Thanks to the huge community response, UNR has withdrawn the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 21st 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 21st 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.
