2009 Northern Nevada farmers market schedule

RENO
California and Booth Street
Saturdays, 8am to 1pm, June 6th – October 3rd

West Street Urban Market
West Street between 1st & 2nd
Sundays, 9am to 1pm, June 14th – September 13th

Shopper’s Square
S. Virginia and Plumb
Tuesdays, 8am to 1pm, June 9th - October 6th


Somersett Town Square, 7650 Town Square Way
Wednesdays, 4-8pm, June 10–Aug 26
Linda, (775) 787-4500 Ext 311
www.somersett.com

Tamarack Junction Casino
13101 S Virginia
Fridays, 8am to 1pm, June 12th – October 9th,


SPARKS
United Methodist Church
1231 Pyramid Way
Tuesdays, 8am-1pm, June 2-Sep 15
Everett, (775)358-0925

Sparks Hometowne Farmers' Market on Victorian Square.
Thursdays from 4pm to 9pm, June 11th to ?

CARSON CITY
3rd & Curry St
Saturdays, 9am-1pm, June 27-Oct 3
Linda, (775) 882-6741
www.carsonfarmersmarket.com

Pony Express Pavilion
East 50 (Williams) & Saliman
Wednesdays 3pm – 7pm, June 10th – September 2nd

DAYTON
Community Roots Nursery
Hwy 50 & 2nd Ave,
Thursdays, 4-7pm, June 25-September
Wendy, (775)250-7884


FALLON
Churchill County Fairgrounds
325 Sheckler Rd
Tuesdays, 4:00-8:30 pm, June 16 – Aug 25 (closed July 7)
Don, (775) 427-3428

Grower's Market
The Slanted Porch, 310 S. Taylor Street
Saturdays, 9:00-1:00, May 30th - TBA
The Slanted Porch at 775-423-4489


GARDNERVILLE
Lampe Park
Wednesdays, 8am-1pm, June 3 - Sep 16
Jana, (775)782-9828
http://www.douglascountynv.gov/sites/recdept/Adult.cfm

MINDEN

Downtown, Esmeralda Avenue
Tuesdays, 4-8pm, June 2 - September
Roxanne, (775) 782-2444

Can we indulge in local food without thinking about canning?

Wow! Is this a crazy year for seriously local-food or what? Everywhere I go people who've never gardened before are looking for community gardens and/or advice about growing food in Nevada. They can’t believe that at this very moment I (a marginal gardener, at best) can walk into my yard and harvest asparagus, lots of lettuce/greens, mustard, broccoli Raab, parsley, chives, thyme, rosemary, salsify, arugula, daikon radish, carrots, and green garlic. And I haven’t really put in much effort yet.

I received an email the other day that got me thinking that we can't really talk about eating more local food without talking about preserving the tasty bounty. And while we're thinking about that why not spend our money in our own community. Here’s what I’ve been thinking…

Learn to grow your own grapes in Northern Nevada

From my mailbox to you. Western Nevada College offers another great workshop on growing your own grapes, whether you dream of being a vintner or just want grapes in your back yard.


Nevada farmers continue efforts to expand the state’s viticulture and wine industry with a workshop at Western Nevada College Specialty Crop Institute on Friday and Saturday, May 8-9.
The two-day workshop includes classroom instruction at the Fallon campus, 160 Campus Way, and a site visit to Churchill Vineyards, a successful Nevada winery.

Friday’s classroom session is 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
On Saturday, participants will choose a morning or afternoon visit to the winery.

Cost is $60 for the two-day workshop, which includes lunch on Friday. Registrants receive a $10 discount if payment is made by May 5.

The classroom session includes instruction on establishing a vineyard; site, rootstock and varietal selection; canopy management; and pest management strategies. Viticulture experts and local growers will share their knowledge, including a panel discussion with Nevada farmers about their progress and challenges in growing grapes.

Saturday’s tour of Churchill Vineyards and winery will demonstrate proper pruning and planting techniques in the vineyards, wine tasting, and discussion on the potential for Nevada’s wine and grape-growing industries.

Grapes are one of several specialty crops that conserve water and yield a high-value monetary return per acre. Established in 2001, Churchill Vineyards is Churchill County’s first vineyard, harvesting ten varieties of fine wine grapes. Located seven miles south of Fallon, it is Nevada’s second licensed winery and first Estate Winery. It also has an experimental distilled spirits plant, distilling products grown on Nevada’s high desert farms, including cantaloupe brandy, corn whiskey, and several flavors of vodka.

The Western Nevada College Specialty Crop Institute is an innovative education program for current and future small-scale farmers, as well as students and professionals. Participants learn alternative farming methods to transition from low-value crops to high-value, direct-marketed specialty crops that can increase profitability and conserve water.

Workshops combine classroom and on-farm learning experiences. It is made possible with funding from the Nevada Department of Agriculture and USDA/AMS through the Specialty Crop Block Grant.

To register, contact Ginny Dugan, 775-423-7565, ext. 2230, or visit WNC’s web site, www.wnc.edu/sci.

For information regarding the Specialty Crop Institute and future workshops, contact Project Coordinator Ann Louhela at 775-351-2551.

Master Gardener's plant sale - more help growing your own local food

From my mailbox to you:

The annual Master Gardener plant sale will be held on Saturday, May 16, at the Cliff Fouts Demonstration Garden adjacent to the UNR Cooperative Extension office at 5305 Mill Street (about a block west of east McCarren).

The sale goes from 7:30 am until 11:00 am. Get there early because this is a popular event and the line forms early. Bring something sturdy to hold your plants in while your browse and stand in line to pay.

A large variety of flowers and veggies are for sale at ~$1.50/four inch pot; some ½ gallon pots of flowers, shrubs, and grapes are also available at varying (low) prices. It’s a real deal for a good cause (supporting the demo garden).

Michael Janik is our local fruit tree guy and a Master Gardener. He'll be helping out in the tomato section. Stop by and say Hi!

On a personal note, it was at the 2006 Master Gardener Plant Faire that I discovered what is now our favorite tomato --





-- Silvery Fir Tree. Both fruit and plant are beautiful, it sets fruit early, and it is sooooo tasty!

Stop by...you might find your next family treasure. And while you're there say Thank you to Wendy Hanson Mazet, the Master Gardeners coordinator, and all the Master Gardeners who are dedicated to bringing gardening back to our lives.