In the face of a mandated $11 million budget cut, the University of Nevada, Reno’s administration has trained its gaze on the College of Agriculture, Biotechnology, and Natural Resources (CABNR). Drastic changes are proposed. (For details, visit Cabnr.unr.edu.) While a final decision won’t be made until the Board of Regents meet in June, the impacts could, among other changes, mean:
1) The closure of the Department of Resource Economics, including all related degree programs. Eliminated degrees would be the B.S. in agricultural and applied economics, the minor in agribusiness, the B.S. in environmental and resource economics, the minor in natural resource and environmental economics, and the M.S. and Ph.D in resource economics.
2) Reorganization of CABNR would involve closure of Wolf Pack Meats (believe it or not, the state’s only USDA-inspected plant) and its education programs.
What is ridiculous about these cuts is UNR was founded as a land grant university. Agriculture education has been an established and required component since the university’s beginning. Agriculture is in the university’s (and our state’s) roots. And agriculture also has the possibility of being a great big bright spot in the state’s future.
In addition to cuts proposed to Nevada’s agricultural education, employees at the state Department of Agriculture barely escaped a devastating financial blow. The Plant Industries Division was on the hook, which includes areas such as entomology, pest control, noxious weeds, nursery programs, and seed certification. The Nevada organic-certification program is housed under the Plant Industries Division, and also was on the chopping block, as it was last year. If the program had been eliminated, farmers would have had to hire California inspectors to travel to the area to register new, and update existing, certified-organic farmers. This would have been an additional financial burden on already-strained local farmers. Also, maintaining our own state organic program is a strong message that we citizens care about our health, and support farmers doing the right thing, enough to fund a low-cost program that includes just one employee.
The proposed cuts show that the powers that be don’t value small farmers as they should. Small-scale farming is a growing business here (even though it may be a drop in the bucket when compared to larger industries). But it’s a positive area of growth, and we should support it.
Thankfully, friends of Nevada organics rallied together to call and write officials. Their efforts helped spare the entire Plant Industries Division, including the organic-certification program. What is scary is even larger state budget cuts are proposed in 2011.
“Everyone is cringing in the corner for the next legislative session,” says longtime Nevada organic farmer Steve Litsinger. “It’s going to be hell next year.”
While the budget crisis and other dangers are approaching, there are many achievements to applaud.
THE SWEET
The local food movement is growing like never before right here in Nevada (yes, “(edible) things grow here”). There is increased demand for local, organic, and natural foods. And growers are responding to the demand by bumping up production, finding additional means to get food to consumers (such as more farmers’ markets and community-supported agriculture programs), and they are starting up new farm ventures. In Northern Nevada, we have more than 80 small local farmers growing everything from potatoes, garlic, and onions to herbs, lettuce, melons, eggs, and wine grapes.
More residents are growing their own edible gardens, showing that eating naturally doesn’t have to be expensive, and proving it can be fun and educational, too. Speaking of education, through grassroots efforts, school and community gardens are growing like crazy as well.
Though they are hit by the down economy, local restaurant owners are hanging on and are offering innovative ways to capture diners. And some entrepreneurial restaurateurs are even expanding into second locations.
In addition to NevadaGrown and Slow Food Lake Tahoe (among others), more local food organizations have cropped up, such as Slow Food Reno and Urban Roots.
And a new local food magazine has hit the streets to relish our emerging farm community and tell our region’s great food + drink stories.
So even though threats loom on the horizon, there is much to celebrate. And we at edible Reno-Tahoe aim to unearth all of the fascinating hidden gems around our region. We hope to inspire you, educate you, entertain you, or just make you smile about a topic that’s close to home. We want to welcome you to your vibrant, local food community and to edible Reno-Tahoe. We hope you grow with us!
