The Nevada Small Agriculture Conference is being coordinated by Nevada Farm Bureau members with the assistance of the University of Nevada, Reno Extension and Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (WSARE). It will be held on August 25-26, 2023 at the Santa Fe Station in Las Vegas, NV. To register, click on the link below!

NV Small Agriculture Conference Registration

August 25-26, 2023

Tentative Schedule

Friday, August 25, 2023

7:30 a.m. -- Tradeshow Setup

9:00 a.m. -- Registration

9:30 a.m. Concurrent Sessions

Room A

Honey Bee Production
- Speaker: Lindsay Chinchester, PhD., Douglas County Extension Educator, UNR
Poultry Production
- Katie Combs, Direct Marketer & Sarah Sarah Stallard, Farm Manager of Las Vegas Livestock
Vegetable Production
- Cally Wade, Producer and Farm Market Manager, Little Ranch

Room B

Time and Stress Management
- Speaker: Brenda J. Freeman, Professor of Counseling/Extension Mental Health Specialist
Fruit and Vegetable Trials at the Research Center and Demonstration Orchard, NLV
- Speaker: Louise Ruskamp, Manager, Southern Nevada Extension's Research Center and Demonstration Orchard

11:30 a.m. -- Lunch - Success Stories Utilizing WSARE Funds

- Keynote Speaker: Clayton Marlow, Regional Coordinator, Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education

1:30 p.m. Concurrent Sessions

Room A -- BFR Workshop - Business Management

Enterprise Budgets & Taxes
- Speaker: Carol Bishop, Northeast Clark County Extension Educator, UNR
Business Planning
- Speaker: Buddy Borden, Associate Professor, Clark County Extension, UNR
Marketing Tools for a Busy Farmer
- Sarah Stallard, Farm Manager, Las Vegas Livestock

Room B

Hydroponics Past, Present, and Future
- Speaker: Taylor Quiram, Youth Horticulture Education Program Instructor

3:30 p.m. -- Panel Update of State Meat Processing

- Shayda Sanjideh, Meat & Poultry Inspection Project Manager, Nevada Department of Agriculture
- Staci Emm, Extension Educator, Mineral County Cooperative Extension, UNR
- Kyle Reber, Field Representative, Nevada Farm Bureau
- Martin Kirrane, Featherblade Craft Butchery

4:30 p.m. -- Southern Nevada Agriculture Roundtable Discussion

5:30 p.m. -- Social with Trade Show

6:00 p.m. -- Dinner - How to Find Your Place in the Market

- Keynote Speaker: Jordan and Kari Brough, Owner, Brough Ranch Beef

Saturday, August 26, 2023

8:30 a.m. -- General Session

8:30 a.m. -- Welcome

Bevin Lister, President, Nevada Farm Bureau
Jacob DeDecker, University of Nevada Reno, Associate Dean of Engagement and Extension Director
Clayton Marlow, Regional Coordinator, Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education

Keynote Speaker: Bryan Velinga (CFO), Allie Pieroni (Assisstant Manager) and Wendy Wilson with Garden Farms

10: 00 a.m. -- Break

10:15 a.m. Concurrent Sessions

Room A -- Panel for Opportunities in Farm Bureau
- Sarah Stallard, Young Farmer's and Rancher's District Chair
- Katie Combs, Clark County Farm Bureau President
- Lacey Tom, Agriculture Teacher at Moapa Valley High School
Room B -- Food Sovereignty & Food Security
- Speakers: Staci Emm, Mineral County Extension Educator, UNR

11:15 a.m. -- Break

11:30 a.m. Concurrent Sessions

Room A -- WSARE Grant Programs
- Speaker: Clayton Marlow, Regional Coordinator, Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
Room B -- How to Accept SNAP
- Speaker: TBD

12:30 p.m. -- Lunch - Sectors of Agriculture Networking Lunch

- Network with attendees who have similar interests as you whether it is in production, distribution, education, etc.

2:00 pm -- USDA, FSA and USDA NRCS Programs

- Speaker: Blane Merkley, County Executive Director, USDA & Ken Sowers, Outreach Coordinator NRCS

3:00 pm -- Break

3:15 pm -- Value Added Agricultural Producer Programs and Requirements

- Speaker: Carol Bishop, Northeast Clark County Extension Educator, UNR

4:30 p.m. -- Closing Session

Chapin, K. 2023, 2023 Nevada Small Agriculture Conference Tentative Agenda, University of Nevada, Reno Extension

Extension Associated Contacts

Kaley Chapin

Lindsay Chichester

Staci Emm

Also of Interest:


Graduate of the Pack: Connor Billman, International Agriculture Education Fellowship Program fellow Empowering youth and elevating small-holder farmers through agricultural science Andrews, A. 2021, Nevada Today
Industrial Hemp White Paper Growing Hemp in the American Southwest Publication provides horticultural, historical, and legal information on hemp; it is intended to educate the public and those interested in growing legal hemp in the American southwest. Proper growing practices, laws, fees, and hemp uses are discussed to provide readers with a so... McGue, L., Lane, K., Robinson, M.L., McCoy, J., Morawska, M., Anderson, J., Lombard, K., Leas, L., Masson, R. and O'Callaghan, A.O. 2021, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno, FS-21-98
Nevada State Crop and Resource-Use Needs Assessment: Stakeholder Perspectives on Crop, Resource Use, Pest and General Agricultural Needs Needs Assessment special publication for the state of Nevada, on crops, resource use, pest control, and general agricultural needs. Walia, M., Snider, K., Evans, W., Weigel, D. 2021, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno, SP-21-13
Evaluation of Food Action Planning Committee Meeting and Urban Agriculture and Food Sustainability Forum, August 23-24, 2017 Buffington, A., and Bosket, C. 2017, Extension \| University of Nevada, Reno, SP-18-01
Good Agricultural Practices and Good Handling Practices: Water Use in Horticultural Systems Good agricultural practices (GAPs) and good handling practices (GHPs) encompass management practices producers, growers and packers of fresh produce should follow to minimize contamination of their product. This publication covers those practices related to water use. Urbanowitz, S. 2013, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension

2023 Nevada Small Agriculture Conference Tentative Agenda

NV Small Agriculture Conference Registration

August 25-26, 2023

Tentative Schedule

Friday, August 25, 2023

7:30 a.m. -- Tradeshow Setup

9:00 a.m. -- Registration

9:30 a.m. Concurrent Sessions

Room A

Honey Bee Production
- Speaker: Lindsay Chinchester, PhD., Douglas County Extension Educator, UNR
Poultry Production
- Katie Combs, Direct Marketer & Sarah Sarah Stallard, Farm Manager of Las Vegas Livestock
Vegetable Production
- Cally Wade, Producer and Farm Market Manager, Little Ranch

Room B

Time and Stress Management
- Speaker: Brenda J. Freeman, Professor of Counseling/Extension Mental Health Specialist
Fruit and Vegetable Trials at the Research Center and Demonstration Orchard, NLV
- Speaker: Louise Ruskamp, Manager, Southern Nevada Extension's Research Center and Demonstration Orchard

11:30 a.m. -- Lunch - Success Stories Utilizing WSARE Funds

- Keynote Speaker: Clayton Marlow, Regional Coordinator, Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education

1:30 p.m. Concurrent Sessions

Room A -- BFR Workshop - Business Management

Enterprise Budgets & Taxes
- Speaker: Carol Bishop, Northeast Clark County Extension Educator, UNR
Business Planning
- Speaker: Buddy Borden, Associate Professor, Clark County Extension, UNR
Marketing Tools for a Busy Farmer
- Sarah Stallard, Farm Manager, Las Vegas Livestock

Room B

Hydroponics Past, Present, and Future
- Speaker: Taylor Quiram, Youth Horticulture Education Program Instructor

3:30 p.m. -- Panel Update of State Meat Processing

- Shayda Sanjideh, Meat & Poultry Inspection Project Manager, Nevada Department of Agriculture
- Staci Emm, Extension Educator, Mineral County Cooperative Extension, UNR
- Kyle Reber, Field Representative, Nevada Farm Bureau
- Martin Kirrane, Featherblade Craft Butchery

4:30 p.m. -- Southern Nevada Agriculture Roundtable Discussion

5:30 p.m. -- Social with Trade Show

6:00 p.m. -- Dinner - How to Find Your Place in the Market

- Keynote Speaker: Jordan and Kari Brough, Owner, Brough Ranch Beef

Saturday, August 26, 2023

8:30 a.m. -- General Session

8:30 a.m. -- Welcome

Bevin Lister, President, Nevada Farm Bureau
Jacob DeDecker, University of Nevada Reno, Associate Dean of Engagement and Extension Director
Clayton Marlow, Regional Coordinator, Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education

Keynote Speaker: Bryan Velinga (CFO), Allie Pieroni (Assisstant Manager) and Wendy Wilson with Garden Farms

10: 00 a.m. -- Break

10:15 a.m. Concurrent Sessions

Room A -- Panel for Opportunities in Farm Bureau
- Sarah Stallard, Young Farmer's and Rancher's District Chair
- Katie Combs, Clark County Farm Bureau President
- Lacey Tom, Agriculture Teacher at Moapa Valley High School
Room B -- Food Sovereignty & Food Security
- Speakers: Staci Emm, Mineral County Extension Educator, UNR

11:15 a.m. -- Break

11:30 a.m. Concurrent Sessions

Room A -- WSARE Grant Programs
- Speaker: Clayton Marlow, Regional Coordinator, Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
Room B -- How to Accept SNAP
- Speaker: TBD

12:30 p.m. -- Lunch - Sectors of Agriculture Networking Lunch

- Network with attendees who have similar interests as you whether it is in production, distribution, education, etc.

2:00 pm -- USDA, FSA and USDA NRCS Programs

- Speaker: Blane Merkley, County Executive Director, USDA & Ken Sowers, Outreach Coordinator NRCS

3:00 pm -- Break

3:15 pm -- Value Added Agricultural Producer Programs and Requirements

- Speaker: Carol Bishop, Northeast Clark County Extension Educator, UNR

4:30 p.m. -- Closing Session

Published by: Chapin, K., 2023, 2023 Nevada Small Agriculture Conference Tentative Agenda, University of Nevada, Reno Extension