cover
A GREAT MEETING PLACE
Reno-Tahoe meat producers play an important role in our local food community.
WRITTEN BY BARBARA TWITCHELL
PHOTO BY JEFF ROSS
A pencil holder, made from a distinctive part of a bull’s anatomy, stands on the corner of a local rancher’s cluttered desk. The inscription on the base reads something like, “You need big ones to be a Nevada rancher.”
There probably is not one farmer or rancher in this state who would disagree. It’s a hard life, full of long days, backbreaking work, financial risk, and uncertain profit margins. Despite that, this special breed of men and women willingly embraces the challenge. And it turns out that their efforts have a huge impact on our economy and lifestyle.
Most people think of gambling, tourism and mining when they think of Nevada, but agriculture also ranks as one of the state’s most important industries. And our No. 1 agricultural product? Meat animals. In fact, cattle and calves take the crown as our leading agricultural commodity, accounting for almost $300 million, or nearly 40 percent, of total farm receipts.
There are half a million cattle and nearly 100,000 assorted sheep, pigs, and other livestock being raised on more than 3,000 Nevada farms. Most of these are located in the northern part of the state, with neighboring Lyon and Churchill ranking as the No. 1 and No. 3 counties, respectively, for agricultural sales. And there are more, located just over the state line in neighboring Northern California, that also contribute to our local economy.
Perhaps the most surprising news is that the vast majority of these farms are owned not by megacorporations but by private parties. More than 80 percent of Nevada’s farms are owned by individuals or families. If you count family-held corporations and partnerships, that number increases to almost 98 percent. In fact, less than 1 percent of these properties are owned by non-family corporations.
What that means is that most of those hardworking farmers and ranchers are our neighbors and friends. We share the common bond of community. Their efforts support it, and we, in turn, need to support them with our patronage in order to ensure their survival.
We have selected just a few of them to highlight in this issue. They represent a small sampling of the numerous meat producers in the Reno-Tahoe/Northern California area (see Resources for additional meat producers/suppliers). These vignettes offer a personal glimpse into the lives of the people in our own community who put meat on our tables.
Barbara Twitchell is a Reno-based freelance writer. Her research for this issue gave her a new understanding of and appreciation and respect for the valuable role of Nevada’s meat producers.
