The Desert Farming Initiative at the University of Nevada, Reno is hosting its first Farm-to-Table Dinner to highlight local food production and raise money for student internships. The four-course dinner will be created by nationally acclaimed local Chef Mark Estee and will be held 5 – 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 15, at the Desert Farming Initiative Farm, 920 Valley Road in Reno. “The farm-to-table dinner movement is really educating people about how
their food is produced, as well encouraging good health and nutrition,” said Bill Payne, dean of the University’s College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources. “We are happy to be able to offer this inaugural event to our community.” In partnership with the Western Nevada College Specialty Crop Institute, the dinner will be sourced with local ingredients from the Desert Farming Initiative and Nevada farmers and ranchers. Local farmers and ranchers will also attend to talk about their ingredients. “Our two organizations have been working together for the past several years to help farmers grow their businesses,” Ann Louhela, project director for the Specialty Crop Institute, said.
“As a four-year university and community college, our resources are complementary, and our goal with this fundraiser is to give students hands-on experience with farming. We need to develop a new generation of farmers.” Tickets for the dinner are $125 per person and can be purchased at
https://supportnevada.unr.edu/farmdinner [2]. For more information about the fundraiser or corporate sponsorships, contact Jennifer Ott at
707-280-9479 or jmott@unr.edu [3]. The Desert Farming Initiative is a collaborative program of the University of Nevada, Reno’s College of
Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources; Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station; University of Nevada Cooperative Extension; and College
of Business. Headquartered at the Nevada Agricultural Experiment Stations’ Valley Road Field Lab, the Initiative is a research and educational facility for students, faculty and community members to discover the benefits of hoop-house and greenhouse farming in desert climates. The produce grown in the hoop houses is used in on-campus dining facilities, sold to area distributors and donated to hunger-relief organizations. Nevada’s land-grant university founded in 1874, the University of Nevada, Reno ranks in the top tier of best national universities by U.S. News and World Report and is steadily growing in enrollment, excellence and reputation. The University serves nearly 21,000 students. Part of the Nevada System of Higher Education, the University is home to the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension and Wolf Pack Athletics. Through a commitment to world-improving research, student success and outreach benefiting the communities and businesses of Nevada, the University has impact across the
state and around the world. For more information, visit _www.unr.edu
