Nancy Chapman
The Fallon Chamber of Commerce held its monthly luncheon Thursday, June 18, 2026, at the Fallon Convention Center, where Nevada Farm Bureau Executive Vice President Doug Busselman served as the guest speaker.
Busselman explained that the Nevada Farm Bureau is a general farm organization representing members involved in crops, beef cattle, and other agricultural commodities. He noted the organization began in 1919 after a Lyon County legislator attended an American Farm Bureau convention in Chicago and introduced legislation to establish a Nevada chapter.
The Farm Bureau was initially associated with the Cooperative Extension Program, which provided educational support to the agriculture community, before branching off to advocate for farmers and ranchers. Becoming a 501(c)(5) organization allows the Farm Bureau to participate in legislative and political activities.
There are 11 Farm Bureau chapters statewide in Nevada, while the American Farm Bureau includes all 50 states plus Puerto Rico. Busselman said their primary goal is the protection of agricultural production.
Churchill County has the largest number of farms and ranches in Nevada. The most recent USDA agricultural census counted 540 farms in Churchill County and 3,122 statewide, a number Busselman said is expected to decline in the next census.
Nevada’s top agricultural commodity is beef cattle, which are considered a commodity because they are sold and leave the state. Alfalfa is another major commodity for Fallon and Churchill County.
Busselman also discussed efforts by Farm Bureaus nationwide to work with the Department of Agriculture to combat the New World screwworm. Once eradicated in the United States, the pest has reemerged in Texas after infected cattle entered from Mexico. He said a major concern is that screwworm flies could use feral pigs as hosts, allowing larvae to spread quickly. He emphasized that the best defense for animal owners is cleanliness, from livestock housing to even the smallest wounds.
Busselman concluded by taking questions from attendees about Farm Bureau membership, member benefits, and agricultural concerns related to the current dry year.
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