Nevada Profile

Nevada is just getting started with farm to school and school gardens. There are a handful of initiatives across the state, but the movement is growing fast! A group of interested individuals recently started meeting with the intention to support the development of a cohesive farm to school network in Nevada by connecting interested individuals and organizations from diverse fields, with support from the National Farm to School Network. This year Nevada is lucky enough to have TWO Farm to School State Leads:

Lori Leonard
Urban Roots
State Lead-School Gardens
Based in: Reno
702-533-3255
lori@urgc.org

Catrina Peters
Nevada Department of Education
State Lead-School Food
Based in: Reno
775-687-9103
cpeters@doe.nv.gov


At this point in time, there is limited procurement of local foods by Nevada public school districts, in part because of the type and quantity of agricultural products grown in the state, and because the program is fairly new. However, the Nevada Department of Education recently adopted Farm to School as one of its special projects and Nevada does have a fairly active school garden network. The University of Nevada’s Cooperative Extension (UNCE) program has worked with over 38 schools and over 8,000 students and school staff through the UNCE’s “Food for Thoughts” program. One community garden in particular, the Tonopah Community Garden, was highlighted in the July 2010 Las Vegas Review Journal for producing nutritious local food in an unlikely place.

Help us build the farm to school movement in Nevada! Contact us to let us know about farm to school or school garden work you’re doing in Nevada, or to find out how you can become involved. And make sure to visit our Nevada Farm to School Network page on Facebook.

Some of you may have been wondering who the “faces” are behind the Nevada Farm to School Network and this post will hopefully solve that mystery! Nevada is lucky enough to have two Co-Leads, Catrina Peters and Lori Leonard. Catrina Peters focuses on the School Meals aspect of Farm to School while Lori is the School Gardens Guru!

Here is some background on each of us: Catrina is a Nutrition Programs Professional with the Nevada Department of Education serving as the Farm to School Coordinator for USDA Child Nutrition Programs and focuses on the National School Lunch Program. She has a Bachelors degree in Nutrition from University of Nevada, Reno and a Masters degree in Foods and Nutrition from Purdue University. Catrina is an active member of the local community serving as a Board Member of Reno Bike Project and Urban Roots Garden Classrooms.

Lori is a Farm to School Coordinator with Urban Roots in Reno, Nevada, working to promote and support school gardens, local farmers, and healthy communities. She has a degree in Horticulture from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, grew up on a small family farm in Wisconsin, and is passionate about outdoor Farmer's Markets. Thank you for following our updates through the facebook page, please feel free to contact us through facebook or through the contact info posted on the page!