Extension offers Nevada agriculture conferences to celebrate National Ag Month

Conferences gather agriculture producers, beekeepers and others to share knowledge and expertise
 

LAS VEGAS – In celebration of National Agriculture Month in March and to help provide education and support for Nevada’s agriculture producers, associated businesses and others, University of Nevada, Reno Extension is partnering with other organizations to host three agriculture conferences throughout the state: the Nevada Urban Agriculture Conference in North Las Vegas, March 6-8; the Nevada Small Agriculture Conference in Fallon, March 13-15; and the Bee and Garden Conference in Minden, March 22-24. There will also be a farm-to-fork dinner in North Las Vegas and a grow-local dinner in Fallon.

“Extension is very excited to be able to offer educational opportunities to urban and small farm producers, as well as beekeepers and others, to provide them with the latest research and information on resources to help them be successful,” Staci Emm, Extension educator, said. “We realize that our local food systems are extremely important to our communities and want to facilitate long-term sustainability.”

In addition to agriculture producers, the conferences also offer learning opportunities for others, such as chefs and restaurant owners, recreational gardeners, youth gardeners, and others, depending on the conference.

Nevada Urban Agriculture Conference – North Las Vegas

The first conference takes place at the Aliante Casino Hotel & Spa, 7300 N. Aliante Parkway, March 6-8, and places an emphasis on supporting both local producers and associated businesses. Current and new farm owners, food bank representatives, local chefs, local restaurant and grocery store owners, Extension Master Gardener volunteers, farmers market managers, FFA members, and other urban agriculture stakeholders are encouraged to attend.

On Wednesday, attendees can choose to attend the regenerative agriculture track, or the meat processing track. On Thursday and Friday, there are a variety of educational and hands-on sessions with presenters from Extension, conference partners and the southern Nevada urban agriculture industry. Admission for the conference is $150 for all three days and includes lunches and the tradeshow. Half-day tickets for the regenerative agriculture or meat processing tracks on Wednesday are available for $25, and one-day tickets for Thursday or Friday are offered for $70.

There will also be an optional farm-to-fork dinner at 6 p.m. on Wednesday for $60, supporting local chefs and restaurants and bringing the community together to emphasize the work put in by local producers and business owners.

Register online by March 5. For more information, contact Carolina Martinez at carolinamartinez@unr.edu or 775-313-8012.

Nevada Small Agriculture Conference – Fallon

The Nevada Small Agriculture Conference is March 13-15 at the 3C Event Complex, 227 Sheckler Road.  According to Emm, smaller operations sometimes have a more difficult time marketing their products and networking since their base is rural, but this conference provides an opportunity for those with smaller operations to share information about available resources and meet with other industry professionals.  Current and new farm owners, local food advocates, chefs, farmers market managers, FFA members and other agricultural stakeholders are encouraged to attend.

Registration for all three days of the conference is also $150, and includes all sessions, an opening reception, lunches and the tradeshow. Similar to the Urban Agriculture Conference, this conference opens on Wednesday with the regenerative or meat-processing track options, followed by lunch and the opening reception. Tickets for this day only are $55.

Thursday and Friday sessions are geared more toward small-production and rural producers, and feature presenters from the University, including its Extension and Experiment Station units and the Desert Farming Initiative, as well as many others sharing their agriculture and business expertise. An optional grow-local dinner will be offered on Thursday at 6 p.m. for $60.

Register online by March 5. Space is limited, so early registration is encouraged. For more information, contact Kaley Chapin at kaleys@unr.edu or 702-467-2668.

Bee and Garden Conference – Minden

The last conference will be hosted at the Carson Valley Inn, 1627 U.S. Highway 395 North, March 22-24. This conference will focus on beekeeping, pollinators, and landscaping for homeowners and small acreages. There will also be hands-on classes for floral design, making medicinal products from the hive, and value-added honey products. 

Registration for the main sessions of the conference, running from Friday evening through Sunday morning is $125, and offers two tracks, one on honey bee and value-added products from the hive, and the other on ”NevadaScapes” and gardening. Continental breakfast on Saturday and Sunday and lunch on Saturday is included. In addition, there is an option for 10 youth, ages 9-13, to attend a Jr. Master Gardener session all day Saturday, for $80, which includes hands-on learning, continental breakfast and lunch.

Finally, there are also three other optional hands-on sessions offered for $25 per session (not included with conference registration), and limited to 30 people per session:

• Medicinal products from the hive, Saturday, 6:30 – 9 p.m.
• Shrubs, syrups and oxymels (herbal extractions of vinegar and honey), Sunday, 8:30 – 10:15 a.m.
• Apothecary (preparing and selling products for medicinal purposes), Sunday, 10:30 a.m. – noon

Register online by March 20. There are varying space limits, so early registration is encouraged. For more information, contact Lindsay Chichester at lchichester@unr.edu or Jessica Gardner at jessicagardner@unr.edu.

See Extension’s Risk Management Education Program website for more information on the agriculture conferences and other resources available for agricultural producers. These conferences are made possible by funding from the USDA’s Risk Management Agency and other partners, including the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program of the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and the Nevada Farm Bureau.

Persons in need of special accommodations or assistance should contact Paul Lessick, civil rights and compliance coordinator, at plessick@unr.edu or 702-257-5577 at least five days prior to the scheduled event with their needs or for more information.