Budget boost allows UNR College of Agriculture to help local farmers, ranchers

The future is looking a little brighter for the University of Nevada, Reno’s College of Agriculture.

UNR President Marc Johnson has announced the College of Agriculture, Biochemistry and Natural Resources will receive an additional $333,000 to its base budget, beginning July 1.

Members of Northern Nevada’s local food movement support the decision, which will allow the dean of the college to hire more faculty to conduct research and provide programs that will help farmers and ranchers.

But some stakeholders also fear it is a token gesture to divert attention from Johnson’s desire to sell off more of the university’s agricultural land in southeast Reno to developers, a move they say flies in the face of the land-grant university’s mission.

“This $333,000 for the College of Agriculture is wonderful, but unless it includes retaining (UNR’s) agricultural assets and water rights, I’m not quite sure how effective this funding will be,” Amber Sallaberry, general manager of the Great Basin Community Food Co-op, said.

Johnson has said the recent sale of the land to the Regional Transportation Commission will allow the agency to build a roadway that is crucial to easing traffic flow in the community.

The earlier sale of another parcel of UNR’s pastureland was needed for regional flood control, but Johnson has said the university has no intention of selling all the land and eliminating the Main Farm Station.

The extra money for the agriculture college comes from UNR’s sale of 165 acres of land that is part of the university’s 1,080-acre Main Station Field laboratory, located off Mill Street and South McCarran Boulevard.

Johnson received approval in November from the Nevada Board of Regents to sell the parcel for $7.4 million to the RTC, which plans to build the Southeast Connector roadway between Reno and Sparks.

That $7.4 million will go to pay down the bonded debt that remains on the Fire Science Academy UNR previously owned in Carlin, Nev., Johnson said. That will free up the fees UNR students have been paying on the fire academy debt to fund future improvements to their campus.

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