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Carson Valley looks to integrate residential, agricultural spaces into ‘Agrihoods’

Douglas County has multiple priority projects on the books right now, including education innovation, distinctive downtowns, becoming an aviation destinations and more, but one in particular has it’s roots set firmly in the Carson valley’s history of agriculture, and that is "Agrihoods."

Agrihood, a combination of Agriculture and Neighborhood, is “an organized community that integrates agriculture into a residential neighborhood to facilitate food production while providing open space, activities and an ag lifestyle for members of the community,” according to the Agrihood literature.

The first developments in the Carson Valley were farms and ranches due to the excellent agriculture opportunities provided by the wide open valleys and foothills along the Sierra Nevadas. However, Douglas County farm land has decreased over 50 percent since 1945.

According to Douglas County, 70 parent of Carson Valley ranches and farms are not profitable. An agrihood could, they say, help overcome the financial challenges of passing an agriculture property to a new generation.

The idea of development would be to cluster housing in specific areas of the development, while leaving a large portion of the development as open space for agricultural or ranch use, similarly to a golf course. But instead of the open space being used for golfing, it would instead be a professionally operated farm in which residents could participate, should they desire.

The “Agrihood Interest Group” was formed in Feb 2019 in order to study the agricultural-neighborhood hybrid trend, and along the way they studied 11 Agrihood projects and have visited three sites.

The closest Agrihoods to our area are located near Sacramento (in development), Idaho (in development), and Washington (complete).

In addition to potentially creating a healthier, happier, less dependent community, Douglas County also believes that Agrihoods are advantageous to developers, due to lower cost of development and lower land costs. In addition, they say, there are higher sale values for lots and homes, faster sales absorption, and they can “leverage community good will,” according to a presentation given to the Minden Rotary in Dec. of 2018.

Going hand in hand with the idea of returning to historical roots, Douglas County also discusses the “Douglas County Specialty Crop Block Grant Project,” which would provide for the expansion, production, and use of speciality crops in Douglas County, such as fruits and nuts, vegetables, culinary herbs and spices, medicinal herbs, horticulture, annual bedding plants, and more.

Currently, there are 50,000 acres of “prime farmland” in Douglas County, according to their grant presentation, but only 22 acres are listed in specialty crops. Douglas County hopes to further identify opportunities to expand specialty crops, going hand in hand with Agrihoods, in order to become less dependent on outside food sources.

To learn more about Douglas County’s prospective Agrihood plans, click here.

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The Nevada Jeep Club held their first Washoe Valley Cleanup on Saturday, May 4 and collected more than 450 pounds of trash along Highway 395.

Partnership Carson City has launched “Rediscovering Your Mental Health Series,” a five-week program aimed at promoting mental wellness during Mental Health Awareness Month this May. Each week, participants will have the opportunity to learn new skills and techniques to enhance their mental well-being and foster a healthy community.

The Carson City Leisure Hour Club members continue celebrating the organization’s 127th year with a presentation on the upcoming Jazz and Beyond festival.

At the club’s dinner meeting on Thursday, May 16, Cherie Shipley, a member of the event planning committee, will talk about the annual Jazz and Beyond festival, how it formed, and the impact it has had on the community. Jazz and Beyond is scheduled for August 16 to August 25, 2024.

Here is the Carson City area road report for the week of May 6-12, 2024. Closures are expected at the following locations due to road and utility work:

Organized by Carol Park, the Elks held an open to the public, two-day indoor garage sale at the lodge in March as a fundraiser for Holiday with a Hero. Lodge members donated all items sold and assisted at the event which received excellent support from the community.

An 18-year-old Carson City man was arrested at a local diner after allegedly stealing a car from a used car lot two days prior to test drive it.

Friday May 10 at 7:30PM, Valhalla Tahoe kicks off their season with a living history presentation, “The Reno Cure,” at the Boathouse Theater. Reno has long been known as “The Biggest Little City.”

The Carson City Symphony Association will present a concert, "Pleasures of Music," on Friday, May 10, 2024, at 7:30 p.m. at Shepherd of the Sierra Lutheran Church, 3680 N. Hwy. 395, south of Best Buy, Carson City. The concert is a Mark Twain Days event. Admission is free, donations welcome,

Members of the Rotary Club of Carson City will learn how its annual Educational Grant has helped local students at the club’s next meeting. Carson School District K-12 Curriculum & Assessment Coordinator Brittany Witter received the club’s Carson City School District’s Professional Development Center Grant last year with the goal of funding the “Literacy and Love of Reading through Social Studies” project.

Western Nevada College hosted a ceremony to celebrate students succeeding in training to reestablish themselves in the workforce on Thursday.

Perfection in a fur coat is the best way to describe Cher, our cat of the week. Just 7 months old, she is a pretty little short-haired girl with a sweet and social personality.

Carson High School's Senior in the Spotlight this week is Parker Schmid, a remarkable young man whose sparkle radiates in every aspect of his life. From academics to extracurriculars, Parker's journey embodies excellence and compassion, traits that set him apart from his peers.

UPDATE 6 p.m.: Courtesy of the Lyon County Sheriff’s Office: On May 3, 2024 at approximately 1430 hours, Lyon County Sheriff’s Deputies responded along with Central Lyon County, Carson City and Storey County Fire personnel to the area of 34 Newman Ln. for a report of motorhome on fire. Upon arrival, it was discovered that the fire had spread and multiple other abandoned vehicles caught fire as well. No one was hurt or injured during the incident. The incident is currently under investigation, which is being conducted by the Nevada State Fire Marshall’s Division.

UPDATE 2:38 p.m.: Firefighters from Storey are also now responding.

UPDATE 2:33 p.m.: Multiple vehicles on the property are engulfed in flame.

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Around 2:15 p.m. a fire was reported at 34 Newman Lane in Mound House.

Firefighters from Carson City and Lyon County are enroute to the scene.

UPDATE 1:20 p.m.: According to Sheriff Ken Furlong, a student reported they saw a weapon. The incident was investigated and there was no weapon found. The lockdown has now been lifted and students are leaving the school.

UPDATE 1:15 p.m.: Update 05-03-24 at 1:15 p.m.
One student has reported an alleged weapon sighting. It has not been corroborated, but school officials and the sheriff’s office are investigating out an abundance of caution.

***

UPDATE 12:50 p.m.: The following update was provided by the district:

Carson High School was put on lockdown this afternoon around 12:15 p.m. No person was injured. There is an active situation being investigated in cooperation with the Carson City Sheriff’s Office. We will provide more information as it becomes known. The school is secure. Do not go to the school. No entrances will be permitted at time. The district will provide updates every 30 minutes. Expect the next update at 1:15 p.m.

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Carson High School is currently on a lockdown as of 12:40 p.m. Friday, but there has been no incident reported according to Sheriff Ken Furlong.

Two School Resource Officers are on scene investigating why the alarm went off.

The Lyon County Board of County Commissioners heard a presentation from the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) on the current status of the Highway 50 Preservation Project in Dayton.

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After months of thorough community engagement and meticulous deliberation, Douglas County has announced the completion of its new Strategic Plan. This document, which will guide the County's decisions and resource allocation for the next five years, is the result of extensive input from both internal and external stakeholders.

The unpredictability of spring this first weekend of May continues with the threat of snow showers in the Sierra on Saturday, along with gusty winds and rain down to the valley floors for Carson City and surrounding areas. The storm system should moved out by Sunday morning.

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