The Great Basin Community Food Co-op has been a fixture in downtown Reno for several years, but this central hub of local food, nutrition and education has just moved into its new home.  Its new location is just south of downtown near the Nevada Museum of Art.

The Great Basin Community Food Co-op — Photo courtesy of Christina Nellemann

The Co-op still offers the public access to local produce, dairy and meats, bulk foods, heath and beauty items and special orders. They also sell local and regional beer and wine, as well as books on healthy cooking and eating, bulk herbs and bulk fair trade tea and coffee.

Mural by local artist on the exterior of the Co-op building — Photo courtesy of Christina Nellemann

The new location has also included local art and recycled items in the building design. The outside is painted with murals by local designers and the interior sells art by local artists. Downstairs, next to the fresh fruits and vegetables and packaged items, a hand-sculpted tree (housing some sculpted owls and birds) shades shoppers as they wander the aisles. The staircase and dividing walls on the exterior and interior hold recycled bike rims, and the staircase handrails are made of local branches.

A detail of the Co-op's staircase — Photo courtesy of Christina Nellemann

This summer, the Co-op plans to open up a restaurant and special event space on the second floor that will serve healthy, organic food and will be a place for public meetings, clubs and classes on healthy living.