University of Nevada Cooperative Extension’s Herds and Harvest Program offers a “Farming Principles for Growing Vegetables in Hoop Houses” workshop 9 a.m.–3 p.m., Nov. 19 in Elko, Nev. The class will provide basic information for growing vegetables in hoop houses and will include presentations from farmers who use hoop houses for their agriculture businesses.
“With USDA funding through Western Nevada College Specialty Crop Institute, and with help from Cooperative Extension, a hoop house was built on the Great Basin College campus,” said George Kleeb, Great Basin College hoop house manager. “Since then, many members of the community have shown tremendous interest in using hoop houses themselves. This class gives our new growers in the Elko County area an opportunity to prepare their hoop houses for winter and plan for next season’s growing.”
Sessions will be presented by Rick Lattin, who serves as a Cooperative Extension producer and mentor at Lattin Farms in Fallon, Nev., which he also owns and operates; and Ray Johnson, who serves as a Cooperative Extension producer and mentor at Custom Gardens in Silver Springs, Nev. The workshop will also include a tour of the Great Basin College Hoop House, led by Kleeb.
Workshop topics include the following:
Basic principles of hoop house growing, taught by Lattin
Lattin Farms experience with hoop house practices, taught by Lattin
Direct marketing for small farms, taught by Lattin
Fall planting and planning for next year, taught by Johnson
Question and answer session, led by Lattin and Johnson
The class will be held in the Carl Deikhans Center for Industrial Technology, Room 208 at Great Basin College, 1050 Chilton Circle. The cost is $15 and includes class materials and lunch. Register online at http://elkohoophouse.eventbrite.com, or contact Catrinna Berginnis, berginnisc@unce.unr.edu, 775-945-3444, ext. 12 or 775-316-6904. Persons in need of special accommodations or assistance should call 775-945-3444, ext. 10 at least three days prior to the event.
The workshop is one of many workshops offered as part of Cooperative Extension’s Herds and Harvest Program, managed by Extension Educator Staci Emm, that helps farmers and ranchers across the state develop agricultural entrepreneurship, implement sustainable agricultural marketing strategies and improve profitability. The program is supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. For more information on the Herds and Harvest Program, visit http://www.unce.unr.edu/programs/sites/bfr/.