Extension’s ‘Farm Days’ set for April in Carson City

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension’s 4-H presents Capital City Farm Days, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m., April 11 and 12 at the Carson City Fairgrounds and Fuji Park Exhibit Hall, 601 Clear Creek Road.

There will be about 30 presenters teaching elementary-age youth about Nevada agriculture, where food and fiber come from, and environmental issues related to agriculture.

Attendees will include public, private and home-schooled students and their families from Carson City, Storey County, Douglas County and Dayton Valley. Teachers and home-schoolers can still make reservations to bring their students by contacting the Carson City Cooperative Extension office, 775-887-2252.

“Presenters will teach about how ranching and farming in Nevada serve us, as well as the benefits and challenges of maintaining agriculture in our state,” Sandra Wallin, with the 4-H Youth Development Program, said. “All of the presenters love the event, and attendees look forward to it each year.”

Presentation topics and demonstrations will include composting, organic farming, water, noxious weeds, bees and rangeland. The Nevada Department of Agriculture will have “Moolissa” there, the life-size milking cow. Future Farmers of America and 4-H youth will also bring their livestock project animals and talk about what it takes to raise a market animal. There will be wild horses and burros, a herding demonstration, and a branding presentation.

Capital City Farm Days has been a part of Carson City Cooperative Extension outreach to the community for more than 20 years. Cooperative Extension’s 4-H Youth Development Education Program teaches leadership, citizenship and life skills to nearly 50,000 Nevada youth ages 5 to 19 each year, through activities such as practicing robotics and raising animals, with an emphasis on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education.

For information about Capital City Farm Days, contact Wallin at 775-887-2252 or wallins@unce.unr.edu or Jim Barcellos at barcellosj@unce.unr.edu.

To view a short video of a past Capital City Farm Days participant, 4-H’er Kelly and her cow Bluebell, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5uBpEalpcQ.