Reprieve for 104 acres on Main Station Farm

Thanks to the huge community response, UNR has withdrawn the proposal to rezone Main Station Farm property.  The support for the Farm convinced Mr. Johnson that Nevadans value the last of our urban farmland and our agricultural heritage.  That land is still designated large residential so is still a candidate for sale for development, but this process has allowed the community to temporarily divert “the development train” and given us time to engage UNR in a discussion about a different future. Woo hoo!

Our numbers : 100-150 people attended the December Reno City Council meeting.  Jessica Sferrazza received about 3,800 emails.  As of today 11, 907 people have signed the petition to save the farm. Approximately 100 people attended UNR’s Community Forum re: the 104 acres.

What’s next? How about a 21^st century high-desert eco-agriculture program at UNR? There is significant interest in supporting young people who want to stay on the farm or go back to it.  A few months ago the Local Food Network conducted a workshop to help the community determine the next steps towards a healthy local food system.  Many people participated and the suggestions were numerous, but the one that dominated the top of the list is the need for new farmers and ranchers, and an educational system that teaches 21^st century practices.

 Just a few weeks ago someone I’ve known for years talked to me about his plan to partner with a couple of other people to grow a new farm in Nevada.  He is now on the hunt for a cutting edge farming education and assistance developing a business model.  Accessing the business component is fairly easy.  Finding a higher education farming program that teaches high-desert production techniques will be much more difficult.  This is where UNR’s comes in.

There is much to do and I hope that the UNR administration and the Board of Regents will call on the people who live and work here to help create a new future, one that includes Wolf Pack Meats and helps us further develop our growing local food system.

Main Station Farm community discussion continues on February 21st

At the request of the Reno City Council, UNR will hold a public forum regarding the Main Station Farm zoning proposal and the future of the farm. The meeting is scheduled for Tuesday February 21st, 5:30 -7:30 pm at Joe Crowley Student Union.  Doors open at 5:00 p.m.

Free parking will be available on the third and fourth floors of the Whalen Parking Garage and directional signage will be posted on North Virginia Street.

The immediate issue on the table is UNR's request to zone 104 acres of the most fertile land in Reno to light industrial. UNR's stated intent is to protect the property's monetary value for possible future sale to developers or for a proposed flood plain project.

Community stakeholders are floating a different idea. That is, use this invaluable property to enhance Nevada’s future and rebuild an agricultural education program to meet the needs of sophisticated college students and 21^st century challenges and opportunities.

This meeting is our opportunity to convey to UNR the level of community support for a new future and our collective opposition to the zoning proposal.

We know many are in favor of a different future for the Main Station Farm than the one currently in the UNR and Board of Regent plan, and all of us need to be at this meeting. We've heard from a broad spectrum of stakeholders. From those who live near the site to flood plain experts. From those dedicated to Nevada's long-term economic health to those who recognize Wolf Pack Meats as a key component of a healthy local food production system. From students who want to obtain their degree at UNR and put it to use in Nevada, to their parents who want to keep their educational dollars in Nevada. From established and emerging businesses that are creating food-system jobs and incomes, to the customers who buy from them. The list goes on.

UNR will likely return to the Reno City Council in March to continue the rezoning discussion. We hope to convince them to present a totally different proposal than the one on the table now. Join us and be at the meeting on Tuesday, February 21, 5:30 -7:30pm in the Joe Crowley Student Union to voice your support for a brighter future.

Learn to grow food when it's cold outside - Eliot Coleman teaches in Nevada

Many think Nevadans can grow only what our gardens or farms produce between May and September, but we know some farmers and gardeners harvest all year. Here's an opportunity to learn how they do it and what is possible on your piece of land.  

Eliot Coleman of Four Season Farm is on the cutting edge of cold region food production and he's coming to northern Nevada to share what he knows.

Coleman grows food year round...in Maine. Using no-energy technology and season-appropriate crop selection he grows food for his table and his business. We discovered his techniques a few years ago when I came across his book, Four Season Harvest, at the Washoe County Library. Since then we've read all his books and have been using what we’ve learned to grow some of our own cold-weather food.

Year round production is not a new concept. One hundred and fifty years ago France fed much of its urban population using year-round agricultural practices in the heart of its towns and cities.
Now is your chance to learn directly from a man who is reviving cold weather production, bringing it into the 21st century and introducing it to the US.

Whether you're a farmer or a backyard gardener this is a fantastic opportunity, not to be missed.
The Saturday workshop is geared towards farmers, the Sunday towards gardeners.

Saturday, February 11
Four Season Farming and Gardening with Eliot Coleman
Saturday, February 11, 9 am - 3:30 pm
RENO HIGH SCHOOL THEATER, 395 BOOTH STREET, RENO
$75 (includes lunch) - $85 after January 27

Sunday, February 12
RAIL CITY GARDEN CENTER, 1720 BRIERLEY WAY, SPARKS
Session 1 - 10:30 am - Noon Session 2 - 1:30 - 3 pm
$45 each session - $50 after January 27

Presented by Western Nevada College Specialty Crop Institute.
Information/registration: Ann Louhela -775-351-2551 or louhelaa@wnc.edu.

Zoning initiative jeopardizes future of Wolf Pack Meats and northern Nevada's local food infrastructure

If you love local food and local jobs make your voice heard. 

On December 14th @ 6pm the Reno City Council will vote on a Planning Commission recommendation to zone 104 acres of the Main Station Farm for light industrial use making the land accessible for development. Should the Council vote yes, this will open the door to the parceling off and destruction of this valuable piece of urban agricultural land and northern Nevada's agricultural infrastructure.

Though UNR and the Reno City Council are correct when they say the zoning decision to be addressed at the December 14th meeting will not close Wolf Pack Meats, what it really means is it won't close it right now. This will be the first parcel to be paved over and other development initiatives will follow. As development encroaches, opposition to the close proximity of a slaughter facility will surely result in the closure. This has happened to agricultural land everywhere.  In the US we pave over 1 acre of prime farmland every minute.

Wolf Pack Meats is the only USDA meat facility in northern Nevada and access to it keeps production costs lower so local ranchers can make their product available to us at a reasonable price.  Processing the meat here reduces middleman and transportation fees. It ensures the animals are treated humanely from farm to table.  This production circle keeps our food-based jobs in Nevada.  Read more or sign the petion now to oppose this proposal.

Subscription Farming Workshop on December 17, 2011

Last night the Local Food Network held one of their periodic strategic planning meetings at the River School. At this meeting interested people (30 of us) identified local food economy trends and needs. Then we determined which aspects are really important and need advocacy. One of the messages we heard from new young farmers is the need for education and training on the business end of farming and how farming works in a high-desert environment. In this regard, Western Nevada College fills a valuable role with educational opportunities for future farmers. Here's the latest, from my mailbox to you.

 Western Nevada College Offers

Subscription Farming Workshop

Subscription services are not limited to magazines and newspapers anymore. Farmers have discovered the popularity of offering weekly subscriptions to consumers for local, seasonal produce.

Area growers can learn more about this trend at an upcoming Western Nevada College Specialty Crop Institute workshop.  “Subscription Farming for the Small Farm” meets Saturday, Dec. 17, 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., at WNC Fallon campus, 160 Campus Way. Cost is $35 for registrations by December 9 and $45 afterward. Lunch is included.  

Good for us! Florida's Ag-gag bill fails

Here's a good-news-update on the Take a Farm Picture -- Go to Jail post.  The bill that would have made it illegal to take pictures of agricultural facilities in Florida did not pass.  Minnesota and Iowa still have bills on the table though, and Monsanto is pushing hard for passage in Iowa. 
Read a bit about this development here.

When Slow Food USA called on farm-lovers to become farmarzzi and take pictures of local farms in response to these bills, we went straight to Girl Farm with one of our favorite families and took these shots.  We didn't even get frisked! 

Take a farm picture and go to jail -- Big Ag has plans for us

Imagine you’re a person who cares about people and animals so you take pictures of abuse and negligence. Then you share them with others who care.  Then you’re arrested, pay fines, and possibly spend some time in jail.  This is what Big Ag has planned in Florida, Iowa, and Minnesota.