On Nevada Field Day on September 17, visitors will be treated to a variety of hands-on activities, wine tastings, demonstrations and giveaways, including a farm-to-fork cooking demonstration and samples at noon on the main stage at the University of Nevada. , Elisabeth Watkins of Reno. Watkins is known to many as Linden’s Farm Girl Chef, and is a Food Network’s Chopped Junior winner and a TEDx presenter. She earned her undergraduate degree and is working on her graduate degree at the University’s College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources, which hosts the event, with her Experimental station and Extension units. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the University Main Station Field Laboratory5895 Clean Water Way in Reno, near the intersection of McCarran Boulevard and Mill Street.
Watkins says she learned her cooking skills through Extension’s 4-H youth development programs, and will use produce and meat from the experimental station Desert Agriculture Initiative and Wolf Pack Meats. The Initiative, which will also sell its organic products at the event, runs a commercial farm, including orchards, open fields, greenhouses and a greenhouse, and seeks to advance climate-smart agriculture and sovereignty. food through demonstration, education, research and awareness. Wolf Pack Meats, which will offer tours at 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m., provides USDA-inspected harvesting and processing services to local farmers, teaches students the latest meat technology, and maintains its own herd to study ways to produce more meat with better quality.
Other demonstrations on the main stage at Nevada Field Day will involve protecting your home from embers, container gardening and propagating native food and medicinal plants. Additionally, the College’s award-winning student logging sports club, the Nevada Loggers, will host logging-related sporting events, including logging, bucking, and chainsaw demonstrations. There will also be tours of the sheep facilities (10:45 a.m. and 12:45 p.m.) and cattle facilities (11 a.m. and 1 p.m.).
The event will be buzzing with activity at more than 40 booths focusing on the latest advancements in agriculture, horticulture, nutrition, natural resources and the environment. The College’s new Rafter 7 Merino sheep wool clothing line will be on display and for sale. Sheep are world famous for their fine and soft wool.
At the Tasting Table, a partnership formed last fall between the College, its Experimental Station, and Nevada Winemakers and Vintners will offer samples to those 21 and older. The partnership aims to support activities and events, such as classes, wine reviews, winery tours, panel discussions, professional speakers and more, to promote the viticulture and winemaking industries in Nevada .
The tasting table will feature the University’s Riesling wine and red blended wine. Riesling grapes come from Lenox Vineyards in Silver Springs. The award-winning Nevada Sunset Winery harvested the grapes and oversaw the winemaking activities. The red blend is made from four Nevada Sunset Winery varietals, and the precise blend is the result of a College-sponsored wine blending competition in February.
There will also be activities and information for children. The 4-H Youth Development Program will invite youth to participate in papermaking, as an example of how 4-H projects inspire youth to learn about science, health, citizenship and more. The Rethink Your Drink Nevada Program will be there with healthy drink recipes for kids and information on reducing sugary drink consumption in children.
Other kiosks will offer activities and information for adults and young people. Some will make tortillas from different varieties of corn to teach plant breeding, sample products and ask tasters to give feedback on sweetness for a research project, distribute fall seedlings and seed packets, offer gardening advice, will sell plants from plant research, and provide information on a variety of research projects conducted by the College, such as research into:
- weather and climate (Find out how you can help scientists learn more about Nevada.)
- plant breeding and genetics
- low water use alternative crops for nevada
- use precision irrigation management methods and equipment to improve water conservation
- characteristics of plants to adapt to drought, salinity and heat
- increase plant tolerance to harsh environments and increase biomass productivity
- strategies to improve the efficiency of water use in factories
- prickly pear production and uses
- growing hemp in nevada
- animal breeding, genetics, nutrition and meat science (Kids, come get a cow puzzle.)
- use modern equipment to assess forage
- conserve and restore Grand Bassin rangelands and improve sustainable agricultural practices
- use virtual fences and collars and GPS tracking ear tags to manage cattle grazing
- methods to address the challenges of wildfire management in the Great Basin
- the relationship between diet and chronic kidney disease
- how bacteria and other microbes in the digestive tract affect the health of Nevada residents (Get information about participating in the study.)
- better understand insect hormones and smell to discover new, safer insecticides and management practices. (See live insect exhibits.)
- mosquitoes and ticks, and how to reduce their impact as carriers of diseases such as Lyme disease (see how to remove a tick.)
- economic factors throughout the state, including the economic value of hunting and the Nevada State Park System
Nevada Field Day has been a College tradition for decades, and for more than 65 years, faculty have used the 800-acre Main Station Field Laboratory to provide hands-on educational experiences for students and to conduct research. It has hosted hundreds of programs, such as those focused on raising healthy cattle, controlling noxious weeds, developing crops with low water consumption, and preserving clean air and some water.
“September is a great time of year to visit the University’s Main Station Field Laboratory,” said Bill Payne, Dean of the College. “There will be lots to see and do, and it really helps people understand how we combine the University’s missions of teaching, research, and engagement with our communities to serve Nevadans in their lives. daily.”
Faculty and staff will also be on hand to provide information on the College’s undergraduate and graduate programs, as well as programs offered by In-depth studies – non-credit professional development programs and industry-specific training programs.
Other organizations the College often partners with will also be on hand to provide information, including Nevada’s Western Regional Agricultural Stress Assistance Program; Great Basin Rangelands Research Unit, USDA – Agricultural Research Service; Nevada Section Society for Range Management; and Bees4Vets, a non-profit organization that supports veterans and first responders with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI) by teaching beekeeping. The program uses space in the University’s main station field laboratory to conduct programs.
Finally, the Codfather Burgers & Hamburgers food truck will be present. Admission is free, thanks to support from the Truckee Meadows Water Authority and Western Nevada Supply. For more information, call 775-784-6237. Individuals requiring reasonable accommodations should contact Paul Lessick, Civil Rights and Compliance Coordinator, at least five days prior to the event.
