High tunnels are an important strategy for growers in arid regions because they extend the growing season and buffer against temperature extremes, yet many Nevada producers lack the knowledge and confidence to use them effectively. A 2024 Extension needs assessment revealed urgent training needs in soil and irrigation management, pest control, crop rotation, season-specific decision making, and tunnel maintenance, and highlighted strong community interest; backyard gardeners and new farmers often did not know how to begin. The Nevada High Tunnel Project designed a statewide workshop that blended classroom lessons with farm-based hands-on demonstrations. Recruitment of participants combined Extension booths at agricultural events with innovative prospective participant engagement, news stories, and social media, resulting in broad dissemination and ultimately event participation. Post-workshop evaluations showed that participants increased their knowledge and skills across all eleven topics, moving from low baseline scores to moderate-high proficiency; satisfaction scores exceeded 4.8 out of 5. Most respondents intend to adopt best practices such as irrigation scheduling, soil management, integrated pest and disease control, crop rotation, and post-harvest handling, demonstrating the program’s potential to mitigate production and financial risks. The poster will visually present the urgent training needs that prompted the workshop, outreach methods used, educational design, and participant outcomes to illustrate a replicable model for building producer capacity in season extension and risk-informed crop management.

High tunnels are an important strategy for growers in arid regions because they extend the growing season and buffer against temperature extremes, yet many Nevada producers lack the knowledge and confidence to use them effectively. A 2024 Extension needs assessment revealed urgent training needs in soil and irrigation management, pest control, crop rotation, season-specific decision making, and tunnel maintenance, and highlighted strong community interest; backyard gardeners and new farmers often did not know how to begin. The Nevada High Tunnel Project designed a statewide workshop that blended classroom lessons with farm-based hands-on demonstrations. Recruitment of participants combined Extension booths at agricultural events with innovative prospective participant engagement, news stories, and social media, resulting in broad dissemination and ultimately event participation. Post-workshop evaluations showed that participants increased their knowledge and skills across all eleven topics, moving from low baseline scores to moderate-high proficiency; satisfaction scores exceeded 4.8 out of 5. Most respondents intend to adopt best practices such as irrigation scheduling, soil management, integrated pest and disease control, crop rotation, and post-harvest handling, demonstrating the program’s potential to mitigate production and financial risks. The poster will visually present the urgent training needs that prompted the workshop, outreach methods used, educational design, and participant outcomes to illustrate a replicable model for building producer capacity in season extension and risk-informed crop management.