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Perry
McNeese, General Manager
Perry joined the
Good Earth Marketing June 2007, bringing 38 years of retail
and wholesale grocery experience with him. As the
co-op’s general manager, Perry’s objectives are to bring
high operational standards and exceptional member care to
the Market. He also oversees the meat department, with its
vast variety of hormone, antibiotic free meat, fish and
poultry. He is always glad to help members and guests find
the perfect cut for a special meal. In his free
time, Perry enjoys home improvement projects, his Harley and
outdoor recreation.
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Ben Anderson,
Grocery Manager Ben started in the grocery
business in 1995, beginning as a stocker. When Good Earth
opened at its new location, he was hired to be Front End
Manager and then, in 2008, became the grocery, household,
beer and wine buyer. He enjoys brining new items to the
product mix. “I have enjoyed learning about the
natural food industry and selling cleanier, healthier
products to the public,” he said. “ The smaller, tighter
community of shoppers in the coop is especially nice; I have
enjoyed meeting the members and getting to know them
personally.” In his spare time, Ben likes to
snowboard in Red Lodge and Big Sky, ride his motorcycle,
fish and continue building his latest project—a drift boat.
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Tracy Treinen, Dairy/Frozen
Foods Manager and
Office Manager Tracy’s journey to join the Good
Earth Market team came about in an unusual way. An
accountant by trade, she was asked to fill in for a member
who was leaving on vacation. She was subsequently asked to
stay on, but had other commitments. “One year later
I was asked to help out again when the bookkeeper was
leaving,” she said. “At about the same time, a new
general manager was starting and had this awesome attitude
about the market. I couldn’t resist staying in this healthy,
exciting, fun new environment.” In addition to her
bookkeeping responsibilities, Tracy later accepted new
duties, which included becoming the chill/frozen buyer. And,
she says, she continues to love opening her mind to new
changes as she watches Good Earth Market grow.
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Rachel Guidi
Produce
Manager
Originally from Columbia Falls, Montana I moved to
Billings in 1999 to attend MSU-B. I started working at the
Good Earth Market as a cashier in the spring of 2000 while I
was still attending school. I was drawn to the close knit
community of the co-op, and the sustainable and wholesome
nature of the food and products. After graduating with a BA
in Environmental Studies with an emphasis in Geography I
continued to work at the Good Earth. In the next 5-6 years I
took some periods of time off to pursue one of my other
loves, traveling. While traveling abroad my passion for
good, real food and the concept of place and the origin of
that food grew stronger. It’s easy to understand this when
you’re strolling through a farmers market in a century’s old
village in Italy while eating a fresh fig that was plucked
off a tree that morning, or rising early in the day to pick
mushrooms in the forest which you will eat later that night
in a French farmhouse.
Back at the Good Earth I
combined this concept of food and place which had become
very important to me with my collegiate studies and decided
that the produce department was the place for me. I started
working closely with produce representatives and local
farmers, as well as taking an online produce class. At the
time of the expansion I took over the produce department and
I believe I have the best job in town! I am also an avid
reader, particularly cookbooks and love to cook at home.
Feeding people is very important to me; it’s an expression
of love. I love to chat with customers about their uses for
the fruits and vegetables I provide them. I’m here to answer
questions, offer preparation or nutritional advice, and I’m
not opposed to taking any leftovers of the new recipe you
tried the night before!!
We have a lot of summer fruit
in right now; the melons and cherries have been outstanding!
Each week I receive new local vegetables from Danly Farms
which are always beautiful and fun to work with. I have a
whole section of the department that is completely devoted
to Danly Farms who are completely exclusive to the Good
Earth. The best deal in my department right now is their
Gourmet Greens, 2/$3. I haven’t done my shopping for the
week yet but when I do these items will top my list; GT’s
Kombucha, Danly’s greens, avocados, bananas, Spectrum
Mediterranean Olive Oil, and for the dogs, Prism dog food..
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Patricia Mullin Wellness manager
Patricia is a Healing Arts Professional, has a BS in
Psychology and is a graduate of BonAppet’it Culinary School.
She has studied the connection between the mind, body and
spirit for 25 years. She is an advocate of feeding and
cleansing the body through proper nutrition and
supplementation, believing it affects all aspects of the
total being. Patricia is a breast cancer survivor and
contributes her remission of 8 years to this philosophy.
Patricia owned and managed her own health food business,
Erby’s Health Food Restaurant and BonAppet’it in Las Vegas.
She also travels to Las Vegas and California conducting
seminars, Chefing and seeing private clients.
Her
latest new item is YS Bee Farm’s Royal Rush, it is a great
addition to smoothies or juices. We are lucky to have Kate
Rossetto owner developer of Scents of Balance natural skin
care products. She lives and produces right here in Billings
and is exclusive to Good Earth Market. Our annual Supplement
Celebration will run in September and has many major lines
30% off all month. Patricia picked up some of our Shi Kai
Color Reflect shampoo and conditioner for her own cupboard
this week.
Patricia works every Monday, Wednesday,
Thursday and Friday and alternates Saturdays. She spend as
much time on the sales floor as possible and loves to visit
with customers and answer questions.
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Alicia Reyer, Front End Manager
Originally from southern California, Alicia moved to
Shepherd when she was eight years old. Several summers ago,
she was accepted for an internship in Tuscany working and
living on an organic farm. There, she was able to take
classes, work in the large vegetable garden, meet lots of
interesting people and travel around Italy and Europe.
“I came to appreciate the fact that food is so basic to
our lives, to our cultures, and is meant to be enjoyed in
its real, delicious freshness with the people we love,” she
said. “I have become addicted to travel and real food, and
anything that combines the two, and am so thankful to
continue in what I love at GEM.” In her free time,
Alicia enjoys gardening, reading, dancing, having fun
outdoor adventures and spending time with family and
friends.
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Vicki Van Buskirk, Deli Manager
Since she participated in the first Earth Day
celebration while in college, Vicki has had an interest in
the environment and healthy living. The first natural foods
market she encountered was Erewhon in Boston, and it was
love at first sight. After opening her art gallery here in
Billings, she volunteered at Good Earth Market when it first
opened, later becoming a member of the board. She later
resigned when she went to work in the Market’s deli.
“Though I have always loved to cook, I never envisioned
having any career with cooking in its description,” she
said. “I was determined, however, to contribute my years of
business experience to help our deli in its new location. It
has been rewarding beyond my imagination to watch our great
little store become a fixture in downtown Billings.”
Vicki also loves to write, hike, garden and spend time
with her partner, Rick, at their mountain cabin.
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