Myles Getto is a local businessman who has a strong sense of community and has served on the Churchill County Planning Commission for the past two years. With roots deep in the Lahontan Valley as a fourth-generation farmer, Getto has made a go with his father growing teff, an Ethiopian grain that takes less water to grow than alfalfa, retailing flour and grain locally along with wholesaling to the high-end cereal and flour markets across the country.
What began as an experiment in growing alternative crops has become Desert Oasis Teff and Grain, a company that grows ancient, gluten-free grains for modern tastes.
Taking risk is in DNA and as the youngest candidate on the ticket at age 21, Getto is no stranger to rolling the dice. He leased his first farm ground when he was 16 years old, 100 acres that as he explains, “got my foot in the ground.” When he was 17 he went in on the Body Shop gym with his brother Wyatt and now continues to expand his own farming operation.
Serving on the planning commission and getting involved in the community has been important to Getto who said it has given him a perspective of what the important issues are. He sees housing as the number one issue along with water which goes hand in hand with supplies for the community as well as the rights owned by agriculture users, leading to his third issue being preservation of the agriculture economy.
“Being on Planning Commission I realized that all of these positions in Churchill County have a huge influence on the way Churchill County is going to move,” said Getto. “We are at a unique point in time right now, we have to guide ourselves to economic success, but we also want to maintain our small town, rural feel. Farming is the backbone of Fallon, that’s what makes Fallon, Fallon.”
He believes in growth, “I like slow, controlled economic growth. We can’t just stop in our tracks because we lose to surrounding areas and eventually, we’re just going to be covered in houses and no one is even going to work here.” He said its important for people to speak up who want amenities and want to see local services. “Allowing growth brings prices down and means our local contractors can compete with the DR Hortons of the world.”
He has also talked to local contractors about why they aren’t building houses here. They tell him they just don’t have the help, the manpower, they can’t get workers. “How do you fix that, you bring people to Fallon, you expand what we have here. People love Fallon, why not share that with the rest of the world,” he said.
Getto said he is running because the decisions being made now will affect his generation for the rest of their lives.
“Churchill County is very, very important to me, it’s my whole life and I want to make sure I’m a part of that,” he said. “I have good ideas and I want to bring them to the table.”
Getto is running in the seat that will be vacated by Pete Olsen who has reached the limits of his term, serving as Churchill County Commissioner for the past 12 years. Getto faces three opponents in the Republican Primary; Tanya Freeman, Kenny Harmon, and Tom Riggins. The primary will be held on June 14 with early voting starting on May 28.
He can be reached at [email protected] and encourages voters to reach out with any questions.
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