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SERVING NORTHERN NEVADA’S RURAL COMMUNITIES FREE VOLUME 1 ISSUE 2 SUMMER 2010 Inside This Issue… Hay prices continue to slide in Nevada Page 2 Farmers Markets increase in 2010 Page 6 It’s high school rodeo time Pages 10-11 Agriculture - The new weapon in Afghanistan Page 12

Nevada Ranch & Farm Exchange - Summer 2010

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Page 1: Nevada Ranch & Farm Exchange - Summer 2010

SERVING NORTHERN NEVADA’SRURAL COMMUNITIES

FREE

Volume 1 • Issue 2 • summer 2010

Inside This Issue…

Hay prices continue to slide in Nevada Page 2

Farmers Markets increase in 2010 Page 6

It’s high school rodeo time Pages 10-11

Agriculture - The new weapon in Afghanistan Page 12

Page 2: Nevada Ranch & Farm Exchange - Summer 2010

� NevadaRaNch&FaRmexchaNge summeR�010

By Rob SaboNevada Ranch & Farm Exchange

After several years of escalating prices for Nevada-grown alfalfa, and rising supplies as farmers planted more of the crop to cash in on the trend, prices have dropped in half due to oversupply and weakened demand.

The per-ton price for Nevada Hay peaked at $199 in September of 2008, but starting in January of 2009 hay prices began an almost steady downward trend and now stand at less than $100 per ton.

The dramatic price reduction affects the operations of dozens of northern Nevada farmers: Humboldt, Lyon, Pershing and Churchill counties are the state’s most productive alfalfa growers in that order.

Marcia Ernst and her husband operate an 80-acre alfalfa operation in Fallon that Ernst inherited in 2007. She’s put off planting one of her fields because of the tumbling prices, and she’s still got hay in her barn with more growing in the field. Ernst says current prices are at levels that haven’t been seen since the late 1990s, and she’s concerned that she won’t be able to sell of all her crop this year.

Ernst sells mostly to smaller horsemen and cow or goat owners.

“It has been hard,” she says. “I didn’t have any trouble getting rid of hay in 2007, and 2008 was no problem, but I have one-third of my crop left and will be cutting again in June.” Demand for alfalfa and hay grasses has waned for a number of reasons.

Foremost, says Don Gephart, agricultural statistician with the National Agricultural Statistics Service, is the fact that there’s more than double the amount of hay under roof today than there was two years ago.

Further impacting hay prices is

decreased demand from financially struggling Nevada dairymen, who have switched from alfalfa to cheaper feed stocks, and reduced demand from horse owners, who have either sold animals or turned them loose to free graze on rangeland.

“When you are making $200 an acre on alfalfa as opposed to $80 on wheat, you get an oversupply on alfalfa,” Gephart says. “It is going to be much harder for alfalfa growers financially. It’s going to put the pinch to them. Inputs are not going down any, but the market is coming down on them.” When prices rose dramatically during 2007 and ‘08, horsemen and other large animal owners began driving out of state for lower-cost forage, says Valerie Whitfield, purchasing agent for Stockman’s Supply in Elko. But people who chose to travel to Idaho farms for their hay purchases erased any gains made by lower-priced out-of-state feed through the high costs of fuel, she says.

“People were getting together on truckloads and splitting it for a better

price, but then again, once a person drove a truck to Idaho, by the time they go up there and back, it was just silly really.” Whitfield says hay sales at Stockman’s declined the past few years as cash-strapped horse owners either turned their animals loose or gave them away. Stockman’s Supply currently sells alfalfa for $12 a bale and hay-grass mix for $13.49.

Reno-area feed stores are feeling the effects of an oversupply as well.

Sales of more expensive feeds soured as the recession took its toll on the wallets of large animal owners, says Cindy Oxley of Green’s Feed on North Virginia Street. Equine owners that didn’t either sell off their horses or find new homes for them started buying cheaper alfalfa cubes and pellets.

“As our economy shifted, horses in particular kind of took a hit,” Oxley says.

“They aren’t something people have to have. People did what they had to do to decrease the size of their herds.” Baled hay at Green’s Feed currently costs $8.95, down from a high of $13.50.

Mixed hay and straight grass is down to $12 and $13 a bale from highs of more than $20. Loyal customers who kept their animals and still bought hay severely reduced the amount of grain they purchased, Oxley adds.

Dave Atherton, manager of Feed World on Spokane Street in Reno, says

sales are slow because so many people former customers have sold off their horses, or they are buying direct from farmers.

“Our business is pretty slow right now, especially for hay,” he says.

Donna Lewison, co-owner of Foothill Feed and Trailer Sales on Geiger Grade, says her business has stayed fairly stable because of the company’s free delivery service. Foothill Feed delivers to a wide geographic circle, including Red Rock, Virginia City Highlands, Mt. Rose area and Spanish Springs.

Alfalfa grass accounts for about 60 percent of Foothill Feed’s revenues.

“Our customers are pretty consistent,” Lewison says. We deliver free, and I believe they like that service. We also try to get our hay at one place so that it’s pretty consistent. That’s why our hay might be little higher than other feed stores.” Foothill Feed sells grass hay for $13 bale and alfalfa and alfalfa grass mix for $12 a bale. When the business started in 2007, she was getting $8 to $21 a bale.

Oxley doesn’t see feed prices declining much more in the Reno-Sparks area because of transportation costs associated with bringing feed to the Truckee Meadows.

“The Reno area doesn’t have lot of production, and they still have to pay for the fuel to get it here,” she says.

Weakened demand, oversupply cause hay prices to drop in Nevada

PER TON PRICES FOR NEVADA HAY

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

$200$190$180$170$160$150$140$130$120$110$100$90$80$70$60$50

Source: National Agriculture Statistics Service

20092010

$179

$100 $105 $101 $97

$174$168 $172

$149$136

$113$100 $105 $105 $102$100

Pablo Gonzalez of Green’s Feed in Reno bucks a 120-pound hay bale onto a truck. Sales of hay have softened across northern Nevada due to increased supply and lower demand from equine and other large animal owners.

Photo by Rob Sabo.

Don’t miss out on your chance to advertise your business or service in Northern Nevada’s premier publication…

Nevada Ranch & Farm ExchangeCall today!Central & eastern Nevada

775-423-6041Western Nevada & eastern California

775-782-5121

SERVING NORTHERN NEVADA RURAL COMMUNITIES

FREE

VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 1 • SPRING 2010

Inside This Issue…

Water outlook for 2010 looks “tight”Page 2

Dairymen continue to lose moneyPage 4

A look at some of Northern Nevada’s Centennial Ranches Pages 9-1144th Annual Bull Sale termed a success Pages 18-19

Page 3: Nevada Ranch & Farm Exchange - Summer 2010

summeR�010 NevadaRaNch&FaRmexchaNge �

The Nevada Ranch & Farm Exchange is a free publication printed quarterly by the Sierra Nevada Media Group.

PublisherPete Copeland

EditorSteve Ranson

AdvertisingWestern Nevada & Eastern California

775-782-5121Victoria Grathwohl - x221

Adele Hoppe - x224

Central & Eastern Nevada

775-423-6041Shannon Burns

Becky Taylor

Circulation ManagerKeith Sampson

Art DirectorMichael L. Madsen

Send submissions to:EditorThe Lahontan Valley NewsP. O. Box 1297Fallon, NV 89407

or e-mail:[email protected]

News: 775-423-6041Fax: 775-423-0474

Reproduction without permission of the publisher is prohibited. We advise anyone who submits material to the Nevada Ranch & Farm Exchange that doing so constitutes a consent for the Nevada Ranch & Farm Exchange to publish the material as it chooses without any further compensation to the author including but not limited to all print, electronic and archival versions.All rights reserved.© 2010 Swift Communications

By University of Nevada Cooperative Extension

With the rainy weather experienced during the first cutting of hay this year, many farmers had difficulty harvesting good quality hay. That is one reason horse owners that are thinking about purchasing hay should get a feed analysis done on all purchased forages. However, the problem maybe “most horse owners may need help interpreting the results of their hay analysis.”

Horse hay should be 10-17 percent moisture and about 10 percent crude protein. Crude protein is not likely to be a limiting part of the diet except in

lactating mares, foals or performance horses, which would require higher levels.

Hay with an acid detergent fiber (ADF) value of 30-35 percent is good for horses. The lower the ADF value, the more digestible the nutrients in the hay are. Hay at 45 percent or more ADF is of little nutritional value.

Neutral detergent fiber (NDF) levels should be 40-50 percent, and most horses won’t eat anything above 65 percent.

Equine feed analyses also provide non-fiber carbohydrate (NFC) estimates to help select feed for horses that show sensitivity to starches and sugars and measure digestible energy (DE) in the hay. For a light working horse, DE should be about 20 Mcal/day, and most hays range from 0.76 to 0.94 Mcal/lb of DE. Calcium and phosphorus ratios can vary among different types of hay, an adult horse in a maintenance phase should have a calcium-to-

phosphorus ratio of 3:1 to 1:1.

Rained-on hay may be fine for horses in spite of the color. Green is ideal but overrated. Green is an indication of Vitamin A content and means that the hay has not been rained on prior to baling. Actually rained-on hay (unless it received a lot of rain over several days) is only slightly lower in nutritive value than hay that was not rained on. That loss in value is usually due to more leaf loss due to more handling to dry the hay for baling. If it isn’t moldy and it tests okay, it should be fine to feed because horse owners should be supplementing for the vitamins that tend to be lost in rained-on or older hay anyway.

What horses should

Some tips on buying hay:Remember that quality forage should be the backbone of your horse’s diet (forage should be a minimum of two-thirds of their nutritional needs).

Have a good working relationship with a hay supplier to ensure a consistent and reliable source of hay.

Consider adding hay storage space to reduce the effects of price and seasonal fluctuations (i.e. hay is sometimes more expensive in the winter vs. the summer.

Buy hay early. Do not wait until late summer or fall to buy hay.

Plan in advance. Budget for any price increase and re-evaluate how many horses you can afford to feed.

Finally, try to keep your hay type (i.e., grass or alfalfa) consistent. Constantly changing hay types can lead to horse health problems, specifically colic.

A good web site for purchasing hay or determining the price of hay and straw is at http://hayexchange.com/.

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By U.S. Department of Agriculture

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack has announced an initiative designed to help agricultural producers transition to more energy efficient operations. This initiative will make funding available for individual on-farm energy audits designed to save both money and energy when fully implemented.

“Reducing energy use on America’s farms and ranches will not only help our agricultural producers become more profitable, but also help the United States become more energy independent,” said Vilsack. “Through this initiative, producers will be able to receive individual on-farm energy audit evaluations and assistance with implementation of energy conservation and efficiency measures.”

Approximately 1,000 on-farm energy audit evaluations in 29 states will be funded by $2 million through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) in fiscal year 2010. The energy audits will be individually tailored to ensure coverage of each farm’s primary energy uses such as milk cooling, irrigation pumping, heating and cooling of livestock production facilities, manure collection and transfer, grain

drying, and similar common on-farm activities.

Participating states include: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Implementation will occur in stages beginning with the short-term immediate goal of providing the on-farm energy audits to help identify how the operations can become more energy efficient. Longer term goals will involve development of agricultural energy management plans for cost effective implementation of the recommendations provided in their on-farm energy audits. More information about agricultural energy management plans is available at: www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/eqip/cap.html.

The 2008 Farm Bill provides authority to use EQIP financial assistance funds for payment of practices and conservation activities involving

the development of an Agricultural Energy Management Plan (AgEMP) appropriate for the eligible land of a program participant. The Farm Bill statute allows EQIP payments for up to 75 percent of the estimated incurred cost of practice implementation for the development of an AgEMP meeting agency standards and requirements. Eligible producers in the above listed states may apply for the AgEMP through application at their local NRCS office. EQIP payments are made directly to program participants for development of an AgEMP by a certified Technical Service Provider (TSP) http://techreg.usda.gov/CustLocateTSP.aspx.

Information about how to apply for an AgEMP is available at www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/eqip/EQIP_signup/2009_signup/index.html. Click on the State where the property that you are interested in obtaining an EQIP AgEMP is located. Dairy, beef, poultry, swine, and other agricultural operations are included in this energy efficiency initiative. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, in partnership with USDA Rural Development, will implement the agricultural energy conservation and efficiency initiative.

For information about other NRCS conservation programs, online visit: www.nrcs.usda.gov, or visit the nearest USDA Service Center in your area. This year represents the 75th year of NRCS “helping people help the land.” Since its inception the NRCS conservation delivery system has advanced a unique partnership with state and local governments and private landowners delivering conservation based on specific, local conservation needs, while accommodating state and national interests.

USDA Announces Initiative to Improve Agricultural Energy Conservation and Efficiency

It is important horses receive good hay, and owners may supplement the feed with vitamins.Photo by Kim Lamb

Nevada is one of the participating states in the energy audit program announced by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. This initiative is designed to help agricultural producers transition to more energy efficient operations, and will make funding available for individual on-farm energy audits designed to save both money and energy when fully implemented.

Page 4: Nevada Ranch & Farm Exchange - Summer 2010

� NevadaRaNch&FaRmexchaNge summeR�010

Fallon Corn Grower is State WinnerA Nevada corn grower has been honored as a

state winner in the 2009 National Corn Yield Contest (NCYC), sponsored annually by the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA).

James N Wadsworth of Fallon placed first in the state in the Irrigated Class with a yield of 244.8496 bushels per acre. The hybrid used in the winning field was Pioneer 35F37.

The local grower was one of 525 state winners nationwide. The 2009 contest had a record 6,958 entries from 46 states. Of the state winners, 24 growers, three from each of eight classes ‹ were named national winners, representing 14 states.

The average yield among national winners was 306.7 bushels per acre greater than the 227.3 bushels per acre average for all entrants, and more than the 2009 U.S. average of 165.2 bushels per acre. Twenty-five entrants recorded yields of 300 bushels or more per acre.

Olsen elected to DFA Board of Directors

Pete Olsen of Fallon has been formally seated as a director on the Board for Dairy Farmers of America, Inc.’s (DFA). Olsen was elected to the position following an election in DFA’s Western Area, where he operates Hillside Dairy.

Olsen, in partnership with his two brothers, milks 2,000 cows and farms 1,700 acres of alfalfa, corn and rye. The partners will celebrate their family’s 95th year in the dairy business in Nevada this year, and Olsen’s father still actively works on the farm. His sons are the fifth generation of Olsens to dairy in Nevada. Olsen also is a partner in his sons’ 500-cow Jersey dairy.

In addition to his new role on the DFA Board, Olsen is president of the Nevada Ag Foundation.

Although DFA is a national milk marketing cooperative, it is divided into seven areas, ensuring grassroots representation of its members. The DFA Board of Directors is made up of 51 board members who are elected by members in their areas. Three members represent cooperatives that are members of DFA. Within the board, seven officers, who are the elected chairs of their areas, serve as the board’s executive committee. Each board member serves a term of two years.

BLM Designates 2010 Fee-Free DaysWASHINGTON, D.C. The Bureau of Land

Management (BLM), in conjunction with other agencies within the Department of the Interior, will waive recreation-related fees for visitors on August 14-15, September 25 (National Public Lands Day), and November 11 (Veterans Day) on many of the public lands managed by the BLM, including areas within the National Landscape Conservation System (NLCS), which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

“In celebration of not only the 10th birthday of the BLM’s national conservation lands but also America’s Great Outdoors, we invite visitors to take the path less traveled and discover these treasured public lands during the fee-free days,” said BLM Director Bob Abbey. “For decades, millions of Americans have sought to connect with the outdoors by exploring the National System of Public Lands, and the BLM is proud to be a part of the President’s America’s Great Outdoors initiative.”

Site standard amenity and individual day-use fees at BLM recreation sites and areas will be waived for the day. Other fees, such as overnight camping, cabin rentals, and group day use, will remain in effect.

For more information on the conservation system’s 10th anniversary, go to www.blm.gov/nlcs. More details about fee-free days and activities are available at www.blm.gov/wo/st/en/prog/Recreation/BLM_Fee_Free_Days.html

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T A C K A N D F E E D

By Steve PuterskiNevada Ranch & Farm Exchange

The Truckee-Carson Irrigation District announced it has increased the water allocation for the 2010 irrigation season to 100 percent for the Carson division and to 90 percent for the Truckee division.

At their March meeting, the TCID board of directors set the allocations at 90 percent for the Carson and 80 percent for the Truckee.

“We had really good storms in April that brought up the snowpack,” TCID office manager Kate Rutan said. “It’s definitely help their (farmers’) planting. You can’t guarantee that the water will be there, but at least they

can plan (ahead).” Currently, the Truckee Canal is only allowed to have 350 cubic feet per second of water flow through due to the breech in the canal in 2008.

“That’s why we had to seek some extra funds,” Rutan said. “We knew the canal was going to take a lot of extra revenue to maintain.” TCID is waiting for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to make repairs to the Truckee Canal.

“It moves at a federal agency pace,” Rutan said. “There’s a lot of red tape they have to jump through. They’re in the process of doing studies.” Dan Greenlee, a water supply specialist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service, said the area around Lovelock was hit hard with a dry season, and Rye Patch reservoir has little to no water storage.

As of the June 1 water update, Greenlee said Rye Patch is at 50 percent of average runoff this year, and the Humboldt system did not receive a strong snowpack this winter.

“There’s almost no storage at Rye Patch,” Greenlee said. “Those folks are probably going to take the biggest hit this year in Nevada. This will be the fourth dry year.” However, thanks to a cool and wet April and May, the Carson City area can expect an average to slightly above average water allocation this year, Greenlee said.

Rutan said the water flow in the Truckee Canal is at 240 cubic feet per second as of June 14. She also said the flow of the Carson Rivers is at 1,310 cfs, the V-line is 500 cfs and the S-line head is at 101 and the Lahontan Reservoir is at 590 cfs.

“It really sent us from a mediocre water year to a fairly average year,” Greenlee said of the spring storms. “In that respect it saved our bacon. We were looking at more water shortages a few months ago.”

Recent storms bring good news to farmers

The Carson River, left, and the V-Line canal (both) are both full this spring.

Photos by Steve Ranson

Pete Olsen

Livestock Exchange, Inc.

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Monte Bruck • ManagerTel: 775.867.2020 • Fax: 775.867.2021 • Cel: 775.426.8279

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Page 5: Nevada Ranch & Farm Exchange - Summer 2010

summeR�010 NevadaRaNch&FaRmexchaNge �

By University of Nevada Cooperative Extension

Leslie Allen, commercial horticulture program coordinator for the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, has several tips you can use to combine the satisfaction of sustainability with the comfort of city life.

The National Network for Sustainable Living Education defines sustainable living as: living a life that is deeply satisfying, fulfilling and appealing because it is socially, environmentally and economically responsible.

Try using some of Allen’s tips around your home to become an “urban homesteader,” then sit back and enjoy the social, environmental and economic benefits of sustainable living.

Plant fruit trees, vegetable and herb gardens, these simple additions will bring the same food to your table at a fraction of the cost.

Chickens are easier to maintain than dogs and are legal in Elko,

Washoe County and Reno (not Sparks). They stay in small flocks and will enjoy

a small, simple coop design. Chickens raised

from chicks are quite sociable and are available at feed stores beginning in March.

Consider apiculture (beekeeping) as a potential source for natural sweetener, not to mention a fascinating hobby.

Harvest water. Gather rainwater from your gutter’s downspout with a barrel to irrigate your indoor and

outdoor plants. About two gallons are

wasted waiting for your shower to warm up. Collect cold shower water

in a bucket, and watch your water

bill drop.

If your landscape is paved, consider breaking it up into chunks and filling the spaces with gravel. This helps collect rain and runoff water and creates a nice urbanite, paving stone look.

The desert sun is a useful tool.

Clotheslines dry clothes quickly,

and passive solar devices like solar ovens and solar food dehydrators produce food while cutting energy costs.

Deciduous trees placed on the south and west side of a home can cut cooling bills

considerably.

Lawn maintenance brings opportunities for sustainable choices. An hour on a standard gas mower produces as much pollution as 11 automobiles. A push-reel mower cuts grass better, and the blades remain on the lawn, providing essential nitrogen compounds as they break down.

In cities all over the country, “urban homesteaders” are taking strides to live sustainably. The sustainable lifestyle starts with an understanding of our connection to the environment.

“When we think of environmental impact, we often think of some place far away, as if the environment isn’t the place where we live,” Allen said. “But the environment is right outside our door, and how we design and tend our landscapes does have an impact.” Local Organizations The Northern Nevada Poultry Fanciers Association meets monthly and can give you excellent advice on keeping city chickens.

The Northern Nevada Apiculture Society meets monthly and can help you start your own honey bee operation.

Permaculture Northern Nevada meets at 6 p.m. to discuss urban

homesteading the first Wednesday of every month at the Universalist Unitarian Church in Reno.

Reading Resources

“Chicken Coops: 45 Building Plans for Housing Your Flock” by Judy Pangman

“Chickens In Your Backyard: A Beginner’s Guide” by Rick Luttmann and Gail Luttmann

“Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer” by Novella Carpenter

“The Backyard Homestead” edited by Carleen Madigan

“The Urban Homestead: Your Guide to Self-Sufficient Living in the Heart of the City” by Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen

“Toolbox for Sustainable City Living: A Do-It-Ourselves Guide” by Scott Kellogg and Stacy Pettigrew

Internet Resources:

Backyard chickens - a recourse for raising chickens in limited space

Backyard beekeeping - a guide to apiculture

Storey Country Wisdom Bulletins - country living skills that can be applied in the city

Sustainable Living Project - an Oregon State University Extension Program

Urban Homesteading:Sustainable living in the city is easier than you might think

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Salad, & Choice of Potato and All Prices Include Sales Tax!

More thangreat prime rib!Community Organization Meetings

at Sharkey’s• Bridge Club -

Mondays at 1PM• CB Radio Club -

Tuesdays at 10:30AM• Lions Club -

Wednesdays at 6PM• Kiwanis -

Thursdays at 6:30AM• Sertoma -

Fridays at 6:30AM• Masons -

Fridays at 11AM• Senior Line Dancing -

Fridays at 10AM• Carson Valley Cruisers• Carson Valley Ropers

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Page 6: Nevada Ranch & Farm Exchange - Summer 2010

� NevadaRaNch&FaRmexchaNge summeR�010

By John SeelmeyerNevada Ranch & Farm Exchange

Farmers markets are changing the diets of some low-income mothers and children in northern Nevada.

And the poor families, in turn, are playing a role in determining the sorts of crops that farmers in the region sell directly to consumers as their demand for fresh fruits and vegetables has grown dramatically.

The story begins in 2005, when Saint Mary’s contracted to provide services through the federal WIC, “Women, Infant and Children”, program, which delivers healthy food and nutrition education to families with young children.

Saint Mary’s officials soon learned the program didn’t allow for distribution of fresh fruits and vegetables to WIC families. (The rule since has been changed.) Casting about for a way to get more fresh fruit and vegetables into

the diet of WIC families, Saint Mary’s officials began providing them with coupons they could redeem at farmers markets.

Initially, the coupons were anything but a smashing success, says Michael Johnson, Saint Mary’s vice president for community health and mission integration.

While farmers markets are popular with white middle-class families, they draw far fewer low-income or ethnically diverse consumers.

In fact, only $1,900 of the WIC coupons were redeemed at farmers markets in Reno and Sparks during the summer of 2006, the first year of the program.

But farmers at the markets around town began to see the stirrings of a change, says Ann Louhela, executive director of the Nevada Certified Farmers Market Association.

“There were all these young girls showing up, embarrassed and hesitant,” Louhela says.

A two-pronged educational effort got under way. Saint Mary’s WIC counselors began talking up the benefits of fresh foods purchased from farmers markets.

So did farmers.

“All of the farmers greeted them with open arms,” says Louhela. “It was a great educational thing.” Slowly, she says, farmers began noticing that the new customers were returning from one farmers market to the next, and they were beginning to bring their children and their parents with them.

The value of WIC coupons redeemed at farmers markets tripled from 2006 to 2007. By last summer, WIC families redeemed some $38,000 in coupons, 20 times the use of the program’s first year.

And even though federal rules now allow use of WIC debit cards for

purchases of fresh fruits and vegetables at grocery stores, Johnson expects the families will continue to rely increasingly on farmers markets during the summer months.

“It works to the farmers’ benefit,” he says. “They want to get that demographic into the markets.” And Louhela says northern Nevada farmers, no dummies, are shifting their product offerings in response to the new shoppers.

“Farmers will grow what there is a demand for,” Louhela says, noting that growers found success last summer with tomatillos and increased varieties of peppers.

Other growers see potential for a variety of Korean melon that will help draw Asian shoppers into the markets.

(The Farmers Market season in northern Nevada began in early June. Go to nevadagrown.com for a schedule of events throughout the summer.)

As farmers markets draw a broader demographic, offerings change

CARSON CITYWednesdays • 3pm - 7pm • June 9 - Aug 25

Pony Express PavilionShirley, (775) 746-5024

Spring Saturdays • 9am - 1pm • June 19 - Sept 173rd & Curry StLinda, (775) 882-6741 NEW iN

2010!www.carsonfarmersmarket.com

DAYTONThursdays • 3pm - 6:30 pm • June 17 - Sept

Hwy 50 & 2nd AveCommunity Roots NurseryWendy, (775) 250-7884

ELKOSecond Saturday of the month • July 10, Aug 14, Sep 11, Oct 9

Downtown - call for locationAmber, 775-340-7730www.localharvest.orrg/farmers-market/M34704

ELYSaturdays • 10am - 2pm • Aug 14 - Sept 18

400 Ely StreetPhil, (775) 289-8364www.elyrenaissance.com

EUREKAThursdays • 4pm - 7pm • July - Sept

Gold StreetGary, (775) 237-5326

FALLONTuesdays • 5:30pm - 9:30 pm • June 1 - Aug 24 (closed July 6)

The Original Fallon Farmers Market Churchill County Fairgrounds

325 Sheckler RdDon, (775) 427-3428www.fallonfarmersmarket.com

Tuesdays & Thursdays • 8am - 2pmLattin Farms1955 McLean Road(775) 867-4580

Saturdays • 9am - 1pm • June 12 - Sept 4 NEW iN2010!Downtown Fallon on Maine St

Wendy, (775) 423-1100

GARDNERVILLEWednesdays • 8am - 1pm • June 2 - Sept 15

Lampe ParkJana, (775)782-9828www.douglascountynv.gov/sites/recdept/Adult.cfm

HENDERSONThursdays • 9am - 4pm • Year round

241 Water St (in front of City Hall)Dave, (702) 579-9661www.hendersonfarmersmarket.com

LAS VEGASTuesdays • 2pm - 6pm Winter • 4pm - 8pm Summer

Gardens Park in Summerlin10401 Garden Park Drive, Summerlin 89135Steve, (702) 562-2676www.lasvegasfarmersmarket.com

Wednesdays • 2pm - 6pm Winter • 4pm - 8pm SummerBruce Trent Park, 1600 N. Rampart 89134Rampart at Vegas Drive, Las VegasSteve, (702) 562-2676www.lasvegasfarmersmarket.com

Saturdays • 10am - 2pm • May 15, June 19, July 17, Aug 21, Sep 18, Oct 16, Nov 20

Floyd Lamb Park at Tule Springs9200 Tule Spring Rd, Las VegasSteve, (702) 562-2676www.lasvegasfarmersmarket.com

Spring, Summer, Fall - Call for DatesClark County “Backyard Farmers Market”Winchester Cultural Center3130 S McLeod Dr, Las VegasBetty-Jane, (702) 455-7340www.accessclarkcounty.com/parks

LOVELOCKFridays • 4pm - 7pm • July - OctSaturdays • 9am - Noon • July - October

8th & Cornell StreetJohn, (775) 273-0604

MINDENTuesdays • 4pm - 8pm • June 1 - Sept

Esmeralda Avenue, DowntownRoxanne, (775) 782-2444

RENOTuesdays • 8am - 1pm • June 8 - Oct 5

Shoppers SquareShirley, (775) 746-5024

Wednesdays, 4pm - 8pm • June 16 - Aug 25Somerset Town Square7650 Town Square WayLinda, (775) 787-4500 Ext 311www.mysomersett.com

Fridays • 8am - 1pm • June 11 - Oct 8Tamarack Junction CasinoShirley, (775) 746-5024

Saturdays • 8am - 1pm • June 5 - Oct 2California & Booth StreetsShirley, (775) 746-5024

Saturdays • 9am - 1pm • June 12 - Sep 11 NEW iN2010!Sierra Summit Shopping Center

Shirley, (775) 746-5024

Sundays • 9am - 1pm • June 6 - Sept 5 NEW iN2010!The Grove at South Creek

95 Foothill RoadTodd, (775) 329-5181

Sundays • 9am - 1pm • June 13 - Sept 12West Street, Downtown RenoShirley, (775) 746-5024

SILVER SPRINGSSundays • 10am - 2pm • June 13 - OctBy appointment other times of the year

Silver Springs On-Farm Sunday Green MarketTuff Luck Ranch3315 Hwy 50 WBeth, (*775) 577-9225

SPARKSTuesdays • 8am - 1pm • June 1 - Sept 14

United Methodist Church1231 Pyramid WayEverett, (775)358-0925

Thursdays • 4pm - 9pm • June 10 - Aug 19(no market Aug 5)

Sparks Hometowne Farmers MarketVictorian Avenue in downtown SparksGreg von Schottenstein, (775) 353-2291www.sparksrec.com

TONOPAHMondays, 4pm - Dusk, July 5 - Oct 4

Hwy 95, Main Street at Pocket ParkMary, (775) 482-3118www.localharvest.org/farmers-markets/M19984

VIRGINIA CITYThursdays • 3pm - 6pm • June 10 - Oct 14

Miner’s Park by the Senior CenterJeanne, (775) 847-9533

WINNEMUCCAThursdays • 5pm - 7pm • July - Sept

Next to the Community GardenEd, (775) 623-8413

YERINGTONSecond Saturday of each month Year Round 9am - 3pm

Summer • The Attic parking lot • 33 Hwy 95 NWinter • Boys & Girls Club • 124 N. Maine St.Elisabeth, (775) [email protected]

Source: Nevada Certified Farmers Market Associationwww.nevadagrown.com.

2010 Nevada Farmers Markets

Page 7: Nevada Ranch & Farm Exchange - Summer 2010

summeR�010 NevadaRaNch&FaRmexchaNge �

By Brian DugganNevada Ranch & Farm Exchange

Mark O’Farrell takes a seat by a tiny wooden shed on his five-acre farm just south of Carson City.

“It has not been an easy spring,” O’Farrell said, sporting a flannel shirt and baseball cap. “It’s hard to predict the grow season in Nevada. Usually in April or May there are a couple of usable weeks with warmer weather.” Another winter-type storm was just topping the Sierra, and a flock of chickens suddenly scurried into their coop when a hawk began circling overhead.

Welcome to farming in rocky, windy northern Nevada. O’Farrell is the owner of Hungry Mother Organics, located at the Northern Nevada Correctional Center. He grows dozens of fruit and vegetable varieties and raises free-range chicken.

He’s also among the dozen or so farmers who bring produce to a farmers markets every week during the summer in Carson City. But sustaining his 4-year-old operation requires more than hawking tomatoes and farm-fresh eggs to eager foodies in the city.

His farmers market business amounts to just a quarter of O’Farrell’s income, which is why he is trying to break into the retail business. He recently opened a store on Highway 395, the former Northern Nevada Nursery, just south of Carson City. He also supplies a Whole Foods market in Reno, and several area restaurants.

The demand for his products have steadily increased, partially thanks to farmers markets, O’Farrell said.

Linda Marrone, executive director of Nevada Grown who also oversees farmers markets in Carson City, said the events have grown each year since they were

established three years ago. She said she tallies between 500 to 1,000 attendees and 30 vendors, including about a dozen farmers, each week.

The number of farmers markets across the country is ballooning, too. There were 5,274 farmers markets in the United States in 2009, a 12.6 percent increase from 2008. In 1994, there were 1,755 markets nationwide, according to the United States Department of Agriculture.

“People are much more aware because of all the E. coli scares, the pesticide scares, the whole obesity thing,” Marrone said. “There have always been people who care about cooking and buying the best food they can and eating locally and eating in season.” Nancy Dineen goes to work around 8 a.m. Her office: a farm in her backyard.

Dineen and her husband Barry bought a house and five acres on the outskirts of Dayton five years ago. Today, they’re raising chickens, turkeys, sheep, pigs and a variety of fruits and vegetables. They named it Nancy’s Green Barn Farm.

As she checks her chicken coops for fresh eggs, a couple of dogs roam around the backyard among the free-range poultry and a flock of sheep whine for food.

It’s heaven for Dineen who insists she was, “born to plant.” Considering the various costs that go into maintaining a farm, Dineen’s tiny operation isn’t a big money maker. Barry, a former police officer, still teaches criminal justice classes at California universities and plans to retire soon.

Nancy Dineen used to attend farmers markets regularly, but has found a more lucrative business in so-called community supported agriculture.

So far 10 people have signed up to pay the Dineens $20 per week. They, in turn, deliver a bag of fresh produce and eggs to their customers’ doors on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They also sell chickens, pigs, turkeys and rabbits (not as pets).

Dineen avoids food filled with antibiotics and doesn’t spray her vegetables with chemicals.

Her goal is simple: “I want people to try stuff without all the garbage in it.” Vendors who come to local farmers markets vary in size and scope. Many are backyard growers with a passion for gardening.

Sue and Marv Young sold produce from their Carson City garden for eight years. Both retired from state jobs and after last year decided to retire from the farmers market circuit, too.

Sue Young still gardens and sells some produce, including eggplants and peppers, to friends.

“It was not a major source of income,” Marv Young said. “It’s primarily because my wife loved gardening and we had to do something with our produce.” Susan Dyke, who lives in north Carson City, started her own potpourri business, Garden Scents, in her backyard and eventually developed a custom drying shed for her product.

But just four years into his farming venture, O’Farrell acknowledges it’s an uphill battle. He said consumers see price tags before they notice where the food is made. Still, last year was the first time his farm did better than break-even.

“You mass produce food, you can do it a lot cheaper, the problem is you get the same problems with mass-produced anything,” he said. “It’s like comparing a mass-produced piece of furniture to a handmade piece of furniture.” So O’Farrell is growing food and urging others to try it for themselves, even if it means a small backyard garden.

“On a small scale it’s tough to do it commercially because of the seasons,” O’Farrell said. “People could produce more of their own food, you could have more small-scale things.” He said his goal isn’t to expand the farm. It’s to get more people interested in growing their own food.

“It used to be self-sufficiency was a given,” he said.

Northern Nevada growers fight spring elements

By Teri VanceNevada Ranch & Farm Exchange

Although the spring snow and rain kept the kids from going outside to look at larger livestock, hundreds of area students showed up Thursday for the annual Farm Days.

They spent the day touring dozens of displays inside the exhibit hall at Fuji Park, and petting smaller animals like rabbits, tortoises and a couple of goats.

“They’re alpine goats,” explained their owner Megan Forman of Carson City’s Merry Milkers Dairy 4-H Club. “That means they’re a dairy goat so they produce milk for cheese, ice cream and even stuff you can’t eat, like soap.” The annual two-day presentation is sponsored by the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension.

“It’s to get these urban kids to understand more about farming and ranching in Nevada and how it affects the environment and how the environment affects farming and ranching,” said Sandy Wallin, who directs 4-H and youth programs. “We have so much agriculture in Nevada. So many people don’t understand that. They think of Nevada as Reno and Las Vegas.” Margie Evans from the Clear Creek Watershed Council used a model farm to demonstrate how farmers will plant a buffer to act as a filter system for the water supply. She sprayed water onto a dirt field and showed how the grass absorbed most of the dirt before the water dripped into the stream below.

“The farmer is doing a very good thing by placing a buffer there,” she said.

Ben Buchanan, 7, a first-grader at Sutro Elementary

School in Dayton, appreciated it.

“I like when it rains it absorbs muddy water so it is clean water so we don’t have to drink muddy water,” he said.

Other booths explained the sources of meat and honey, and had weaving and quilting demonstrations.

Joel Ibarra, 7, most liked the display from the Nevada State Museum that showcased skulls of different animals, as well as preserved specimens of creatures indigenous to the Silver State.

His favorite was the bat. “They fly,” he said. “I want to fly. I like the rattlesnake, too.” Farm Days continues with school-sponsored field trips today at Fuji Park.

Urban kids learn about AG industry

Mikayla Portsch, 7, of Sutro Elementary School, gives dairy goat “Saphera” a big kiss during the Farm Days event.

Photo by Cathleen Allison

Mark O’Farrell, owner of Hungry Mother Organics, works in one of his greenhouses.

Photo by Cathleen Allison

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Page 8: Nevada Ranch & Farm Exchange - Summer 2010

� NevadaRaNch&FaRmexchaNge summeR�010

Camp selling site-grown plants to the publicBy Scott NeufferNevada Ranch & Farm Exchange

With harsh, cold winters and hot, dry summers, China Spring Youth Camp and Aurora Pines Girls Facility in the Pine Nut Mountains is not exactly the best growing climate for vegetables and flowers.

Yet the plants raised in the youth development camp’s new 1,100-square-foot, year-round greenhouse prove that with the right materials and the right community partners the high mountain desert can bloom.

“We had no idea how much it would take off or how much could grow in here,” China Spring Case Manager Jeff Gorton said. “People will be shocked to see what’s been done up here. I have the feeling that if people find out about it, they will already be looking forward to next year.” Gorton and Aurora Pines Facility Manager Wendy Garrison recently showed off the polycarbonate greenhouse that was built last summer by camp residents and staff members with the help of a nearly $72,000 grant from the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.

With snow still on the ground from Monday’s storm, Garrison and Gorton stood in the warm humid air of the new greenhouse. An electronic monitor on the wall, wired to Garrison’s office computer, read a pleasant 77 degrees Fahrenheit, with a humidity level between 60-80 percent.

With the warm humid air came the strong, overwhelming aroma of hundreds of growing plants. Tomatoes, cantaloupes, peppers. Gorgeous house plants prolific in their well-watered pots. And, hanging above everything, approximately 60 flower baskets overflowing with blossoms and color.

Garrison said 38 of the large flower baskets will be going to the Town of Gardnerville to be hung on Highway 395 for the summer season. The remaining smaller ones will be sold to the public.

“Wherever we go, we tell people what we have and see if they’re interested,” she said.

Garrison said word-of-mouth is helping spread rumors of China Spring’s amazing greenhouse products. In fact, about 300 house plants were sold at a recent sale at Plant-It Nursery in Gardnerville.

“In order to clear out, anything that doesn’t sell we’ll put in the garden,” she said.

In some cases, if the produce is ready to eat, it will go to the camp kitchen.

“We used lettuce grown in here in the kitchen, and it saved about $250,” Garrison said.

In tight budget times, she said, the camp is trying to find ways to support programs not funded by the state. Plant sales have already raised about $3,000, which goes straight back into the greenhouse and other educational programs. Besides plants, the camp raises chukar and goats.

“The goal is to have each program support itself,” said Gorton.

Above all, the greenhouse benefits the camp’s at-risk youth. It’s amazing, Gorton said, to watch a resident tend a seed as it sprouts into a mature plant, and then later eat the produce of that plant.

“We like to expose them to this stuff,” he said.

“Growing lettuce, they were so ecstatic,” Garrison added. “They kept saying how it tastes so much better.” plants, corn, peppers and some of the smaller flower baskets, among others.

Garrison and Gorton said it’s been a community effort to get the program where it is. Plant-It Nursery has assisted with the flowers. The Genoa Tree Farm, Carson Valley Garden and Ranch and the Greenhouse Garden Center in Carson City have all donated pots.

Garrison said that when China Spring runs out of plants to sell, they’ll refer people to the greenhouse at Douglas High, which is run by the school’s agriculture students.

“We’re trying to get more involved and not only

make money but give back to everyone supporting us,” Garrison said.

“We also want to hear from the community if there is something they want us to grow,” Gorton added.

Staff at China Spring started their own contest to see who among them can grow the biggest tomatoes.

When asked what the reward is, Garrison smiled and said, “Bragging rights.” To make donations to the program or for more information, call 265-5350.

Checks can also be mailed to China Spring/Aurora Pines, P.O. Box 218, Minden, NV, 89423.

Aurora Pines Facility Manager Wendy Garrison and China Spring Case Manager Jeff Gorton stand in the greenhouse at the China Spring Youth Camp and Aurora Pines Girls Facility in Douglas County.

Photo by Shannon Litz

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Page 9: Nevada Ranch & Farm Exchange - Summer 2010

summeR�010 NevadaRaNch&FaRmexchaNge �

By Marie Johnson

May, and the irrigation boards were frozen together this morning. But water is still plentiful so can’t complain. Branding is done and so is most of dragging and ditch cleaning. Allen, a family friend, now retired, shaved his legs. And look for the signs Carson Valley Beef producers are putting up acknowledging a proclamation made by Douglas County commissioners recognizing local beef producers this month.

At least 17 Valley ranchers are placing discrete 2-by-3-foot white and red signs on their property acknowledging being a local beef producer. Seventeen is a pretty exciting number. That many active ranches is a good sign agriculture is working in Carson Valley. Enough cattle here to supply beef for the whole Valley. But admittedly I am not organized enough, yet, to do that. Details need to be worked out. But some area ranchers are making progress and supply their Carson Valley beef to local stores and restaurants. Ask for it, see what happens.

Something else is afoot in the Valley. A reliable source, PBWLV (Psycho Bird Woman of Long Valley), says there are lots of chickens in the Gardnerville Ranchos. She mentioned this along with saying, “I was looking up how to make a chicken tractor on backyardchicken.com.”

Yep, devoted people with a small plot of ground in an urban environment want to raise chickens. PBWLV claims to know a number of these Gardnerville area residents raising chickens in their backyards and they love it. They compare coops, feed, breeds, egg collecting strategies, chicken tractors and gosh, who knows what else. Another exciting agricultural community in the Valley.

It too may find a way into our area stores. Then look for proudly posted poultry producer signs in your area.

But not out here. I have nothing against chickens. I just do not want, can’t and won’t raise them, ever. And am amazed when someone else does. I would rather walk through warm cow pies barefoot then walk through a chicken coop with knee high rubber boots on. Chickens are “oowweeeyy” to me.

I know it comes from an old prejudice developed collecting eggs as a small, innocent girl in the Midwest. Roosters chased and mean hens pecked me. I know chickens help keep insects in check, reducing the need for pesticides, can produce good protein hormone free and rich fertilizer when cared for properly. But I only like my chickens fried, baked, barbecued or sautéed in white wine, with butter and capers. Besides there are way too many coyotes, minks, skunks, cats and hawks interested in any chickens I raise out here. I will keep PBWLV my local poultry connection.

And about Allen’s shaved legs. It is a reminder bicycle season is in full swing and serious male peddlers shave their legs in case of a fall making wound cleaning easier. So watch for bikers when out and about looking for local agricultural producers signs, chicken or beef.

Marie Johnson is a Carson Valley rancher.

Of beef, irrigating and men shaving their legs

By Steve RansonNevada Ranch & Farm Exchange

People who worked with Marcia de Braga knew her as a hard working lawmaker during her five terms in the Nevada State Assembly.

Others remembered de Braga as a lady who loved both Nevada and its rugged West culture.

The 72-year-old de Braga died this spring after a long battle with cancer.

Good friend Gaye Johnston remembered de Braga as a skilled lawmaker, but she also marveled at her love for children.

In 1986, Marcia and her husband, Lyle, began the Silver State International Rodeo, which is celebrating its silver anniversary this year. She wanted to give high school cowboys and cowgirls a second chance at performing their events if they failed to qualify for the National High School Rodeo finals.

What began as a small three- or four-day rodeo grew into a week-long celebration that brought many of the top rodeo competitors to Fallon from the West, several Canadian provinces and occasionally from such distant states like Florida, Hawaii or North Carolina.

“This was a huge thing for our kids who weren’t able to go to nationals,” said Kelly Anderson, former Utah high school rodeo president and now that state’s national director. “This was just as big to go there as anywhere else.” He said Utah loves Fallon and the SSIR and the hospitality the committee injected into the annual event.

“It was a well-run rodeo. We enjoyed going there,” Anderson said. “Our kids had a lot of fun with other activities.” SSIR President Rick Schwall said he is saddened with the loss to the community. He said de Braga supported rodeos from the “little guys” to high school. “Marcia gave a lot to the community,” he added.

Schwall said de Braga and her husband, Lyle, whom she married in 1955, spent much time in putting together the rodeo along with a committee. Her unselfishness struck Schwall.

“She did not expect anything back,” he said, adding her only motivation was to ensure the participants had a good time.

With the SSIR approaching its 25th birthday, Schwall said the committee is still planning to celebrate the anniversary and recognize the de Bragas.

“We knew Marcia was ill, and we were hoping to have her for the 25th,” Schwall explained. “This is a big landmark for the SSIR.” Although many competitors during the past 25 years may not have known de Braga,

Schwall said quite a few cowboys and cowgirls will remember the SSIR.

“Time and time again, I heard kids say they had more fun at the Silver State than nationals,” he said.

David Stix Jr., a close friend of the family, spoke about de Braga’s love for rodeo and how she wanted to give competitors a second chance.

“Marcia’s dream of the SSIR, of the invitational, was one of awesome. She wanted cowboys and cowgirls to get a second chance,” Stix said.

Stix said one little slip-up, the luck of the draw or a

stumble may have been the difference between going to the nationals or the SSIR. One of those who received a second chance to rodeo at the SSIR was professional bullfighter Joe Baumgartner.

“Fifteen thousand cowboys and cowgirls also got a second chance,” Stix added.

In addition to her work on the SSIR, de Braga served for 21 years as secretary for the Nevada State High School Rodeo Association and associated the junior rodeo and high school club.

Rodeo wasn’t her sole passion, however. After her first election in 2002, she served five terms as one of the few rural legislators in the Nevada State Assembly.

“When she decided to get into public service in the Legislature, she did a wonderful job for the community and served us well,” Fallon Mayor Ken Tedford Jr. said. “She worked her hardest.” Former Gov. Bob Miller said she dealt wish issues without regard to political parties.

“She was a wonderful lady, polite and soft spoken, an ardent proponent,” he said. Miller said de Braga had a full understanding of the small communities in Nevada. “She felt it was critical for them to be heard,” he said of the rural areas.

“She did an outstanding job for me,” said Joe Dini, retired Speaker of the Assembly and a fellow Democrat. “She was a hard worker, very knowledgeable on water. She always did her homework.” Dini said she would brighten the session when she would recite some of her poetry.

John C. Carpenter, a Republican from Elko, considered de Braga as one of his closest friends in the Legislature.

“She and I had a very good relationship,” said Carpenter, who was born in Fallon before moving as a young boy. “We understood the needs or rural Nevada.” He said de Braga was keen on water rights, especially the passing of AB 380 water rights program that helped compensate many people for water-right losses. She also had passed legislation to provide funding for the Reno Rodeo and the Nevada High School Rodeo Association.

Her other major legislation included the passage of legislation to prevent government from raiding the Public Employees Retirement funds for use in other areas, a bill to create investigation and new research into the causes of childhood leukemia and protection of children whose custody was previously often awarded to parents who were abusive to each other.

Carpenter explained that one session of the Assembly was equally split with 21 Democrats and 21 Republicans. They both co-chaired the Natural Resources committee.

“We may have been at the opposite end of the political deal, but we looked out for rural Nevada,” he said. “She was a rancher. I was a rancher. We came from the same roots.” Likewise, current Republican Assemblyman Pete Goicoechea, who defeated de Braga for her seat in 2002, said he appreciated her involvement and the hard work she did in the Assembly.

“I have a tremendous amount of respect for the work she did,” he said.

Marcia de Braga’s efforts centered on her love for people

Mincer Silversmiths

John Mincer 775.423.3379www.MincerSilversmiths.com

Marcia de Braga served Northern Nevada as a five-term Assemblywoman and was heavily involved in youth rodeo.

LVN photo

“Marcia’s dream of the SSIR, of the invitational, was one of awesome. She wanted cowboys and cowgirls to get a second chance.”

~ David Stix Jr., Family Friend

Page 10: Nevada Ranch & Farm Exchange - Summer 2010

10 NevadaRaNch&FaRmexchaNge summeR2010

By Steve PuterskiNevada Ranch & Farm Exchange

Each year hundreds of high school cowboys and cowgirls come from across the U.S. and Canada to ride in the Silver State International Rodeo on July 4-9.

This year marks SSIR’s 25th anniversary and will kick-off the event with a Fourth-of-July parade. In addition to the parade, there will be a barbecue and fundraiser for college scholarships.

“We don’t have anything real, real special going on, just our grand entries and prizes,” SSIR president Rick Schwall said.

The rodeo is open to athletes who finished fifth through 10th in their state or provincial rodeo finals for the year. First through fourth qualified for nationals in Casper, Wyo.

Although the national qualifiers won’t be in attendance, obviously, Schwall said some are national caliber athletes and a number have gone on to professional

rodeo careers.

“It’s a great opportunity for them (the athletes) because they may have missed going to nationals by no fault of their own,” Schwall said. “We get a lot of kids who say they would rather come here than nationals because they have more

fun.” SSIR features two go-rounds, followed by a short-go athletes must negotiate to qualify for the finals. Only the top 15 of each event advance to the finals.

Winners of the short-go and finals are awarded a variety of prizes including a three-horse slant horse trailer, sponsored by the city of Fallon, to the All-Around Cowboy and Cowgirl.

“It brings a lot of revenue to the town,” Schwall said. “We have different things going on. We have a mud volleyball tournament between the states, sack races and dog races.” Last year’s rodeo saw more than 500 athletes compete, though Schwall did not know the number for this year’s event. The rodeo was founded by the late Marcia de Braga and Rich Lee in 1986 as an event for contestants who performed well but didn’t qualify for the National High School Finals Rodeo.

De Braga was the Nevada High School Rodeo Association secretary at that time, and Lee was secretary of the National High School Rodeo Association.

They came up with the idea while returning to Fallon from an NHSRA meeting in 1985.

The first rodeo in 1986 drew about 125 contestants because participation was limited to those from the Western U.S. states and Canadian provinces. Known originally as the Nevada International Invitational Rodeo, participation was opened in 1987 to all states and provinces with high school rodeo associations. The name was changed to Silver State International Rodeo in 1988.

“She put her heart and soul in it for the kids,” de Braga’s daughter Jaime Dellera said. “She was so accomadating. She also did it for the town.”

By Steve PuterskiNevada Ranch & Farm Exchange

Cowboys and cowgirls come from all around the world for a shot to take home a title from one of the sport’s premier rodeos.

Through June 26 more than 780 professional riders, along with an expected crowd of 135,000, will swarm to the Reno Livestock Events Center. The event is the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Associaiton (PRCA) fourth-richest rodeo.

The economic impact in the city of Reno is between $42 million and $44 million annually.

“The Reno Rodeo is one of the top five (highest paying) rodeos leading up to National Finals Rodeo in (Las) Vegas in December,” Reno Rodeo spokesman Steve Schroeder said.

Schroeder said the main prize the athletes look forward to winning is a set of hand-made silver sterling spurs, awarded to the All-Around champions.

The rodeo has been a staple in Reno since 1919 and is the third largest event in the city behind Hot August Nights and Reno Air Races.

“It’s grown from a two-day rodeo to four-day, and now a 10-day rodeo,” Schroeder said. “They (the athletes) can win up to $30 ,000 at the Reno Rodeo.” In addition to the rodeo, fans will be able to enjoy a carnival, food and other activities throughout the events center. Ticket prices range from $5-$25.

Schroeder said the rodeo isn’t just for those who follow the sport. Along with the carnival and other activities, about 150 Western vendors will be present and give demonstrations of roping.

“You don’t have to be a Western-style person, from a ranch or serious rodeo fan,” Schroeder said.

For information about the rodeo, visit their website at www.renorodeo.com.

Silver State International Rodeo marks

Hey Northern Nevada!

• July 5th •Marcia de Braga / Military Night

• July 7th •Family Night

Promotional Nights

(left) Fallon senior Terynn Archuleta goes for the takedown and a first-place time of 7.78 seconds in steer wrestling.

Photo by Kim LambCover photo by Kim Lamb

The Nevada High School Rodeo finals concluded June 20 in Elko. The top four finishers in each category move on to the national high school rodeo finals from July 18-24 in Gillette, Wyo., while the fifth through 10th cowboys and cowgirls advance to the Silver State International Rodeo in Fallon from July 4-9.

Team roping (coed):Zayne Dishion and TJ McCauleyJustin de Braga and Casey BartonKayla Bland and Mariah WilcoxSean Castodio and Luke Malcomb

1.2.3.4.

Boys results:Cutting

Casey Barton, ElkoBobby Hoenick, HumboldtTJ McCauley, WashoeSeth Garrett, Wells

Steer wrestlingTerynn Archuleta, FallonTJ McCauley, WashoeMitch Rhodes, Spanish SpringsGrant Denny, Douglas

1.2.3.4.

1.2.3.4.

Tie-down ropingLuke MalcombJustin de Braga, ElkoTJ McCauley, WashoeZayne Dishion, Washoe

Bull ridingTrenton Montero, HumboldtGrant Denny, DouglasBlaine Tibbals, YeringtonSam Harper, Humboldt

1.2.3.4.

1.2.3.4.

BarebackGrant Denny, DouglasTrenton Montero, HumboldtWyatt Denny, DouglasBlaine Tibbals, Yerington

Saddle broncJoe Harper, HumboldtClayton Souza, EurekaTrenton Montero, HumboldtRowdy Hutchison, Wells

1.2.3.4.

1.2.3.4.

Girls results:Cutting

Paige Moreda, YeringtonDeeAnna Pasquale, HumboldtRandi Buchanan, WashoeQuinn Mader, Humboldt

Pole bendingRandi Buchanan, WashoeCasey Simmer, AlamoMariah Wilcox, WashoeRachel Primm, Independent

1.2.3.4.

1.2.3.4.

Barrel racingMariah Wilcox, WashoeRachel Primm, IndependentKelbee Cheeney, LincolnKelsie Leas, Las Vegas

Breakaway ropingShelby Scott, AlamoMorgan Howard, FallonQuinn Mader, HumboldtKayla Bland, Independent

1.2.3.4.

1.2.3.4.

(left) Kenneth Collins III attempts to stay on his horse before being bucked off on his head during the Fallon High School Rodeo.

(above) Trenton Montero from the Humboldt County Rodeo Club tries to defy gravity and a gyrating bull during his ride.

(below) Fernley cowboy, Victor Ugalde competes in tie-down roping at the Fallon High School Rodeo.

(right) Christian Stremler of Humboldt County holds on for his timed ride at the Fallon High School Rodeo.

Photos by Kim Lamb

Nevada High School Rodeo finals results

Page 11: Nevada Ranch & Farm Exchange - Summer 2010

1� NevadaRaNch&FaRmexchaNge summeR�010

By Steve RansonNevada Ranch & Farm Exchange

Central Nevada’s agriculture industry has become the new training ground for the National Guard deploying to Afghanistan.

Instead of fighting the enemy with guns and bullets, a 64-member Agribusiness Development Team consisting of Nevada National Guard soldiers and airmen will assist Afghan farmers become more proficient with the land.

“Our intent is to show them better techniques with agriculture and livestock production,” said Lt. Col. Bart O’Toole, team leader for agriculture. “We’ll supervise the implementation of programs and train.” O’Toole, a Fallon resident and longtime rancher who has been deployed 10 times since 9/11 to both Iraq and Afghanistan, said his team has received much hands-on training since the unit formed several months ago.

Each one of the 11 agriculture specialists interviewed for a position on the ADT. The specialists were recruited based on their background in irrigation, pest management, animal husbandry, forestry and veterinary science, At least half the unit consists of a security force. After completing its statewide training, the ADT flies to Afghanistan in August to begin its year-long mission.

Since the ADT’s formation, teams of Nevada airmen and soldiers have traveled to Southern California and and attended instruction in Reno and Churchill County to become more familiar with a plethora of agriculture-related jobs.

UNCE, Guard team up

First, members visited the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension where they picked up tips on various aspects of agriculture. UNCE, an outreach of the university, brings information to those who need to solve problems and deal with critical issues in agriculture, community development, health and nutrition, horticulture and natural resources.

O’Toole said UNCE is providing experts back in Nevada to include Sue Donaldson, a weed and water quality expert with Cooperative Extension in Washoe County; Bob Morris, a horticulturist and irrigation expert with Cooperative Extension in Las Vegas; and Wally Miller, a soils expert from the University of Nevada, Reno’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Science.

Air Guard Staff Sgt. Eric Ritter once served as a mass communications specialist for Naval Air Station Fallon before leaving the Navy and joining the National Guard. Like the others, he has volunteered for the one-year tour.

“Our job is to help these farmers get back into production and in doing that help legitimize the Afghan government,” said Ritter. “After 30 years of war, many of these people need to regain the ability to grow the foods they were world famous for like almonds and pomegranates.” According to the UNCE, the Pentagon sees efforts like this by Cooperative Extension and the Nevada Air and Army National Guard as essential to stabilizing the Afghanistan economy and returning the country to self sufficiency.

“In 2007 we realized you can’t win a war through guns alone; now it’s time to turn toward the heart and minds of the people,” Ritter said. “As Gen. Stanley McChrystal (Commander, U.S. Forces Afghanistan) said, “We can’t fight our way out of Afghanistan, we have to farm our way out.’” O’Toole said guardsmen will spend most of their time in Logar Province, an area having a climate very similar to Nevada. Because of this, he said the UNCE experts are familiar with the irrigation system and climate. A Forward Operations Base (FOB) was built two years in the province, which is southeast of Kabul.

“The similarities between the two areas will help us apply what we’ve learned about irrigation and growing things here in Nevada to the farms there in Afghanistan,” Donaldson said. “So when the team there runs into any questions or problems, they can contact us and we’ll help them work through any obstacles they encounter.” UNCE said Morris, however, has traveled to Afghanistan’s northern neighbor, Tajikistan, where he assisted farmers with drip irrigation of fruit and vine crops and helped organize farmer cooperatives and water user associations.

“I enjoy being thrown a curve ball and having to figure out the best way to approach a particular problem,” said Morris, who traveled to Tajikistan under the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Farmer-to-Farmer Program. “It’s a mind challenge.”

Tapping into the dairy industry

Although the hilly terrain and dry climate of central Nevada mirrors most of Afghanistan, the sophistication of Nevada’s dairy industry could become an integral part to the Nevada National Guard’s success.

Dairy farmer Eric Olsen, whose spread consists of more than 2,000 cows, assisted in the training that dealt with many facets of the dairy operation.

“They’re learning the system,” Olsen said, “from how to best handle the cows to knowing more about sanitary issues.” On the farming side, Olsen said guardsmen are learning the importance of growing better feed for the cows, which, he said, will lead to better production. Olsen, who comes from a long line of milk producers, applauds the National Guard for its initiative to teach the Afghan farmers better techniques.

“I appreciate what the guard is doing for us,” Olsen said.

Although Olsen operates one of the largest dairy ranches in the state, O’Toole said the concepts are similar to what the ADT will find in Afghanistan.

“This is a high-tech dairy, but we have broken down the training to a low-tech operation – the little things,” he said. “We’ll take a system that works here, simplify it and take it there,” O’Toole said.

Olsen concurred. “We’ve discussed the simple ways to increase production.” Spc. Christina Gonzales, a veterinarian technician from Las Vegas, soaked up as much learning as she could from Olsen and his dairymen. For example, he advised her to evaluate the livestock,

West-central Nevada has become the ag training ground for military personnel going to Afghanistan

“We’ll farm the Taliban out of there and make these folks successful.”

~ First Sgt. Shane Jensen, Nevada Army National Guard609th Combat Engineer Co.

Lt. Col. Bart O’Toole, left, and dairyman Eric Olsen discuss the training guardsmen received at his dairy operation south of Fallon.

Photo by Steve Ranson

Dr. David Faught, a veterinarian with Lahontan Valley Veterinary Clinic, performs a quick examination on a horse while Spc. Christina Gonzalez watches.

Photo by Steve Ranson

Only a very small share of Afghanistan’s land (about 15 percent), mostly in scattered valleys, is suitable for farming; about 6 percent of the land is actually cultivated. At least two-thirds of this farmland requires irrigation.

Water is drawn from springs and rivers and is distributed through surface ditches and through underground channels, or tunnels, which are excavated and maintained by a series of vertical shafts. Such a tunnel is known as a karez or qanat. In 1987 about 26,600 sq km (10,300 sq mi) of farmland were irrigated.

Wheat is the most important crop, followed by barley, corn, and rice. Cotton is another important and widely cultivated crop. Fruit and nuts are among Afghanistan’s most important exports. Afghanistan is noted for its unusually sweet grapes and melons, grown mostly in the southwest, north of the Hindu Kush, and in the fertile regions around Herat. Raisins are also an important export. Other important fruits are apricots, cherries, figs, mulberries, and pomegranates.

Livestock is nearly as important as crops to Afghanistan’s economy. Karakul sheep are raised in large numbers in the north. The tight curly fleece of Karakul lambs is used to make Persian lamb coats. Other breeds of sheep, such as the fat-tailed sheep, and goats are also raised.

Source: Government of Afghanistan website

Page 12: Nevada Ranch & Farm Exchange - Summer 2010

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establish a vaccination and deworming program for parasites once she arrives in Afghanistan and begin working with local farmers.

“You will soon learn what works (and doesn’t work) in the ag environment in Afghanistan,” he said.

That information was also disseminated when ADT members recently visited California State Polytechnic University Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona).

Gonzales, though, is anxious to expand her knowledge in Afghanistan. The California State University Chico graduate has been a vet tech for seven years and a member of the Nevada Army National Guard for 18 months. She said she is happy to be a part of the ADT, but it was by accident Gonzales found out about the ADT.

“Colonel O’Toole asked me why I wasn’t on his team,” she said. Now, she is certain her veterinarian experience helped her earn a spot.

Irrigation challenges in arid terrain

O’Toole said irrigation will also be challenge in Afghanistan. Approximately 80 percent of the people use 15 percent of the land for farming and livestock. He said water is a major issue with crops and animals. For example, O’Toole is very familiar with the various irrigation systems found in central Nevada, considering his family has owned a ranch in the Reese River area for many generations.

“This is the closest irrigation system we have to Afghanistan,” O’Toole explained.

O’Toole explained while much of the irrigation system has been modernized, he said certain areas still have primitive irrigation because of the land or availability of sufficient water.

According to Donaldson, Logar is a relatively flat river valley surrounded by rugged mountains and laced with underground irrigation and canal works known as karez. She said say the karez system in the valley has been heavily damaged over the years and needs to be cleaned out to restore the flow of groundwater to local fields.

Once the ADT arrives in country, O’Toole said they will have an aggressive training schedule ranging from goat and sheep breeding in the fall to orchard management in the winter to planting and growing crops in the spring.

“Robust training is needed for a growing system,” O’Toole said, adding that a sustainable agriculture program will help the Afghans become more independent.

Knowing basic animal husbandry

Dr. David Faught, a large-animal veterinarian with Lahontan Valley Veterinary Clinic south of Fallon, gave five guardsmen an intensive two-day course on animal husbandry. His instruction centered on animal health and situations the ADT may encounter.

“Husbandry is pretty primitive over there,” Faught said. “We need to keep it to simple husbandry.” During the two days Faught spent with the guardsmen, they visited the dairy in the morning and his clinic in the afternoon. He showed them how to examine horses and livestock, keep records and euthanize, something he said guardsmen could encounter frequently. During one afternoon session, Faught put an old horse down because it was emaciated and in poor health.

Once in Afghanistan, those assigned to monitor the health of the horses and livestock will still be able to tap into Faught’s expertise. For example, Faught

said if the Guard sends him information and photos, he will be able to offer advice on how to handle a certain situation.

“The main thing is they will be able to e-mail us with any problems,” Faught said. “I also gave them access to online training videos that cover simple procedures.” Overall, Faught said Gonzales’ experience as a vet tech is extensive and will be a plus for the National Guard.

“She will be the primary source on the front,” Faught said.

First Sgt. Shane Jensen of Fallon has taken leave from the Nevada Army National Guard’s 609th Combat

Engineer Co. He will serve as the ADT’s pest specialist although he spent time shadowing Faught.

“They wanted someone with farming and a ranch background. I applied and was interviewed,” said Jensen, who grew up on ranches in Wyoming and South Dakota.

Nevertheless, he is also looking forward to this deployment because the mission will help the Afghan people become more productive with their land.

“This one is not based on fighting but based on agriculture, the development of the country,” he said. “We’ll farm the Taliban out of there and make these folks successful.”

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While Nevada farmers use wells and pumps or siphon off surface water from rivers to irrigate their crops, farmers in many parts of Afghanistan utilize a series of underground tunnels to bring groundwater to their crops, vineyards and orchards.

The tunnel system is known as a karez. According to Dr. Guy Fipps of Texas A&M University’s Irrigation Technology Center, karezes have been used in the Middle East for drinking and irrigation water for thousands of years.

Karezes are designed with a gently sloping, elliptical-shaped tunnel that runs horizontally into an alluvial fan at the base of a mountain, tapping into the groundwater deep beneath the surface. The tunnels are often lined with rock, although some are just bare earth.

Farmers access the tunnel through a series of perpendicular shafts that run from the surface down to the main tunnel. The deepest shaft is at the head of the tunnel where it taps into the groundwater source and is known as the “mother well.” When a shaft or tunnel collapses, blocking the flow of water, farmers crawl down into the shafts and clear out the debris and restore the flow of water.

Source: UNCE

Karez water systems are vital to Afghanistan’s agriculture

Lt. Col. Bart O’Toole, left, and 1st. Sgt. Shane Jensen from Fallon participate in agricultural classes at Cal Poly Pomona in May.

Photo by Nevada National Guard

Page 13: Nevada Ranch & Farm Exchange - Summer 2010

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By John SeelmeyerNevada Ranch & Farm Exchange

Tom Filbin needs to keep careful track of more than 3,000 head of sheep at the Rafter 7 Sheep Ranch along the East Walker River near Yerington.

Breed-research programs jointly sponsored by the University of Nevada, Reno, College of Agriculture and the ranch owner, the Edwin L. Wiegand Trust, look to develop more profitable sheep for wool producers in the Western states.

And that requires careful accounting of the genetics and history of every animal.

Filbin’s staff at Rafter 7 has turned to technology, radio frequency identification tags, to provide efficient and accurate information about individual animals.

The tags, similar to those used by technologically savvy distribution centers to track merchandise as it moves through a warehouse, allow ranch staff to use an electronic scanner to identify individual animals.

And although the high hopes of makers of electronic tags were set back by the federal government this winter, the high-tech tags continue to find a niche.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, faced with strong resistance from ranchers and farmers nationwide, decided in February to scrap its proposed National Animal Identification System.

That system, intended to provide quick tracking of livestock in case of an outbreak of animal disease, was expected to

drive widespread adoption of electronic systems.

The market cratered when the USDA pulled back from the proposed standard.

“It’s a depressed market,” says Jay McCown, founder of Ranger ID Technologies, a Mountain Home, Idaho, company that develops and markets electronic identification systems for livestock.

But market hasn’t disappeared.

“What we’re left with is niches all over the place,” says McCown.

One niche, he says, is found in operations such as Rafter 7 Sheep Ranch, where accurate records are the cornerstone of breed-improvement initiative.

Says Rafter 7’s Filbin: “It’s the best technology as far as accuracy.

The more you can have on a computer, the better job you can do.” The cost, about $2 a head, plus software and hardware, isn’t inexpensive, but Filbin says the operational convenience and accurate records make the system co-effective.

When Rafter 7 began using the tags, some staff wondered the electronic devices would be lost as sheep grazed in open range and encountered fences and corrals.

“We’ve had very good retention,” Filbin says.

David Thain, Nevada’s state extension veterinarian in the department of animal biotechnology at UNR, says a number of livestock operations in the state have moved to electronic identification as a means of maintaining records, and to help track the source of animals after they’re sold.

The ability to track livestock through the market is important to Asian export markets, McCown says, as those markets often require the ability to trace meat products back to their source.

USDA’s food atlas provides insight into health, habitsOnline feature at eXtension analyzes diets, spending of Nevadans

Animal ID proposal gets a fresh lookThe federal proposal for a livestock-traceability program that spurred

interest in development of electronic tagging systems is back on the drawing boards, and the new proposal calls for states to develop their own systems.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture last month completed a round of meetings around the nation to hear from livestock producers and the public.

From there, federal officials will develop goals for the program and suggest procedures for individual states and Indian tribes to follow. And once that is done, Nevada will conduct its own meetings of producers, industry groups and others before writing state regulations.

“We are ready to develop a traceability program as soon as federal guidance has been provided,” says Ed Foster, a spokesman for the Nevada Department of Agriculture.

An earlier plan, which would have tracked animals and meat products from birth through the retail chain, was abandoned by the USDA this year after complaints from livestock producers who said the government wanted too much information.

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Page 14: Nevada Ranch & Farm Exchange - Summer 2010

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By Rob SaboNevada Ranch & Farm Exchange

You’re not the only who’s waiting longer to buy that new pair of shoes. So are some horse owners in northern Nevada, and that’s cutting into business for some of the farriers who specialize in taking care of equine feet.

Farriers say that although they aren’t gaining many new clients, their appointment books still remain fairly full from regular customers who require new shoes on their horses, or hoof trimmings.

Jason Carlisle, owner of Carlisle Farrier Service, says horseshoers are always losing clients to attrition. Owners move or sell their horses. Horses die. But there’s also usually a small stream of new clients to replace lost ones.

Lately, however, Carisle says, his phone has been pretty quiet.

“When you are building a book, you try to build it with clients that shoe or trim on a regular basis,” says Carlisle, a certified journeyman farrier who shoes about 20 horses a week throughout the outskirts of the Reno-Sparks area. “Hopefully you have got a book of good clients, and that is how you make a living.”

Carlisle says he usually books appointments about eight weeks in advance, and once his schedule fills up, he can’t take on more clients without hiring help. But new clients have been slim, as horse owners wait longer

between shoeings.

“In years past, in the spring and summer the phone usually starts ringing and you fill in vacancies. Now I only get an occasional call. In years past it was not uncommon to get two or three potential clients per week, and that’s something you can work off.”

Horse owners usually stay loyal to one farrier, Carlisle adds. Michael Tannehill, owner of Sierra Farrier Service in Gardnerville, typically shoes between 30 and 40 horses in a week from Reno all the way south to Bishop, Calif. Tannehill says some of his customers have tried to cut back on equine expenses by going longer between shoeings and trimmings, but at the same time, other clients have been avoiding taking expensive vacations in favor of staying home. As a result, they’re riding their horses more, which means more shoeing.

“The focus becomes on the horse again,” says Tannehill, a journeyman farrier since 1993.

Farriers typically charge a flat fee for shoeing or trimming hooves, and additional fees if they need to clip a horse’s pads or do any other therapeutic work. Tannehill says the biggest trend in the industry is a movement to forgo shoes in favor of barefoot riding. Sales of farrier supplies — primarily horseshoes, nails, and hoof-care products —also remain relatively flat, say operators of farrier supply stores in Carson City and Gardnerville.

Katie Krueger, manager of Washoe Valley Farrier Supply, a 2,400-square-foot retail operation at Research Drive in Carson City, says sales peaked in 2007 and ’08 and have decreased over the past few years due to a reduction in the number of horse owners.

Big sellers at Washoe Valley Farrier Supply are horseshoes and pad and hoof-care products, such as rasps, knives and trimmers.

To drum up new business — many local farriers purchase their supplies at the store — Washoe Valley

Farrier Supply has revamped its Web site, and reworked Web copy for search engine optimization.

“For the most part the local farriers already know where we are at, but we are expanding business by going on the Internet,” Krueger says. Internet sales have long been the prime revenue generator for Hoof-It Technologies of Gardnerville, but the company is moving into new warehouse space in the Meridian Business Park at 2222 Park Place and will open a small retail storefront.

Leslie Batistich, director of operations for Hoof-It, says business has remained flat through the recession, but Hoof-It benefits from casting a very wide net. The company has warehouses in Brazil, Germany, and domestically in Wisconsin and California.

Hoof-It primarily sells farrier supplies, as well as equine and bovine dentistry equipment. One of its best-selling pieces of equipment is a hoof stand that allows farriers and horse owners to shoe or trim hooves without having to support the weight of the hoof.

The company is opening a retail operation to better serve local customers who want to drop in for supplies, Batistich says. Hoof-It employs more than 20 full and part-time employees at its locations.

As horses wear old shoes longer, farriers feel pinch

Katie Krueger, manager of Washoe Valley Farrier Supply, says sales of horseshoeing equipment have slowed the past few years.

Photo by Cathleen Allison

By University of Nevada Cooperative Extension

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension’s “People of the Land,” a self-paced, eight-chapter curriculum examining the historical, social and economic attributes of Indian reservations within a four-state region of the West, has been named a top winner in the National Association of County Agricultural Agents’ Communications Awards Program.

The 2009 publication by Extension educators Staci Emm of Mineral County and Loretta Singletary of Lyon County is designed to help agricultural and natural resource professionals work more effectively with American Indian farmers and ranchers in Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.

The researchers’ curriculum is the result of a three-year quality-of-life assessment of American Indians and the U. S. Department of Agriculture professionals who work with them. Government officials said they have trouble helping Indian farmers and ranchers develop sustainable agriculture and natural resource management skills on reservation land. Meanwhile, tribal leaders expressed their desire to strengthen agriculture on Indian lands.

The Cooperative Extension study by Emm and Singletary identified a “knowledge gap” that indicated the need to improve understanding and appreciation of individual tribal histories and cultures in order to work more effectively with tribes. “People of the Land” provides the training to close that gap.

“American Indian farmers and ranchers contribute a great deal economically to rural reservations,” Emm said, “and even though federal programs are designed to help increase the profitability of farms and ranches, Indian land tenure can make it difficult to implement and encourage sustainable agriculture programs on reservation lands. ‘People of the Land’ is an effort to improve that situation.”

Singletary called American Indian land tenure issues “profoundly complex,” and said those issues affect the sustainability of both agricultural operations and natural resource management efforts on reservations.

“Our curriculum seeks to explain these issues and how they evolved over time,” she said. “Tackling this subject was challenging, but if we can increase the awareness and understanding of the obstacles Indian landowners face in managing their resource base, perhaps we can effect a lasting program impact.”

Cooperative Extension Dean and Director Karen Hinton praised Emm and Singletary for taking on a

difficult job.

“This is an example of how our faculty use science-based research to help people,” she said. “’People of the Land shows how we try to bring real solutions to real people to improve the economy and people’s lives.”

Singletary and Emm have already taught the curriculum, published last year, to hundreds of tribal agriculture producers and land managers within the four-state region. Program impact measures showed that

agency professionals working on Indian reservations came away with increased knowledge of key issues, including: American Indian culture; federal Indian policy; issues surrounding Indian land tenure, including checkerboard and fractionated lands on American Indian reservations; Indian agriculture irrigation projects; and Indian governance.

Demand for the 166-page textbook has been unexpectedly high. The book is already in its second printing, and Emm and Singletary – at the request of county officials and state educators – are working on two separate publications – one focused specifically on Nevada tribes and another written for Nevada students.

For more information, contact:

Staci Emm, Extension Educator, 775-945-3444, [email protected]

Loretta Singletary, Extension Educator, 775-463-6541, [email protected]

UNCE’s ‘People of the Land’ wins national awardExtension curriculum helps government, tribes close ‘knowledge gap’

“The focus becomes on the horse again.”

~ Michael TannehillOwner, Sierra Farrier Service

Page 15: Nevada Ranch & Farm Exchange - Summer 2010

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By Liz WarnerNatural Resources Conservation Service

April marked the 75th anniversary of the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

Established by Congress in 1935 as the Soil Conservation Service, NRCS has expanded to become a conservation leader for all natural resources, ensuring private lands are conserved, restored and more resilient to environmental challenges.

In Nevada, over 9 million acres of land are privately-owned, making stewardship by private landowners absolutely critical to the health of our environment,” said Bruce Petersen, state conservationist for the NRCS in Nevada. “We work closely with private landowners as well as federal land managing agencies, Tribal governments, local and state agencies to make sure the

land will be protected for another 75 years.”

To honor the Service’s legacy, Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons proclaimed April as Soil and Water Conservation Month.

“Conservationists across our beautiful state work hand in hand with the citizens of Nevada to conserve natural resources and leave a better earth for our children and

grandchildren,” Gibbons wrote.

The agency was founded largely through the efforts of Hugh Hammond

Bennett, a soil conservation pioneer who had worked for the Department of Agriculture since the early 20th century. In 1933, the Soil Erosion Service was formed in the Department of the Interior, with Bennett as chief. The Service was transferred to the Department of Agriculture in 1935, and was shortly thereafter combined with other USDA units to form the Soil Conservation Service. Bennett continued as chief, a position he held until his retirement in 1951. In 1994, the agency was renamed to the Natural Resources Conservation Service as part of the Federal Crop Insurance Reform and Department of Agriculture Reorganization Act of 1994.

The history of the NRCS is a story of land and people. NRCS draws on a tradition of principles in working with private landowners that is as relevant today as when it was a dream to Bennett. A career soil scientist with the US Department of Agriculture, Bennett became convinced that soil erosion was a national menace and that its solution lay in tailoring conservation practices to fit the land and the desires of landowners. The Dust Bowl of 1935 helped Bennett prove his point to Congress. Fertile topsoil from as far away as Kansas blew into Washington, D.C. while Bennett stood before Congress asking for the creation of a national conservation agency.

Bennett knew that simple solutions for all situations would be fruitless. The crops, the land and the climate were so diverse that specialists in agronomy, forestry, soil science, biology, engineering, and social sciences were called upon to help develop conservation methods. They worked with farmers to find solutions that benefited the land and fulfilled the landowners’ aspirations.

In 1933, the Service began working with farmers in the Coon Creek watershed of southwestern Wisconsin to transform the square, eroding fields into a showplace of conservation practices and wise land use that benefits the

soil, air, water, as well as the plant, animal and human life of the whole watershed.

Formation of the first conservation district, bounded by the Brown Creek watershed in North Carolina, on August 4, 1937, established a method for the SCS to assist farmers in the conservation districts. Locally elected citizens established priorities and plans for the district’s work.

Today, 28 conservation districts cover the state of Nevada, providing local input on resource concerns and challenges. District supervisors help set local priorities for Farm Bill funding, coordinate tours and local work group meetings, and share the latest technology with fellow landowners.

“We’ve been at this for 75 years and while our environment is healthier and our food is safer, we still have a lot more to do,” said Petersen.

For more information about the 75th Anniversary, visit the Nevada NRCS Web site at http://www.nv.nrcs.usda.gov.

Tours allow visitors to step into Carson Valley pastBy Sharlene IreteNevada Ranch & Farm Exchange

The opening of tour season at the Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park gives the opportunity to see how four generations of a Carson Valley family lived.

The special exhibit of “Dangberg Short Stories” is open noon to 4 p.m.

Friday through Sunday. Park tours tell the history of the Dangbergs through the collection of furniture, clothing, books, dishes, artwork, photographs, and documents left in the house and grounds off Highway 88 in Minden.

The park features a bunkhouse, and other buildings constructed between 1857 and 1916. The 15-room main house, once one of the most prominent homes in Carson Valley, is on the National Registry of Historic Places. The house, stone cellar, laundry building and garden are included in tours.

“The Dangbergs are representatives of Nevada ranching families,” said Park Interpreter Mark Jensen, one of the presenters of the “Dangberg Short Stories” exhibit represented by several themes in different rooms of the house.

“The sitting room is the original cabin,” said Jensen. “Now the ‘History of Flight’ will be represented in this room on tours.” “Stories of Patriotism” about the Civil War and the World Wars are told through correspondence, photographs and other artifacts in the living room.

In the dining room are souvenirs and photographs from three world’s fairs in the “Stories from the Midway” exhibit.

The “Stories of Gertrude’s Garden” exhibit shows the progress volunteers have made to restore the flower beds created by Gertrude Dangberg, who lived 1876-1968.

Jensen said the exhibit features vintage gardening tools, plant catalogs and family photographs showing how her garden looked in the past.

“One of the goals in the restoration process is to recreate Gertrude’s garden as it would have been in the 1930s and ‘40s,” he said.

The restoration process is helped by historic photographs of the garden, plant catalogues left by family members and plants that survived on the grounds over the years.

The garden still has daffodils, peonies, crabapple trees and lilacs that originally grew there, and park staff and volunteers have added hyacinths, tulips, iris and other plants. Plants and supplies have been donated by Gardnerville’s Plant It Nursery.

“With the support of Plant It Nursery, we’ll create not only an effective demonstration garden and interpretive tool, but also a thing of beauty,” said Jensen.

“The park’s collection isn’t just about the Dangbergs. Many others who spent time at the home ranch or were otherwise connected with the family left behind their own fascinating stories, and this exhibit is our chance to share some of them.”

The Dangberg Home Ranch was settled by Carson Valley pioneer Heinrich Friedrich Dangberg Sr., in 1857. By the time of his death in 1904, he had created one of Carson Valley’s largest ranches at 30,000 acres. His children, including H. Fred Dangberg Jr., founded the Dangberg Land and Livestock Co., a collection of cattle and sheep ranches, orchards and other businesses that grew to 48,000 acres by the middle of the 20th century. In 1905, the company founded the town of Minden.

~ TOUR dETaILs ~The Dangberg Home Ranch Historic Park is at

1450 Highway 88, a half mile south of the Carson Valley Swim Center. Map and information at parks.nv.gov/hr.htm Make required reservations at [email protected] or 783-9417. Tours are limited to 10 people, but larger groups can request special arrangements. Admission is $3 for adults, free for children under 13.

Regular one-hour tours are 10 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday, with additional

2 p.m. tours Saturdays and Sundays. Information, Mark Jensen, [email protected] or 783-9417.

The “Dangberg Short Stories” exhibit is open noon to 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Admission for the 1 1/2 hour tour is $3 for adults and free for children 12 and younger. Regular tours will not be offered during this exhibit.

Conservation Legacy Reaches Back to

Destitute pea pickers in California. Mother of seven children. Age thirty-two. Nipomo, California. Library of Congress image call number: LC-USF34-009058-C.

Photo courtesy of USDA NRCS

One of the first Conservation Districts is formed after the creation of the Soil Conservation Service.

Photo courtesy of USDA NRCS

Page 16: Nevada Ranch & Farm Exchange - Summer 2010

summeR�010 NevadaRaNch&FaRmexchaNge 1�

By the Farm Bureau NewsSpecial to Nevada Ranch & Farm Exchange

Working on both a dairy farm and a horse farm when he was 15 through 17 helped make Patrick First the person he is today, he says. Now the college student is setting his sights on becoming a veterinarian and will start applying to vet schools this summer.

“Working at farms helped me realize what I wanted to do with my life,” First said, “that I really wanted to get into the vet profession.” First already had experience with horses. Working on a dairy farm broadened his perspective.

“I learned a great deal about just hands-on working with dairy cows,” he explained. “That has helped me a lot and it got me interested in working with food animals.” Taite Henson, a high school student works on a horse ranch where she keeps the horses ridden so they don’t buck or crow-hop (make small, jerky leaps) when others try to ride them..

She says she loves working on the farm, being around animals and making new friends. Plus, it’s taught her some important lessons.

“I’ve learned how to care for the animals, how to respect them,” she said.

“I have learned a lot of safety skills, at least around tractors and animals.” She’s also learned some important

life skills. “Knowing that you have to

get up at 5 o’clock in the morning to feed your animals; getting ready for packing up ahead of time for a show; those are some leadership skills I’ve learned by working on farms as well as being in 4-H and FFA.” Working on farms during the summer break or after school has been a way for high school students, especially in rural areas, to earn money and valuable experience while doing what they love. But those opportunities would come to an end if a bill passes in Congress.

The Children’s Act for Responsible Employment (H.R. 3564), or CARE Act, would eliminate the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) exemption that currently allows 12 to 17 year-olds to work on farms as long as conditions are safe and parents give their consent.

Under the bill, minors would only be allowed to work on their own parents’ operation under the direct supervision of a parent or legal guardian. There is no exception in the bill for non-farm youth who may be working as part of their participation in vocational agriculture programs, 4-H or cooperative education programs.

The bill was introduced by Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.) and got a boost from a report by Human Rights Watch in early May, Fields of Peril, saying that migrant farm workers put their kids in the fields to make more money, and the work threatens the children’s health and education.

While there may be some young people in the field when they don’t want to be there or shouldn’t be there, Ron Gaskill, American Farm Bureau Federation immigration and labor specialist, says, Roybal-Allard’s bill goes too far.

“To prohibit all employment of people under the age of 18 would take away a lot of benefits that young people gain from working on farms,” he said. “It would be throwing out the good with the bad. This bill is definitely the wrong approach.” Gaskill says existing laws should be enforced. Meanwhile, youths in agriculture should continue to be exempt from the FLSA and, with parental consent, be able to work in jobs that are safe.

First says if he had not been allowed to work on a farm,

he would not have gotten the experience he needed.

“I guess I probably would’ve had to get a job as a busboy or something, working at a restaurant, and that’s completely not me,” he said. “I’m an outdoors person, and I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed that at all. I worked at four or five different farms when I was under 18 and at each of them I learned so much.”

The Farm Bureau News is a publication of the American Farm Bureau Federation.

Bill threatens youths’ abilityto work on farms

By Stephanie CarrollNevada Ranch & Farm Exchange

Every year Churchill County community members have the opportunity to support local youth and purchase locally raised, high quality meat at the Churchill County Junior Livestock Show and Sale at the Churchill County Fairgrounds.

“You help our local 4-H and FFA (Future Farmers of America) clubs,” said Jake Olsen, 16, who raises hogs.

“The kids put so much money into these animals to make them nice and to make them a quality show animal.” Amanda Allegre, 4-H community based

instructor, said the sale and show are not just for big spenders. She said not only can people purchase an animal together and split the meat, but it is also generally cheaper to purchase in bulk, at least for steer.

Allegre said purchasing a 1,250-pound steer for $1.50 per pound at the auction will cost about $2,255

after slaughtering fees whereas 543 pounds of beef at the grocery store costs about $3,398.

“I think it’s very valuable because it’s good quality meat and it’s going to taste good,” Olsen. “A lot of people say the prices are ridiculous … for the amount of work kids put into them, it’s worth it.” Allegre said one steer could easily last a year so purchasing a single animal can provide a large quantity of meat for a lower price. Allegre added the taste is also better because 4-H and FFA members strive for quality. The show is a competition for who raised the best market animal.

“We feed them very expensive feed,” Olsen said. “In a show you want them to have a lot of muscle.” Buyers also have the rare opportunity to find out exactly how the animal was raised because the children are there to answer any questions.

“Talk to the kids,” Allegre said. “Let them talk about the

animals. They’re pretty knowledgeable.” Allegre added buyers can resell the animal if they want to support the children without acquiring all the meat.

“The benefit of doing that is to get your name out there to show you’re supporting the community,” Allegre said. “They still get that advertising.

We try to get the community aware as much as possible of who is supporting the kids.” Allegre said the show benefits 4-H and FFA members in multiple ways. They acquire a variety of adult and business life skills in addition to raising money. Olsen said he puts at least $500 into each hog, and it’s difficult to break even.

“A lot of the kids use it for purchasing their next animal,” Allegre said.

“A lot of the older kids use it for their college fund.” Allegre said once purchased, the buyer chooses where the animal is harvested, how the meat is cut or if they want to keep it alive.

Children will also be judged on showmanship. Allegre said showmanship winners participate in a round robin event where they must show every species at the event to become the Master Showman.

“They have to show all the species,” Allegre said. “They have to show swine, goats, beef and rabbits. It broadens their horizons. It’s stepping out of their box a little bit. It’s fun.” Allegre said she understands the economy makes large purchases difficult, but she explained there are savings to buying an animal for meat in addition to the support it provides 4-H members.

“We welcome everybody to come down and support the kids,” Allegre said.

Junior livestock shows support 4-H, FFAMikaela McCormick showed her sheep at the spring Churchill County Junior Livestock Show.

Steve Ranson photo

Under proposed legislation, children under 18 may not work on a farm unless they are working for their parents.

Kim Lamb photo

“It would be throwing out the good with the bad. This bill is definitely the wrong approach.”

~ Ron Gaskill, Immigration & Labor SpecialistAmerican Farm Bureau Federation

Page 17: Nevada Ranch & Farm Exchange - Summer 2010

1� NevadaRaNch&FaRmexchaNge summeR�010

By Ed Smith, Natural Resource SpecialistUniversity of Nevada Cooperative Extension

wui • ee \ wü – e\ n: Slang for wildland-urban interface, the area where houses and residential landscapes meet wildland vegetation. Typically, these areas are at great risk from wildfire. In order to live safely in these areas, residents and agencies need to create wildfire-resistant communities.

My friend’s wuiee is sick. Without treatment, his wuiee not only threatens his life, but the lives of his family members and neighbors. The prognosis is not good. Experts say that it is just a matter of time before his wuiee delivers a life-threatening blow. While an ailing wuiee is curable, it requires people to help themselves, be proactive and to take action to reduce the threat.

Unhealthy wuiees abound in Nevada. People have them in Austin, Elko, Mount Charleston, Pioche and many communities in between. But Nevadans are fortunate; we have one of the best wuiee support groups in the West. Unlike some other places, Nevada’s local, state, federal agencies, the university, and nonprofits work closely to help improve wuiee condition. But it still takes willing individuals to want help and to do their part on the home front.

The condition of our wuiees, i.e., the wildland-urban interfaces, are a significant concern to Nevada’s firefighting agencies.

So what makes a good wuiee? First, the presence of ignition-resistant houses. Houses with fire-resistant roofs, dual-paned and tempered glass windows, noncombustible siding and vents that resist ember penetration are key.

Second is creation of an effective defensible space. Defensible space is that area between a house and an oncoming wildfire where the vegetation has been

managed to reduce the fire threat and allow firefighters a place to safely work.

Next, emergency responders need to be able to locate and arrive at your home in a timely manner. This means having noncombustible, readily visible street and address signage, adequate, safe turnarounds for firefighting equipment, and bridges and culverts that can support fire engines.

Finally, at the community level, a healthy wuiee would have a fuel break. Fuelbreaks are strips of land, usually 50 to 100 feet or more in width, where flammable vegetation has been reduced or replaced with less hazardous vegetation. A good community water and hydrant system and more than one road in or out are also desirable features.

So, how do you know what condition your wuiee is in? Thanks to the Bureau of Land Management and the Nevada Division of Forestry, we have an appraisal of wuiee condition for many of Nevada’s communities. To find out, go to: www.nvfsc.com, click on “CWPPs” and then find your county and community. These reports rate your community, tell you the hazards and suggest mitigation measures.

The Living With Fire program is an interagency

program coordinated by University of Nevada Cooperative Extension that helps Nevadans reduce the wildfire threat to their communities. To find out how to create a healthy wuiee, go to: www.livingwithfire.info. For possible funding and support for good wuiees, contact Andrew at the Nevada Fire Safe Council, 775-884-4455. Finally, your local fire protection agency is eager to help with your wuiee problems. Asked them for advice.

There is more wildfire in Nevada’s future. We need to create healthy, safe wuiees for ourselves, our families and our communities. Check out the Living With Fire website for a list of fire awareness week activities in your community.

UNCE’s ‘Living with Fire’ offers help to homeowners in danger zones

How’s your WUIEE?

By University of Nevada

University of Nevada, Reno professor Tamzen Stringham has been awarded the Outstanding Achievement in Research/Academia award at the 63rd Society for Range Management and 50th Weed Science Society of America joint annual meeting in Denver.

Stringham’s work in riparian watersheds maps national ecological sites to study relationships between soil, water and plants and how they will respond to natural disturbance, so predictions can be made on whether the watersheds will improve or decline.

“Riparian watersheds make up only two percent of our landmass, but 98 percent of all wildlife spends time in these areas,” Stringham said.

“Riparian areas are critical to our fish and wildlife.” Stringham, who holds the Donna Anderson Endowed Professorship in the Department of Animal Biotechnology, was nominated for the award by Jack Alexander, first vice-president of the Society for Range Management.

“This is a well-deserved award,” Alexander said. “Stringham has written seminal articles for major publications on the development of state and transition modeling for uplands and riparian

ecosystems, and how we look at ecological sites. She’s highly proficient in the field. Her work has allowed the esoterica of science to be applied to the practical matters land managers and agricultural leaders need to make day-to-day decisions.” Stringham collaborates with the Bureau of Land Management and the Natural Resource Conservation Service. The Natural Resource Conservation Service publishes her work in the National Range and Pasture Handbook as a guide for landowners and land managers to use in conservation, tactics and planning.

These guidelines on developing ecological site design and management will become part of national

land conservation management policy when published in fall 2010.

University students attending the conference placed first in the university chapter display board competition, describing how Nevada fits into the working landscapes theme of the conference. The board is on display for public view on the second floor of the Fleischmann Agriculture Building on the University campus. In a separate competition, University student Garrett Noles placed third in the extemporaneous speaking contest during the conference.

UNR professor receives award for watershed study

“Riparian watersheds make up only two percent of our landmass, but 98 percent of all wildlife spends time in these areas.”

~ UNR Professor Tamzen Stringham

Ed Smith checks out an area ravaged by wildland fire.Photo courtesy of UNCE

University of Nevada, Reno professor Tamzen Stringham collects winterfat seeds for studies of the riparian watersheds of Nevada.

Photo courtesy of UNR

Page 18: Nevada Ranch & Farm Exchange - Summer 2010

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