Farm to City
The local foods movement has taken root in Northern Nevada
I love my job this month. You might think getting paid to drink for our Bars & Clubs guide would top the list, but really, visiting farms is one of my all-time favorite things to do. I was raised on one and have missed it ever since. Not enough to return to farm life, mind you, but enough to have healthy doses of nostalgia for it on a regular basis. I remember the feel of a lamb suckling my finger, or bringing in a colander full of Mom’s green beans from the garden. I miss walking out in open fields and hiding away in our hay loft. I feel rooted to that land. Even though I left it, I take it with me.
That’s one reason I loved meeting the Albaugh family at their ranch in Fallon and visiting Wendy Baroli’s Girlfarm north of Reno. They, and others in this guide, are small farmers, who live on their land and grow food for local mouths. And local mouths are hungry for it. There are practical reasons for this: The less distance food travels, the more petroleum saved; supporting local foods supports local economies. Then there’s the fact—let’s call it a fact—that foods grown closer to home just plain taste better. And consumers can visit these places, see for themselves how the vegetables are grown, the animals treated, and feel a little more connected to what they put in their bodies and the people who provide it.
