March 09, 2012

Nevada Farm Fresh, a local cooperative, is an organization for producers who want to take advantage of the high end markets in Las Vegas. Currently, the vast majority of produce, meats, and other food products in Las Vegas come from hundreds or even thousands of miles away. Local producers cannot compete with the high volume and giveaway prices of produce and meats from large farming operations. However, local producers can compete for the high end market with unique, high quality, and flavorful products that are fresh from the farm. In recent years, produce and meat from Lincoln County has met or exceeded the quality standards of the chefs in Mario Batali?s restaurants. The high end market in Las Vegas is large and can easily consume all that Lincoln County can produce, even if all of the alfalfa farms convert to producing local meat and produce. Nevada Farm Fresh seeks producers who want to pool resources to market their high quality products in Las Vegas.

Nevada Farm Fresh is a marketing cooperative that is exploring a variety of ways to market local high quality produce. Examples of marketing cooperatives include Sun-Maid (raisins), Land o? Lakes (dairy), Sunkist (citrus), Ocean Spray (cranberries), and Farmland (meat). The focus of Nevada Farm Fresh is high quality food products from Lincoln County. In the past year, the cooperative marketed products through local farmer?s markets, local food events (i.e., Cuisine in the Country, Bounty of the County), and occasional shipments to Las Vegas. The cooperative will be increasing its marketing to Las Vegas and capitalizing on established business relationships in Las Vegas. The cooperative is exploring the feasibility of meat processing plant, certified processing kitchen, and other facilities that will help producers get the top dollar for what they grow.

Nevada Farm Fresh is holding its annual membership meeting on Tuesday, March 20, at 7:00 PM in Caliente. The meeting is an opportunity for local producers to learn more about what the cooperative has to offer. All producers and interested public are invited to attend. The cooperative is eager to grow its membership, so that it can do more for producers of Lincoln County. If you have any questions, please contact Christine Mehring at 775-962-3427.