agriculture

CARSON CITY — 2018 was an exciting year for the Nevada Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. As we put 2018 in the rear-view mirror, we’d like to celebrate some of our more notable highlights from the past year, and share a glimpse into what’s in store for 2019.

Four Carson High School students were named candidates for the Presidential Scholar at Tuesday's meeting of the Carson City School District Board.

The U.S. Forest Service has purchased a conservation easement on Jacks Valley Ranch six miles southwest of Carson City, officials announced Tuesday. The property is between National Forest system lands on the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest’s Carson Ranger District and the Jacks Valley Wildlife Management Area.

RENO — The Board of Regents of the Nevada System of Higher Education at its Nov. 16 meeting in Las Vegas, the sale of a 104-acre parcel at the University of Nevada, Reno’s Main Station Field Laboratory for $18 million, the appraised value of the property.

CARSON CITY — USDA Rural Development State Director Phil Cowee announced Tuesday that residents in 15 of Nevada’s rural and frontier counties will gain access to healthcare through recently approved federal broadband grants.

Winners of the 91st National FFA Nursery and Landscape Career Development Event held in Indianapolis were announced at the annual awards banquet, and students Connor Arnold, Alexsandra Knowlton, Maritza Filson, and Hayden Story took home some medals.

The Carson High School Library was packed with students Nov. 1 for a special occasion guest speaker, author and CHS graduate Teri Case. She gave students who attend College Connections some practical and realistic advice on writing applications for both local and national scholarships.

Each summer, Carson City’s historic downtown district is dotted with vibrantly-colored petunias spilling forth from an array of flower baskets.

CARSON CITY — Nevada will receive more than $1.5 million for its Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the state's Health and Human Services Director Richard Whitley announced Thursday.

The Carson Water Subconservancy District is offering a two-day bus tour of the Carson River Watershed. The Carson River Watershed “Get on the Bus” Tour will cover a variety of watershed topics and locations from the headwaters in Alpine County, Calif., to a tour of the Lahontan Dam and Gate House near Fallon.

CARSON CITY — Kids and teens ages 10-14 in Carson City will join more than 150,000 children across the country in leading the 11th annual 4-H National Youth Science Day challenge throughout the month of October. This year’s challenge, Code Your World, teaches young people computer science skills through four engaging hands-on activities.

RENO — Mountain snowpack is a primary source of water for the arid western United States. This region, which includes Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah, receives precipitation in mountains far from agricultural fields, and during the winter months when crops are not grown.

Lindsay Chichester, extension educator with the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension (UNCE) office in Carson City, will be leaving her position in the Nevada state capital for the extension educator post at the UNCE Douglas County office in Gardnerville.

The USDA will provide more than $5 million in a combination of loan and grant funds to construct a wastewater transmission line from the Pine View Estates development south of Gardnerville to the Minden-Gardnerville Sanitation District, said Anne Hazlett Assistant to the Secretary for Rural Development, in an announced Monday.

University of Nevada, Reno’s Assistant Professor of Molecular Biology Monika Gulia-Nuss was recently recognized for her efforts to support students in the military, when she received the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve’s Service Member Patriot Award.

RENO, NV – At Nevada Field Day on Sept. 8, visitors will be treated to a variety of free activities and giveaways, and even some tasty food samples.

As part of this year’s activities, nationally acclaimed local food advocate Mark Estee will present a cooking demonstration at 10 a.m. Estee has been featured on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, and in Esquire Magazine.

The Nevada Department of Agriculture Animal Disease Laboratory has confirmed six positive rabies cases found in bats in Clark and Washoe counties to date this year. Rabies is common in bats throughout Nevada, and bat activity tends to increase between the months of May and October.

The second annual Carson City Fair brought local youth in agriculture, live music, home craft exhibitors, antique tractors and much more than last year. The fair provides a venue for local youth enrolled in 4-H, FFA and Grange to showcase their agricultural projects.

Will community gardens supplant the clubhouse? Will fairway views fade into farmscapes, and the fast-rolling greens of the golf course become rows of kale, cabbage and spinach?

DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA — Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval’s trade mission to Africa concluded on Friday in the coastal city of Durban, South Africa. Durban, also known as eThekwini Municipality, is home to the largest and busiest shipping terminal in sub-Saharan Africa.

The annual Third and Curry Farmer’s Market, held seasonally every summer in downtown Carson City, was recognized as one of the ten markets across the country to be featured during National Farmer’s Market Week on Saturday.

Spring rains caused more weeds to germinate in northern Nevada this year than in previous years, including some designated as “noxious weeds,” which the law requires to be eradicated.

Yeah, it’s hot out there, but it’s the area happenings that are sizzling. The Carson City Fair at Fuji Park offers a plethora of entertainment for all ages including tractor pulls, a carnival, and farm animals. Under the shade of the Mills Park cottonwoods, you’ll have all day to peruse the varied vehicles in the annual Run Whatcha Brung Car Show. The sun will come out tomorrow, but it’s the stars that are coming out tonight for the free Levitt Amp Concert at the Brewery Arts Center.

Ready for a good time? The Carson City Fair runs all day and culminates with a special concert in the arena starring Journey Unlimited. Car lovers are in for a treat: you can head down to the Carson Mall for their monthly cruise night, or roll into the Max Casino to get registered for the 33rd annual Run Whatcha Brung Car Show. The Trippin King Snakes take the stage in McFadden Plaza for a free all-ages show. Break a leg to the kids of Youth Theater Carson City; they open their production of ‘Bye, Bye, Birdie’ at the Community Center this evening.

It almost seems like the weekend is starting early, with all the great times offered today. The Carson City Fair is in full swing and will offer family-friendly fun through Sunday. Movie-lovers of all ages will enjoy tonight’s Movie on the Plaza: Princess Bride. It’s free to attend, but you’ll want to bring your own seating. Learn more about what lurks in the deep during tonight’s lecture at the Nevada State Museum; Dr.

It’s not lions and tigers and bears down at Fuji Park, it’s bunnies and chickens, lambs and calves. The Carson City Fair has returned and it’s bringing all the excitement that one can expect from a down-home event. The talented kids in our regional 4-H programs will be showing off their hard work, carnival rides will be whirling, and the music will be playing. Our local bus, the JAC, is lending a hand and offering free rides through Sunday: Route 3 will take you from downtown to Fuji Park. Food truck lovers won’t want to miss out on Wheeled Wednesday at the Brewery Arts Center.

SPARKS — As horse owners travel to equine events and rodeos with their animals, the Nevada Department of Agriculture is reminding owners to exercise caution and use best biosecurity practices to minimize risk of spreading disease.

After mercury was found in pet food in a 2016 research project at the University of Nevada, Reno, a new team is taking a closer look to quantify the concentration level of methylmercury, the toxic mercury compound that can have negative health impacts. Preliminary analyses of a few dog food samples showed methylmercury to be a significant percentage of the total mercury.

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension presents the 2018 Carson City Fair July 25-29. The event, held at Fuji Park, 601 Old Clear Creek Road in Carson City, is put on in partnership with the Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP), the Northern Nevada Antique Tractor and Engine Club, and others to celebrate youth and agriculture.

RENO — Lithium Nevada Corporation has made a gift of $31,500 in support of establishing the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources’ Great Basin Sagebrush Restoration project. Home to many iconic species found in the West, the sagebrush ecosystems in the United States have contracted to about 56 percent of their historical range due to land degradation, especially from wildfire and invasive species propagation.