An effort to encourage northern Nevada farmers to diversify their crops will kick off this week with a tour of the region by a California viticulture legend, followed by a seminar in Fallon.
John Caldwell, the operator of Caldwell Vineyard and the descendent of a family that has been in the California's Wine County for 120 years, will take a close look at northern Nevada's climate and soils and will tour vineyards and farms in the region this week.
He'll end his visit with a noontime seminar at the Western Nevada College campus in Fallon on Friday.
Caldwell's visit is the first of about 10 seminars planned in the next year or so by the newly created Specialty Crop Institute at Western
Nevada College in association with the Nevada Department of Agriculture.
Ann Louhela, coordinator of the Specialty Crop Institute, said it was created as farmers increasingly struggle to turn a profit with northern Nevada's traditional crops such as alfalfa.
High land values as well as rising costs for diesel fuel, water and other supplies are pushing northern Nevada farmers to look at crops that generate more revenue per acre, Louhela said.
Among the alternatives that the Specialty Crop Institute will be presenting, she says, are farming operations that specialize in cut flowers and the development of community-based farming operations in which individuals pledge in advance to cover the anticipated costs of a farm in exchange for a share of its production.
Yet another seminar is scheduled to discuss the use of hoop houses a series of hoops covered by greenhouse plastic to extend growing seasons in northern Nevada.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture provided a $104,017 grant to the state government to get the Specialty Crop Institute off the ground. Some of the money also will be used to support the Nevada Grown program, which markets food products grown in the state.
Caldwell, who will speak Friday, learned new viticulture techniques, such as the use of clones, from his travels in Europe. The 60-acre Caldwell Vineyard harvested its first grapes in 1985.
