PROGRAM IMPACTS

Rangeland Resources

• Rangeland education program had 1,173 student contacts during 24 workshop presentations and field tours.
• Continued participation in the following collaborations: a) Jordan Meadows; b) the Santa Rosa Range Management program; and c) the North-central Nevada Sage-grouse local work group. The primary role of the Extension Educator, Brad Schultz, is to ensure that participants have the appropriate peer reviewed research available to help inform discussions and decisions.
• Continued the Santa Rosa Mountains “repeat photography study”. Presented results to date at several workshops.
• Provided extensive comment on the BLM’s proposed rule to make “Conservation” and land use equivalent with all other land uses.
• Conducted a state-wide forage-loss assessment used to implement the USDA Farm Services Agency’s Insurance Program.
• Provided extensive comment on the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest’s scoping document to permit aerial herbicide treatment of noxious weeds on Forest lands.
• Used funding from the USFS International Program to teach grazing management during their two-week international seminar and the Uzbekistan, Central Asian Rangeland Conference.

Noxious and Invasive Weeds

Noxious and invasive weeds are widespread throughout Nevada and threaten the productivity of cropland, pasture and rangeland. The Humboldt County Extension Educator continues to interact with the Paradise Valley Weed Control District, the Humboldt Watershed Cooperative Weed Management Area, Nevada Department of Agriculture, the Nevada Conservation Districts and other entities to provide research based information for weed issues they encounter.

• There were 391 student contacts via nine workshop presentations and other meetings.
• The Humboldt County Commission continued to supplement the Extension budget ($25,000) for weed control and management efforts. These resources helped implement weed control efforts on several thousand acres in fiscal year 2023.
• Brad Schultz participated in weed management workshops across Nevada, in virtual and live formats. The focus of presentations this year was Herbicides: How they Work; and roots, carbohydrates and herbicide control. This education informs students about the importance of properly timing herbicide treatments for each species, and the need for a long-term follow-up control program.
• Published a manuscript about Medusahead, as part of the ongoing series, Priority Agricultural Weeds in Nevada. Initiated the next installment, titled, Foxtail Barley.

4-H

• The Humboldt County 4-H Program included day camps, special interest programming and traditional
  4-H clubs. There were 27 volunteer leaders and 220 traditional club members. 4-H youth exhibited 188 projects at the 2023 Tri-County Fair, 4-H Small Animal Show and Tri-County Junior Livestock Show.
• With Lithium America, delivered, “A Day in the Life of a Geologist,” to 102 youth from rural schools.
• Delivered 4-H programming to the Winnemucca Homeschool Co-Op.
• Held the 2022 4-H County Awards Night program in November 2022 after a two year hiatus.
• Delivered the 4-H National Science Day experiment, Explorers of the Deep, to the rural school youth .
• Partnered with the Humboldt County Library to deliver the 4-H Bee Bot, Honey Bee Challenge to youth.
• Partnered with the Boys and Girls Club to deliver 4-H programming for summer 2023.
• Held STEM Day Camps for youth grades 4–6 and 7-8. Topics included principals of photography, forensic crime scene investigation and a livestock mini-camp.
• Held the 2023 Humboldt County 4-H Horse Show.
• Partnered with the Humboldt County Cattle Women to host the yearly Presentation Day for the livestock and small animal youth.
• Conducted “Marketing Your Livestock Project” workshops for 4-H livestock youth.
• Collaborated with the Humboldt County Farm Bureau to implement Ag in the Classroom for 3rd graders and the French Ford Ag Field Day for 5th and 6th grade youth. Youth attendance was 698.
• Hosted the first annual Sonoma Classic Junior Livestock Jackpot in April 2023: 64 youth participants.
  Presented carcass data for all Humboldt County 4-H market animals and discussed acceptable and desired carcass characteristics including which carcass attributes receive a premium price, the value of each animal on the market grid, explanations for why each animal received its respective grade, and suggestions about how to improve carcass quality.

Support for other Extension and Community Programs

• During Cattlemen’s update, educated attendees for how to conduct photo monitoring.
• Taught a module about plant growth and livestock grazing for the Beginning Farmer Rancher Program.
• Participated in Nevada Cattlemen’s Workshops across the state, presenting results of the Repeat Photography study in the Santa Rosa Mountains.
• Addressed various horticultural issues that affect County residents, and disseminated research based materials to help resolve those issues and educate the public.
• The Extension Office hosted the Grow Your Own Program which originates from the Washoe County Extension Office.
• Extension faculty with statewide youth development roles have developed the Just in Time Parenting program which the Humboldt County Extension Office assists in implementing via dissemination of research based publications and materials.
• The Humboldt County Extension Office distributes home radon testing kits and disseminates literature about the dangers of radon gas, a primary cause of lung cancer among non-smokers.
• The Extension Educator resided on the Board of the Humboldt Development Authority (Vice-Chair).
• Assisted with health and nutrition programming by providing meeting space for TOPS (Taking Off Pounds Sensibly) to hold weight control education meetings.
• Provides weekly input to the U.S. Department of Agriculture | National Agricultural Statistics Service Crop Progress Report.

Scholarship & Research Related to Extension Programing in Humboldt County

Schultz, B. and Foster, S. Nevada’s Priority Agricultural Weeds: Medusahead. UNCE Special Publication. 22-15. 18 p.

Schultz, B. 2022. 2022 Forage Loss Assessment for Nevada. Technical Report to the USDA Farm Services Agency. 44 p. Submitted on December 12, 2022.

Schultz, B. and McAdoo, K. (deceased). 2022. UNR Cooperative Extension: Placing Wyoming Sagebrush to Catch Snow and Provide Seed for Creating Sagebrush Islands. Progressive Rancher. September-October Issue. Pages 34-39.

Schultz, B. and Miller, G. 2021. Placing Fall-harvested Wyoming Big Sagebrush Plants to Catch Snow and Provide Seed for Creating Sagebrush Islands. International Meeting, Society for Range Management, February 11-17, 2022. Boise, Idaho. Contributed Poster.

Schultz, B. 2021. Repeat Photography in the Santa Rosa Mountains, North-Central Nevada. International Meeting, Society for Range Management, February 11-17, 2022. Boise, Idaho. Contributed Poster.

Meiman, P., Perryman, B., and Schultz, B. 2021. Livestock Grazing Management Considerations When Targeting Cheatgrass. International Meeting, Society for Range Management, February 11-17, 2022. Boise, Idaho. Invited.

Fernández-Guisuraga, J.M., Calvo, L., Fernandes, P.M., Hulet, A., Perryman, B., Schultz, B., Jensen, K.S., Enterkine, J., Boyd, C.S., Davies, K.W., Johnson, D.D., Wollstein, K., Price, W.J., and Arispe, S.A. 2023. Estimating litter biomass of annual grasses associated with short fire free intervals in the northern Great Basin. Science of the Total Environment. Available online December 2022.

Revenue & Expenses (July 2022-June 2023)

^a An additional County contribution includes the in-kind value of approximately $450,000 annually or buildings, facilities, and administrative support. The value shown includes approximately $124,000 from the property tax assessment and the remainder from the Cooperative Extension Ending Fund Balance.

Extension, Humboldt County Office
1085 Fairgrounds Road | Winnemucca, NV 89445
Brad Schultz, Extension Educator
schultzb@unr.edu | 775-623-6304