In celebration of National Agriculture Week this week, we tip our hats to the University of Nevada Ag Extension Service for its month-long celebration of agriculture in Nevada and for hosting the Nevada Small Agriculture Conference in Fallon last week.
The Small Farm Conference was held for three days at the Rafter 3-C Event Complex, with over 200 attendees taking part in workshops and classes aimed at strengthening small-farm agriculture throughout Northern Nevada.
“The purpose here, ultimately,” Doug Busselman said, “our objective is to increase the number of viable, sustainable farms.” Busselman serves as the Executive Vice President of the Nevada Farm Bureau.
In addition to the Fallon event, Extension hosted the Nevada Urban Agriculture Conference in Las Vegas for three days starting March 6. It will wrap up with the Bee and Garden Conference in Minden on March 22-24.
During the Fallon conference, Joe Frey and Adrienne Snow presented the Regenerative Ag workshop, which included presentations from Emily Fulstone of Smith Valley, who presented information on vermiculture, and Neil Bertrando and Chuck Schembre, who talked about permaculture and water issues.
The Meat Processing workshop was presented by Staci Emm, an Extension Educator, Lindsay Chichester, and Jamie Lee, both from Extension. The Mobile Harvest Unit was on display, with Austin Yohey, the technician who runs it, discussing equipment safety and sanitation. Attendees to the day-long workshop also attended a site tour at Fallon Livestock Processing on Allen Road.
Both the Mayor of Fallon, Ken Tedford, and Assemblyman Greg Koenig (AD38) attended portions of the conference, making presentations and networking with small farmers from across the state. Tedford welcomed conference attendees and recognized the influence of farming and agriculture on the local economy, the critical importance of water to the valley, and the agriculture that keeps the water in Fallon and the Churchill County community.
Busselman referenced the Food Security Plan produced by the Nevada Department of Health and Human Services in 2023 and efforts to address food insecurity in Nevada. One of the main pillars of the report is to encourage local Nevada food production and build the food security ecosystem by increasing capacity and education. He also mentions the Department of Agriculture Program Home Feeds Nevada, an effort focused on “selling the food produced in Nevada at a price that keeps you in business.”
Information was also presented on the Nevada Farm Network, and efforts were made to gather information through the Nevada Food Systems database.
Kelli Kelly, the Agriculture and Food Systems Business Director at the Nevada Small Business Development Center, spoke about the Urban Ag Conference and her work with producers statewide. “I’m amazed at how many people there are growing food for these communities. We are starting to see part of a larger system in the ways we are connected, and we are finding ways to build capacity,” she said.
As a number of new working groups and collaborations focused on the Nevada Food System have sprung up around the state, a comprehensive database of food systems participants has been identified as a priority. This tool is intended to be a resource for all businesses, organizations, and individuals working to build capacity and resiliency in our state food system. The database will be accessible to anyone who completes the survey, which can be accessed at bit.ly/43qPRlu and is available now.
“Extension is very excited to be able to offer educational opportunities to urban and small farm producers, as well as beekeepers and others, to provide them with the latest research and information on resources to help them be successful,” Emm said. “We realize that our local food systems are extremely important to our communities and want to facilitate long-term sustainability.”
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