
3. Bake for 50 minutes. Let cool and refrigerate.
You might notice that you have too much filling for a pie crust, maybe
even for an over-sized pie crust.
Options for Extra Filling:a. Increase the recipe to use one whole can
of pumpkin and make two pies. To the remaining pie filling, add 1
to 1 1/2 cups flour, 1/2 cup sugar, and some chocolate chips to make
some awesome cookies. c. To the remaining pie filling, blend in
vanilla nondairy milk until smoothie-consistency to make yourself
a pumpkin-cheesecake-smoothie.d. Use the rest out of the blender
or food processor as pudding. I know I do. I might even try making
pumpkin-spice pancakes out of the extra...
Preparation Time: 10 minutes;
Baking time: 50 minutes