Nevada grown fruit? Wouldn't that be great!

I love fruit, which is why I spend a big portion of our food budget at the farmers markets this time of year. Each year I fill our pantry and freezer with fruits grown for taste and harvested when they're ripe.  Ahh...if only some of them were grown in Nevada.  Yep, Nevada grown fruit is scarce but here's an opportunity to help fix that.  Learn more about growing fruit on a farm or in your yard.  From my mailbox to you...

 WNC Specialty Crop Institute Small Farm Orchard & Berry Production Workshop


A harvest-time workshop on orchard and berry production could bear fruit for those interested in becoming commercial small farmers, or improving their current farming processes.

Western Nevada College Specialty Crop Institute announces an orchard and berry production workshop on Friday, Sept. 10, 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., at WNC Carson City campus, 2201 West College Parkway. Cost is $35 if registered by Monday, Aug. 31, or $45 after August 31. Lunch is included in registration; seating is limited.

Participants will learn about orchard and berry production for the small farm including best varieties to grow in northern Nevada's climate and soils; site selection and planting, fertilization, pruning, pest management, and more. The workshop is intended for experienced and new farmers interested in small-scale commercial production and sales. It includes classroom training and an on-farm tour of Agape Organics, a certified organic apple orchard in Washoe Valley.

Featured speaker is local expert Michael Janik, who has grown and experimented with orchard fruits and berries for more than a decade. He's grown more than 100 apple varieties, as well as currants, grapes, berries and more. Janik is a certified arborist and is accomplished at grafting.

Eat this! First baby squash summer of the season

We bought these beautiful baby summer squash from the California Street Lattin Farm booth this morning.  They're perfect for a recipe we got out of the new Eating Local cookbook mentioned earlier...Summer Squash Carpaccio with Arugula, Pecorino, and Almonds.  We've served it twice and everyone raved!