Western Nevada College offering commercial pepper production workshop in Carson City

Chili or chile. Green, red, yellow or purple. No matter the name or color, consumers love to eat peppers, and farmers love to grow them.

Western Nevada College Specialty Crop Institute offers Commercial Pepper Production Workshop on Saturday, November 19, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., at Western Nevada College, 2201 W. College Parkway in Carson City. Cost is $40 for those registering by November 12, and $45 afterward. The registration fee includes lunch and a chile pepper book. Online registration is available at http://www.wnc.edu/ce/sci/.

Workshop topics include an overview of commercial chile pepper production, including the best varieties to grow in high desert climates, consumer preferences, planting and transplanting, environmental effects on chile pungency, marketing and sales strategies, and more.

Featured speaker Dr. Stephanie Walker is the Extension Vegetable Specialist at New Mexico State University. Her primary research interests include genetics and breeding of chile peppers, vegetable mechanization, enhancing pigment content, post-harvest quality and irrigation efficiency. She has a masters degree in horticulture, Ph.D. in agronomy, and extensive experience in the food processing industry. Walker serves on the advisory board for the Chile Pepper Institute in New Mexico.

The WNC Specialty Crop Institute is an innovative program that provides training for alternative farming methods and crops for high desert agriculture. Its goals include expanding and diversifying Nevada agriculture. Funding is provided by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. Information/registration: Ann Louhela - 775-423-7565 Ext. 2228 or ann.louhela@wnc.edu.