AGRICULTURE NEWS BRIEFS

CLASSES FOR MATURE GARDENER

The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension is offering a series of free classes at 11 locations statewide for maturing gardeners. The “Gardening Smarter as We Mature” series teaches how to garden more easily as the body changes and ages.

The classes are taught by Health, Nutrition and Exercise Physiology Specialist Anne Lindsay and Social Horticulture Specialist Angela O’Callaghan. They will focus on the biomechanics of the body, covering gross and fine motor skills, core strengthening, cardiovascular health, strength and endurance. Participants will learn practical gardening applications, such as simplifying gardening life, prioritizing tasks, using lower-maintenance plants and gardening in raised beds.

Classes run from 10 a.m. to noon, April 8 and May 14. Topics include ...

April 8: Using the maturing body properly, techniques and tools

May 14: Simplifying gardening life

Classes will be held at the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension Lifelong Learning Center in Las Vegas, 8050 Paradise Road, Suite A, 702-222-3130, and will be available via interactive video:

Churchill County Cooperative Extension, 111 Scheckler Road, Fallon, 775-423-5121.

FLOODPLAIN MANAGEMENT FORUM

The Carson River Coalition (CRC) and the Carson Water Subconservancy District (CWSD) will have a Floodplain Management Forum on Earth Day, April 22 from 9 a.m.-3:30 pm.

The Forum will be held at the Dayton Valley Community Center, 170 Pike St. in “Old Town” Dayton. Event registration is $10 by April 15, $15.after April 15, and includes lunch and snacks. Contact CWSD to register 775-887-7450 or download a registration form and schedule at www.cwsd.org.

GROW YOUR OWN, NEVADA

The University of Nevada Cooperative Extension is offering eight new “Grow Your Own, Nevada!” classes at 12 locations statewide to help Nevadans who want to get on a path to more sustainable, local, healthy living by growing more of their own food.

“Anyone can become a better gardener by attending these classes,” Cooperative Extension Horticulture Specialist Heidi Kratsch said. “From the beginner to the advanced gardener, everyone can benefit from a Grow Your Own class.”

The series of workshops will run April 7 through April 30, and be held Tuesdays and Thursdays, 6 to 8 p.m. The workshops will provide gardeners and those interested in growing healthy foods with a back-to-the-basics guide to producing bountiful harvests in Nevada. The first owrkshop is next week:

April 7: GMOs: Facts and Fallacies

April 9: Composting and Vermicomposting

April 14: Weeds, Critters and Insects

April 16: Growing Garlic in Northern Nevada

April 21: Wine and Beer Making (heavy on the wine)

April 23: Fruit Trees for High Desert Orchards

April 28: Berry Production

April 30: Walapinis: Experience With a Belowground Greenhouse

The workshops will be held live at the Washoe County Cooperative Extension office, 4955 Energy Way in Reno, and will also be available via interactive video at Cooperative Extension offices in Battle Mountain, Carson City, Elko, Eureka, Fallon, Hawthorne, Lovelock, Pahrump, Tonopah, Winnemucca and Yerington.

To register for any or all of the upcoming “Grow Your Own, Nevada!” classes, visit www.growyourownnevada.com. The class fee for those attending at the Washoe County office is $15 per class or $60 for all eight classes. K-12 teachers and Master Gardeners in Reno receive a discount on registration cost. Class fees in other locations vary. Residents should contact their local Cooperative Extension office for information on attending the series in those locations. Persons in need of special accommodations or assistance should call at least three days prior to the scheduled event.

Apply Now For Range Camp

Applications are now being accepted from high school students to attend the 55th Nevada Youth Range Camp to be held June 21-27 at the U.S. Forest Service’s Big Creek Campground in central Nevada.

Applications must be submitted by May 1.

Nevada Youth Range Camp is a teenager’s best opportunity to learn about Nevada’s desert and mountain rangelands and diverse ecosystems, while experiencing them first hand. The Society for Range Management operates the week-long camp for 14-18 year olds from Nevada and eastern California. University of Nevada Cooperative Extension conducts the program with staff from various State and Federal agencies including University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Nevada Division of Forestry, Nevada Division of Conservation Districts, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Nevada Department of Wildlife. Financial sponsors include Nevada Wildlife Federation, Nevada Conservation Districts, Nevada Bighorns Unlimited, and Nevada Society for Range Management.

Campers will have the opportunity to learn from range management professionals who are knowledgeable in the ecology and management of the Great Basin’s desert and mountain rangelands. Students learn basic surveying and map reading, identification and importance of rangeland plants, evaluation of sagebrush and woodland ecosystems, wildlife surveying techniques, evaluation of stream health, and many other topics related to rangelands. While the camp is educational, it also offers an enjoyable, outdoor experience with activities such as swimming, fishing, hiking, volleyball, horseshoes, campfires and photography.

Interested students must submit an application and letter of recommendation from an adult other than a parent, relative, or sibling. The cost to attend Range Camp is $200, which includes meals and camp activities. Applicants can be sponsored to attend Range Camp by contacting their local conservation district or other organizations. Forms and information can be found on the Nevada Youth Range Camp Web site at http://nevada.rangelands.org/Range%20Camp.html or by contacting Kathryn Dyer 775-861-6647 or kdyer@blm.gov.

Completed applications with enclosures can be mailed to NV Youth Range Camp, c/o Bureau of Land Management, attn. Kathryn Dyer, 1340 Financial Blvd, NV 89502; or e-mailed to kdyer@blm.gov. If sent by e-mail, letters of recommendation must be on the adult’s official letterhead or must be a scanned copy of the adult’s letter and signature. Applications must be submitted by Friday, May 1. Approved applicants will be notified within two weeks.

Camp is held every June at the U.S. Forest Service Big Creek Campground in central Nevada’s Toiyabe Mountain Range. The Toiyabes are one of Nevada’s most impressive mountain ranges with several peaks over 10,000 feet in elevation. June is an ideal time to be in the Toiyabes when numerous wildflowers are in bloom and the vegetation is green from the recent snowmelt.

crop institute offers website development

To grow a business in today’s market, Nevada’s farmers and ranchers need to have an online presence, including a website.

Western Nevada College Specialty Crop Institute offers “Creating a Farm Website” Workshop on Saturday, April 18, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., at the WNC Fallon Campus, 160 Campus Way. Cost is $25 for those registering by April 11, $35 afterward. Lunch is included, and seating is limited. Online registration is available at http://www.wnc.edu/ce/sci/.

The workshop offers a hands-on opportunity for producers to create a website and link it to social media. With this new online presence, farmers can connect with customers, increase media exposure, and drive traffic and sales to their farm. The workshop is made possible through collaboration between the WNC Specialty Crop Institute and Nevada Small Business Development Center.

Workshop topics include how to set up, brand and manage a free Wordpress.com website. Participants will also learn how to register a domain name, link to social media sites, review website analytics and more. For participants who want a more complex website, the Nevada Small Business Development Center will explain how participants can utilize its free services.

Featured speaker Ben Tedore of the Nevada Small Business Development Center has been developing websites for more than 15 years and is the webmaster for the University of Nevada, Reno’s Nevada Small Business Development Center. Tedore has extensive hands-on experience teaching clients the essentials of website development and social media integration, and using the Internet for effective marketing and communications. He holds a Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree in Digital Media Art from UNR.

The WNC Specialty Crop Institute is an innovative program that teaches alternative farming methods to local growers. Funding is provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.

Information/registration: Ann Louhela - 775-423-7565 Ext. 2260 or ann.louhela@wnc.edu

AG PRODUCER PRESENTATIONS

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension will offer three free presentations, the last Tuesday of each month, March–May, on topics important to agricultural producers and small-acreage owners in Northern Nevada.

April 28: Fruit Trees, presented by Wendy Hanson, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension Master Gardener program coordinator

May 26: Soil Health and Benefits of Compost, presented by Chris Savastio, Natural Resources Conservation Service soil scientist; and Craig Witt, Full Circle Compost owner

All presentations will be held 6–8 p.m., at CVIC Hall, 1604 Esmeralda Ave. in Minden. The presentations are free, and no registration is required. However, persons in need of special accommodations or assistance should call at least three days prior to the event they plan to attend. For more information, contact Lewis at lewisst@unce.unr.edu or 775-782-9960.