As consumers, many of us go to the store or our local farmers markets and buy our fruits, vegetables and meats, without giving much thought about what it took to produce what we pick up to nourish our bodies. The fact is, researchers, farmers and ranchers are constantly working to produce healthier and tastier food in more and more challenging conditions. At on May 30, the University of Nevada, Reno will be showing and telling about this work, as well as showcasing and selling its locally produced fruits and vegetables, meats and plants.
The event is 2 – 6 p.m., at the in Reno, at 1000 Valley Road. Visitors will be treated to hands-on activities, wine tasting, a farm stand, a stand selling packaged local meat, plant sales, demonstrations, giveaways and tours and exhibits featuring University research. The University’s College of Agriculture, Biotechnology & Natural Resources, with its , and units, is hosting the event that features over 40 booths and also includes participation from partners with whom the University regularly collaborates.
The booths focus on the College’s work to advance food production and food security in the state, help track and sustain natural resources, improve human health and nutrition, and contribute to economic development and healthy communities.
“This is a great time of year for people to visit the University’s Valley Road Field Lab and get just a taste of what we do in these areas we focus on,” said Bill Payne, dean of the College. “There will be a lot to do and see. We enjoy connecting with the community and demonstrating how what we do impacts our communities and the lives of Nevadans.”
Many of the booths feature hands-on activities and giveaways, and a main stage will feature engaging presentations. Silver State Pie Company will be there selling pies using vegetables and meat produced by the University, and Kona Ice will also be on hand with shaved ice available for purchase.
Visitors can navigate the event while engaging in the “Where’s Wolfie” game, searching for mini Wolfies throughout the event. They will be provided with a Where’s Wolfie card to track their success, and once they fill up the card, they can turn it in at the Where’s Wolfie booth for a prize. Just some of the many Field Day activities are mentioned here, with more in the works.
Supporting Nevada’s farmers: Produce, plants, wine-tasting, grafting demonstration, hoop houses and more
The Experiment Station’s , housed at the Valley Road Field Lab, will be selling its organic produce and plant starts, hosting wine-tasting and providing information on its various programs that support small farm resiliency, including the Nevada Farm Apprenticeship Program, the Food Sovereignty Program, Grow Organic Nevada and the Nevada Farm Network. The Initiative runs a commercial farm, including orchards, open fields, hoop houses and a greenhouse, and seeks to advance Nevada farming and resilient food systems through demonstration, education, research and outreach.
Staff from the Initiative will also provide a tomato grafting demonstration, showing how to attach a scion (the fruiting portion of the plant) to a tomato rootstock that boosts yields. Audience members will be invited to try their hand at using grafting tools. And, one of the College’s research labs will introduce a new variety of tomato plant that was developed for indoor agriculture.
Researchers will be showing their work with succulents and cactus aimed at taking traits from drought-tolerant plants and breeding those traits into other plants, to help producers be able to grow food more successfully in arid climates. Many plants used in the research will also be for sale.
Visitors can also see how hoop houses are used at the field lab, and Extension will provide information on the uses of hoop houses for home gardeners as well as agricultural producers. Extension Master Gardener staff and volunteers will also be on hand to answer gardening and landscaping questions. Extension horticulture experts will be demonstrating concepts aimed at water conservation, and Experiment Station researchers will show their work aimed at improving irrigation efficiency for Nevada crops. There will also be information and handouts on creating native pollinator-friendly spaces.
Extension will also be providing information on its extensive Food Business Center efforts, part of a larger regional and national effort, aimed at providing comprehensive support to help local food businesses thrive to enhance food security. Information on the College’s work to help tribal communities with access to and production of healthy food will also be available. Extension nutrition staff will also present a healthy cooking demonstration on stage and offer samples.
For history buffs, the University Archives will have historical photos and documents on hand highlighting the importance of agriculture, Extension and the Experiment Station in the University's history.
Serving Nevada’s ranchers and meat industry: Wolf Pack Meats, meat cutting demonstration, technology for livestock and range management
The Experiment Station’s will also be on hand, selling meats produced at the University’s in southeast Reno. The facility provides USDA-inspected harvesting and processing services to local farmers, teaches students the latest in meat technology, and maintains its own herd to study ways to produce meat in greater quantities with higher quality.
Extension’s Meat Workforce Development Program will demonstrate steak cutting and cooking on the main stage, showing how to break down an affordable, large cut of beef into family-size cuts and package them. The mobile harvest unit that helps local producers with their meat processing will also be on display, and information will be provided on the College’s education and harvest services to support consumers and producers in sourcing healthy, safe, local meat.
Visitors can also learn about how University researchers are using technology to better manage livestock and rangelands, including using GPS technology for livestock movement tracking, virtual fencing collars for livestock containment, and drones for pasture management and weed identification.
Working to sustain Nevada’s natural resources and wildlife, and manage forests and wildfires
On the main stage, the Nevada Cooperative Fish & Wildlife Research Unit will be providing a “PIT tagging” demonstration, showing how tiny, implantable electronic tags called Passive Integrated Transponders are used to identify and track individual animals, including reptiles and fish. The tags, similar to pet microchips, contain a unique code and are safely implanted into the animals so that researchers can then detect the tags using specialized scanners, allowing them to monitor animal movement, survival and other behaviors to help manage fish and wildlife populations and conserve species in their natural habitats. The Unit aims to promote research and graduate student training in the ecology and management of fish, wildlife and their habitats, and is a collaboration among the University, U.S. Geological Survey, Nevada Department of Wildlife, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Wildlife Management Institute.
Researchers will also show how scientists determine past landscapes at a booth showcasing methods in historical ecology.
Another stage demonstration will show how fiber optic cables can "listen" to the environment. Researchers from the CTEMPs lab on campus will show how different cable types and soil conditions affect data collection for earthquake monitoring, groundwater studies and infrastructure safety.
Extension’s will provide an on-stage matchstick forest demonstration, showing how wildfire moves through forests. Using a physical model, participants will discover how factors such as slope and tree density influence the speed and direction of fire spread. The program will also have information on how to make homes and neighborhoods safer from the threat of wildfire.
The University’s student logging team, the Nevada Loggers, are always a hit. They will back again this year to demonstrate the skills they compete in at logging sports competitions, including bucking and chainsaw events. Researchers will also show how scientists determine past landscapes at a booth showcasing methods in historical ecology.
Promoting a healthy Nevada
Visitors can learn ways to improve their fiber intake at a booth showcasing sources of fiber through games and quizzes, and giving away recipe booklets and other items. And, the College’s Rethink Your Drink Program will have information, activities and giveaways promoting health drink choices for all ages.
For the kids, the will highlight hands-on learning opportunities for youth. Participants are invited to take aim with the inflatable archery display and create a unique piece of art to take home. Parents and children can learn more about 4-H programs and camps available to Nevada youth this summer and throughout the year.
Researchers will also display their work focusing on insect physiology of pests affecting humans, animals and agriculture, and aiming to understand insect hormones and sense of smell to discover new, safer insecticides and management practices.
Collaborating, teaching, discovering
The local nonprofit LEAD with Horses, with whom the University is engaging with in a new initiative, will be bringing their horses, showcasing their work in equine-assisted services, and talking about the use of horses in education, and in mental and physical health. Other organizations, many of which the College often collaborates with, will also be participating in the Expo, providing information and activities. Some of these include the Nevada Department of Agriculture, the Walker Basin Conservancy, the USDA Agricultural Research Service, Great Basin Fire Science Exchange, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Bees4Vets and One Health.
Faculty and staff will be on hand at the property, which is a short walk from campus, to provide information on the College’s undergraduate and graduate degree programs, as well as programs offered by Extended Studies, noncredit professional development programs and industry-specific training programs.
Nevada Field Day has been a College tradition for decades, and the University has been using the Valley Road Field Lab for agricultural research since around the turn of the century, when Washoe County realized the need for a dedicated space for agricultural research, purchased the land, and deeded it to the University. Today, with 27 acres designated for research and education, the property encompasses state-of-the-art research facilities, including the Greenhouse Complex, the Nevada Genomics Center and biofuels research facilities. Additional assets include eight high-tunnel hoop houses, an 18-acre equestrian facility and a fully equipped maintenance engineering shop.
Admission is free. For more information, email Rose Anguiano or call her at 775-682-8357. Persons in need of special accommodations or assistance should email Paul Lessick, civil rights and compliance coordinator, or call him at 702-257-5577 at least five days prior to the scheduled event with their needs or for more information.
