Home Grown Market Fresh

Story by Jo Petteruti

Fallon has a new growth opportunity. Kelli Kelly, Fallon Food Hub Manager, is introducing a new program called Home Grown Market Fresh. The program will consist of three workshops offered virtually from 4:30 to 6:30 pm on March 24, 31, and April 7. The program is being developed in collaboration with the Healthy Communities Coalition (HCC) that serves Lyon and Storey counties, similar to our Churchill County Coalition.

Food security is an area that organizers of the HCC feel need to be addressed. Food pantries and community gardens in those communities help in that regard. Kelly discussed other common problems such as the shortage of produce vendors. “One problem that they have run into with their farmers markets, and it's a similar problem we have run into, is that we don't have enough farmers coming to the markets to sell their produce,” Kelly said.

Growing one's own food has become extremely popular, but most home gardeners grow more than they can eat. The program targets avid home gardeners with workshops that are intended to help them expand their garden footprint, get their producer certificate, and sell their produce at the farmers markets.

The first workshop will cover the goals and outcomes from the series, what a producer certification is and what it is not, along with farm food safety. Jill Moe, Interim Director of the Desert Farming Initiative (DFI) at UNR will facilitate the farm food safety training component. Kelly said, “It will help the home gardener to be safe on their farm and teach them how to approach their garden with an eye toward controlling potential sources of contamination and pests.”

The second workshop will show how to build a garden plan, what information is required on the plan, software with which to build the plan, and how to be ready to apply for certification. Randy Roberson, Nevada Master Gardener, one of the hosts of The Garden Show on Reno's KKOH radio station 780 and a licensed Nevada producer will discuss the differences between leisure gardening for oneself versus growing produce to be enjoyed and monetized, and how to develop crop plans. Todd Jones from California will take part of the class to show the gardeners a free software tool that he created to do all the crop planning. He is customizing the Google-based document for the Fallon class to cover home-based farm planning needs. The class will wrap up with a walk-through of the producer certification application process, the requirements to apply, and the $50 filing fee.

The third workshop will focus on how to sell directly to the public via outlets such as farmers markets. Kelly said, “You've learned how to be safe, developed your plans, acquired your producer certificate and have grown your stuff – now what do you do with it?” Farmers markets' policies will be discussed so that gardeners know what to expect and what they will need when they arrive at a market. Selling via wholesale outlets such as to farm shares and restaurants will also be covered so that the differences in packaging and pricing will be understood.

Kelly discussed how increased access to more fresh vegetables and increased vendor participation in the farmers markets can also be achieved. She also said, “The end goal is to grow five new farmers who will commit to selling their produce at four farmers markets per year, which also allows them to be eligible for reimbursement of the producer certification fee.” If the newly grown farmers sell their produce at four farmers markets in Fallon or four markets in Dayton, they will be eligible for reimbursement.

Kelly said that a link to sign up for the workshops will be announced soon on the Fallon Food Hub's social media pages. Questions can also be sent to her at [email protected]

Fallon has two farmers markets planned this season. The Churchill Arts Council is sponsoring the Green Goddess market on the first Saturday of each month from May through September from 3 – 8 pm at the Arts Center and Lariat Courtyard. Amick Events will be running the Fallon Food Hub market at Lattin Farms, details about this event will be forthcoming.