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THE UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA AT RENO’S DESERT FARMING INITIATIVE IS PROMOTING Climate Smart Farming Practices
The student-run farm helps promote the university’s sustainability mission through climate smart practices, research opportunities and event support.
BY REYNA ESTRADA
of the Desert Farming Initiative. The farm gener- ates about 10,000 to 30,000 pounds of produce each year, the majority of which is donated to food pantries and other community food securi- ty programs such as the on-campus food pantry. The rest of the produce is then sent to farmers markets that serve food insecure populations. “Our mission is to demonstrate advanced cli- mate smart farming and that includes working within our regional food system. So, it’s not just looking at agriculture and it has kind of a broad- er view,” said Moe. The climate smart approach the team takes in growing produce is rooted in five key strategies, said Moe. The first, is a focus on soil health with the goal of capturing more water and reducing erosion. Some ways the Desert Farming Initiative is doing this is by reducing tillage by incorporating more perennial crops, hedgerows and permanent in- sectary features. The team also conducts annu- al soil testing to track the percentage of organic matter.
T he University of Nevada at Reno is com- mitted to sustainability and one way the university is working on reaching its sus- tainability goals is through local sourcing. Dining services partners with a handful of local vendors and also puts a marketing push behind their products, said Natalie Liggett, sus- tainability intern at the university. The university also has a new contract starting with another local vendor and during the month of November, the sustainability team highlight- ed local purchasing as the month’s sustainability highlight. “So, we definitely try to get them a good pres - ence on campus,” said Liggett. Another way the university uses local sourcing to promote sustainable dining practices is the student-run farm, dubbed the Desert Farming Initiative. The Desert Farming Initiative began about 10 years ago and has grown to be a large presence on campus with career advancement opportu- nities, event support and various sustainability initiatives. Here’s a deep dive into the student-run farm and the work it’s doing to promote climate-smart practices. DEMONSTRATING CLIMATE SMART FARMING The farm produces 30 varieties of certified or - ganic fruits and vegetables using climate smart farming practices, according to Jill Moe, director
Our mission is to demonstrate advanced climate smart farming and that includes working within our regional food system. So, it’s not just looking at agriculture and it has kind of a broader view.” -Jill Moe
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