Crop workshop offered Monday

Hoop houses have changed the face of Nevada agriculture, and farmers continue to discover new opportunities.

Western Nevada College Specialty Crop Institute offers a workshop for experienced growers that will highlight new technologies, trends and problem solving for hoop house producers. The Hoop House Production workshop will be Monday from 9 a.m. -4:30 p.m., at the Jeanne Dini Center, 120 N. California St. in Yerington. Cost is $35, and lunch is included. Online registration is available at http://www.wnc.edu/ce/sci/. For information call Ann Louhela at 775-423-7565 Ext. 2260 or email ann.louhela@wnc.edu.

Attendees will learn about new technologies and building materials, crop selection, multi-crop planting, pest control and crop budgets. Building and maintaining soil quality will also be discussed, along with solutions for soil problems in hoop house environments.

Featured speaker Steve Moore is returning by popular demand after visiting Nevada in 2010. Moore has been a farmer and educator for more than 40 years and a pioneer, researcher and advocate for solar green houses and hoop houses for more than 25 years. He is a professor and director of AgroEcology at Elon University in North Carolina and founder of Harmony Essentials, providing sustainable agricultural systems. Moore is also a certified permaculture designer who has done extensive consulting and workshops worldwide.

The WNC Specialty Crop Institute is an innovative program to provide training for Nevada’s high desert farms and ranches. Funding for this project is provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.