Open house sheds light on Rural Health and Nutrition Initiative greenhouse in Dayton
Families with children stuffed scarecrows with recycled items as adults took a tour of rows of lettuce, cucumbers, radishes and other vegetables during an open house of the Rural Health & Nutrition Initiative greenhouse in Dayton on Saturday. The event was held as part of Farm-to School month and included other activities such as a scavenger hunt for children.
The 30,000- square foot greenhouse on River Road is easy to spot but many people don’t realize that it provides produce including tomatoes, spinach, beets, carrots and several varieties of peppers to help keep the shelves full for three local food pantries. The produce is also sold at farmers markets in Lyon County.
“I’m hoping they realize we’re here,” said Linda Flaherty, Community Food Systems Coordinator for RHNI. “We grow vegetables, spices and fruit for the community.”
Flaherty also emphasized the importance of children learning about nutrition and growing your own food. “Food doesn’t originate from the store,” she said.
The annual event is held in honor of Farm-to-School month which strives to increase education about food and nutrition.
RHNI is part of Healthy Communities Coalition of Lyon and Storey Counties, (HCC), which serves nearly 3,600 people per month through food pantries in Dayton, Silver Springs and Yerington and helps with local mentoring and job training and gardening. HCC also provides the starts of vegetables sold by Dayton’s non-profit Community Roots and grows produce for Greenhouse to Go in Stagecoach and Silver Springs.
The open house attracted Dayton local Jenny Mellott to tour the greenhouse to learn more about growing vegetables. “I work in the schools and I think it would be awesome to get a connection with kids,” said Mellott, a speech therapist at Dayton Elementary School.
Other activities offered at the event included seed planting and information about plants such as milkweed and amaranth that are beneficial to insects.
Greenhouse manager Morigan Albatraoz hopes more people are aware of what the RHNI is doing in the local area. “We want people to know we are here,” she said. “We’re trying to teach people how to grow their own food.”
Those interested in volunteering at the RHNI greenhouse are encouraged to contact Justin McIntosh at (775) 241-2769.
More information about RHNI or the HCC can be found at www.healthycomm.org.