USDA

The Nevada Department of Agriculture says it has tested positive for the first laboratory-confirmed rabid bat found in Washoe County. Bat rabies is endemic throughout Nevada. The agency's Animal Disease Laboratory notes that between six and 20 bats annually test positive for rabies, usually between the months of May and October. However, in recent years positive bats have been confirmed as early as February.

The Retired Senior Volunteer Program, Inc., also known as RSVP, has free Farmers Market coupons for Carson City low-income seniors through the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program.

The Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program is a cooperative effort provided by RSVP, the USDA, the Nevada State Commodity Food Distribution Program, the Nevada Department of Agriculture, the Nevada Certified Farmers Market Association and the State of Nevada Division for Aging and Disability Services, said Susan Haas, executive director and CEO.

USDA Rural Development will hold a workshop June 11 in Carson City on its Value Added Producer Grant designed to help Nevada farmers, ranchers and food entrepreneurs learn about the program and whether they wish to apply for grants funds. Nationwide more than $30 million is available to fund the grants.

The Nevada Economic Development Conference, Stronger Economies Together 2015, will be held May 19 through 21, 2015 at the Joe Crowley Student Union on the University of Nevada, Reno campus. Registration is open.

At least 350 business community leaders, policy makers and government officials from throughout the region are expected to attend.

After serving as the Single Family Housing Specialist at USDA Rural Development, Diane Arvizo joins Nevada Rural Housing Authority as Director of Homebuyer Services. In her new role, Arvizo will work on NRHA’s Home at LastTM program, building strong strategic partnerships and providing homebuyers with financial education.

Arvizo brings to the job a diverse background in real estate, financing, loan servicing, and community development, as well as an A-to-Z understanding of the home buying process.

USDA Rural Development Nevada is reminding rural nonprofits, public bodies and Tribes that the deadline to apply for USDA's new Rural Business Development Grant is May 15.

Grant money can be used to acquire or develop land, buildings, plants and equipment; build or improve access roads, parking areas, utility extensions and water and waste disposal facilities; provide technical assistance, establish revolving loan funds and to support rural distance learning programs that provide educational or job training.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit will continue a project to eradicate, control, and contain known infestations of invasive plants in the Lake Tahoe Basin using chemical treatment. Work will occur at approximately 70 infestation sites beginning May 15 and continuing through September 2015.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit will resume work on the Carnelian, Incline and South Shore Hazardous Fuels Reduction and Healthy Forest Restoration projects in early May. These projects authorize thinning of trees and brush on National Forest System lands in the Lake Tahoe Basin to reduce the risk of severe wildfire and create healthier forests.

Depending on the weather, prescribed fires around the Lake Tahoe basin may resume beginning Monday, according to the U.S. Forest Service.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit will begin the sale of fuelwood permits at the Forest Supervisor’s office at 35 College Drive in South Lake Tahoe on Wednesday, April 15, 2015. Although weather conditions allow for the early sale of permits, areas to obtain fuelwood will be limited because not all gates and roads are open.

A competitive, $4.5 million grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture will integrate research and Extension to help Great Basin and Southwestern tribal communities develop plans, policies and practices for sustainable agriculture and water management.

The Nevada Rural Housing Authority is hosting a free Homebuyer’s Expo on Saturday, April 18, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Bonanza Room at the Nugget, 1100 Nugget Ave, Sparks.

The Expo is designed to educate prospective homeowners on the process of purchasing a home and ways to prepare for homeownership down the road. There will be presenters from NRHA, USDA Rural Development, Financial Guidance Center, lenders and more.

CARSON CITY, NEV. — USDA Rural Development Nevada has $14 million available to lend to rural communities for a variety of essential community projects, such as buildings, equipment or renovations. These low interest federal loans provide options for a community to finance projects over a longer term.

If you are a farmer or rancher with irrigation costs that are making you wince, it might be time to consider developing a more energy-efficient system.
Dianne and Lee Hutchens of Central Nevada took the plunge into solar energy using USDA Rural Development's Rural Energy for America grant, and are glad they did. This winter, they have been earning credits from NV Energy; in April they will begin using the credits to power two circle pivots on 160 acres of irrigated pasture.

The Rural Business-Cooperative Service, a branch of USDA Rural Development, has announced that a portion of the Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan is reserved to support production, processing and distribution of locally and regionally produced foods.

With snowpack in the Lake Tahoe Basin at low levels, the U.S. Forest Service is asking snowmobilers to shift their activities to locations with adequate snow coverage, within permitted snowmobile areas. Snowmobile operators should avoid bare dirt and patchy snow and should not ride across streams or over small trees or brush. Operating snowmobiles on too little snow creates ruts in the soil and crushes vegetation.

Carson City, Douglas and Lyon counties are among 12 that have been designated as primary natural disaster areas because of the ongoing drought, the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced this week.

Small rural businesses, ranchers and farmers can learn how to access grants and loans to finance renewable energy systems and energy efficiency improvements at a workshop Feb. 6 in Carson City.

USDA Rural Development State Director Sarah Adler has announced that USDA is taking applications for Fiscal Year 2015 Community Connect Program grants. The program provides grants to establish essential broadband services in rural communities where it is currently not available.

“Many rural communities in Nevada do not have access to broadband,” said Adler. “USDA’s Community Connect Grant Program ensures that rural residents have the ability to run businesses, get the most from their education, and benefit from the infinite services that fast, reliable broadband provides.”

The Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District and the U.S. Forest Service will continue prescribed fire operations this week on Kingsbury Grade near Buchanan Road, Ski Run Boulevard near Heavenly, Luther Pass and Spooner Summit. Operations will last through the next several weeks as conditions allow.

The Nevada Department of Agriculture is recommending that bird owners in Nevada adopt extra healthy hygiene practices after avian bird influenza was found in Oregon and Washington.

While health risks to humans are low, the United States Department of Agriculture’sAnimal and Plant Health Inspection Service is warning people to avoid contact with sick or dead poultry or wildlife.

Nevada State Veterinarian Michael Greenlee said that the highly pathogenic H5 avian influenza virus has been found in birds in various parts of the world but has not been shown to cause any human infection.

The U.S. Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit will begin accepting reservations for the 2015 Winter Trek Conservation Education program on Monday, Dec. 15, 2014.

Teachers may reserve a spot by calling the Forest Service at 530-543-2694, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Winter Trek begins Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015, and continues through March 26, 2015, weather permitting. Field trips are generally three hours long and are offered on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

The Tahoe Douglas Fire Protection District and the U.S. Forest Service will continue prescribed fire operations in the Van Sickle Park, McKinney Rubicon and Heavenly urban lot areas. Operations will last through the next several weeks as conditions allow.

More than $161 million was invested in rural Nevada in 2014 by the Department of Agriculture's Rural Development agency to support housing, business and community facilities. Since 2009, the rural agency has provided more than $987 million to strengthen rural Nevada’s families and communities.

Tahoe Cheese Company of Carson City is one of three area food producers to receive federal grant money to expand production and market their Northern Nevada products, the USDA announced Thursday. McCleary Ranch, north of Carson City in Washoe County and the Frey Ranch Estate Distillery of Fallon were also approved for Value-Added Producer Grants.

The inaugural Nevada Governor’s Conference on Agriculture will be Nov. 13 at the Atlantis Casino Resort and Spa in Reno, the Nevada Department of Agriculture announced Wednesday.

“I am pleased to announce the very first Nevada Governor’s Conference on Agriculture,” said Gov. Brian Sandoval. “Agriculture is one of Nevada’s leading industries, contributing more than $3 billion to the state’s economy. This includes our rich and diverse agricultural industries, from ranching and farming to all the associated businesses that keep these industries vibrant.”

The Carson City Greenhouse Project at Carson High School is one of 14 projects in Nevada to receive specialty crop block grant money designed for organizations that promote and enhance speciality crops through education, research, marketing and production, the Nevada Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday.

The $21,577 in grant money earmarked for the Greenhouse Project will help fund the Growing America’s Future Farmer program, said JoAnne Skelly, extension educator with the University of Nevada and grant writer for the Greenhouse Project.

The U.S. Forest Service will hold an open house on Thursday, September 18, 2014, to explain and answer questions about its draft analysis of a proposal from Heavenly Mountain Resort to expand year-round, non-skiing activities at the Lake Tahoe resort.

Public comments are being accepted on a draft environmental impact report for Heavenly Mountain Resort’s Epic Discovery Project until Tuesday, October 21, 2014.

The U.S. Forest Service, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, and Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board directed the preparation of a joint environmental document for the project, located at the Heavenly Mountain Resort in El Dorado, Alpine and Douglas counties.

The Retired Senior Volunteer Program, Inc., also known as RSVP, has a limited number of free Farmers Market coupons for fresh produce to offer to Carson City low-income seniors through the Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program.