Farm comes to Fuji Park

At her Reno charter high school, Rainshadow, sophomore Emily Orellano is enrolled in an organic farming class.

"It's cool," she said. "We grow our own vegetables like radishes and carrots."

She, along with her teacher and classmates, shared their knowledge with students attending the annual Capital City Farm Days on Thursday at Fuji Park.

"If you're going to eat it, you should know how to grow it yourself," Orellano, 17, said.

Organized by the University of Nevada, Reno Cooperative Extension, the two-day exhibit exposes students to livestock and agriculture.

"The point of Farm Days is for schoolchildren to find out where their food and fiber come from," said Jim Barcellos, instructor for the Cooperative Extension. "So many of us are generations removed from living on farms, and kids lose touch with their connection to the land, animals and crops."

Students toured displays including beekeeping, noxious weeds and quilting. Animal Control Supervisor Pat Wiggins taught them how to avoid being bitten by dogs.

"You face that dog and you stand up as tall as you can," he said. "When you stand up tall like that, you're telling that dog you're bigger than he is and you're meaner than him. Then you tell that dog the one word all dogs know " no."

Outside, students could see and pet animals ranging from wild horses and burros to cattle, sheep, goats, llamas and alpacas.

Tyler Germain, 6, a kindergartner at Fremont Elementary School, said his favorite part was the sheep dog demonstration.

"The dogs chased the sheep, and the sheep ran away," he explained.

Dog owner Gloria Atwater, whose border collies Nick and Jesse herded the sheep into a pen on her command, said it was a bit more complicated than that.

"It's a combination of instinct and training," she said. "They're born with a lot of innate instinct, but the instinct has to be groomed."

Working on ranches for about 20 years, she said, she's gained respect for the lifestyle and for her dogs.

"It's a partnership of love," she said. "They love doing the work, and I love working with them."

In the barn, smaller animals like poultry and rabbits were on display.

Travis Anderson, 11, brought two of his rabbits from his 4-H project to show to touring students.

"It's fun for me, and for the other kids it's educational," he said.

The Farm Days exhibit continues today.

For more information about Farm Days or other programs, contact the University of Nevada, Reno Cooperative Extension at 887-2252.