COURTESY OF NEVADA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE

From the business skill sets needed to be a modern farmer, to Nevada's newest, and perhaps most controversial, cash crop, the Nevada Economic Development Conference is offering a unique behind-the-scene's glimpse at our local agribusiness economy. 

Edible Communities is a media sponsor for the Agribusiness track for the fourth annual event presented by the Western Nevada Development District that will take place Aug-20-22 at the Atlantis Casino Resort & Spa in Reno, Nevada. Registration and information is available at www.nvedc.com.

The agribusiness sessions will let you meet some of the creative minds that are necessary to solve our growing need for sustainable and affordable food sources, a topic we addressed in this summer's edible Reno-Tahoe magazine.  

Longtime favorite market is rooted in community.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY TAMSIN EDWARDS

Flowers from Sierra Flower Farm in Carson Valley

The Downtown Carson City Farmers’ Market recently earned the distinguished honor of being selected for National Farmers Market Week by the Farmers Market Coalition, making this Carson gem one of only a handful of markets in the country to receive such an honor. The annual event, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, serves to bring national attention to the importance that these markets play in the food systems of communities, states, and the nation. Held between August 5 and 11, the primary aim of the week (and of the FMC overall), is to strengthen these markets for the benefit of farmers, communities, and consumers alike.

Benefits of baking with local honey.

STORY AND PHOTOS BY JENNIFER RACHEL BAUMER

A cup of tea with honey and lemon soothes a sore throat and can suppress coughing at night. Spread on minor cuts and burns, honey (though sticky) works as well as, and in some cases better than, antibiotics; according to a March 2018 report by CNN, honey can promote healing, as well as battling H. pylori, the bacteria that causes peptic ulcers, and because of an enzyme bees add to it, it can also battle staph infections. (Just ensure it’s free of contaminants and toast crumbs.) Some even claim honey may help prevent or battle cancer and prevent heart disease because it contains flavonoids and antioxidants.

But beyond its many health benefits, honey's also just plain delicious. The following recipes contain raw Hidden Valley Honey — local honey, available at Hiddenvalleyhoney.com or at Raley's stores.

WRITTEN BY CLAIRE CUDAHY

Zucchini, pattypan, cousa, zephyr, eight ball — these are just some of the delectable (and oddly named) summer squash you have to play around with in the kitchen this season.

This month, I caught up with three regional chefs to see how they are cooking up summer squash in their restaurants.

There are many varieties of summer squash to choose from at the farmers’ market.

Swap starch-heavy mashed potatoes for a lighter, caramelized zucchini purée, courtesy of chef Nicholas Hagman from Graeagle Meadows Restaurant. Try a bright and balanced pasta dish studded with squash, pecorino, and mint thanks to Calafuria’s chef Tim Magee. Or go full-on Southern with Homegrown Gastropub’s chef Sean P. Studds’ recipe for Fried Chicken Corn Bread Salad with Roasted Summer Squash.

COURTESY OF NEVADA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE

Will community gardens supplant the clubhouse? Will fairway views fade into farmscapes, and the fast-rolling greens of the golf course become rows of kale, cabbage, and spinach?

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, new housing in Northern Nevada almost required that there be a golf course winding amid the homes.

But in recent years, many millennials, baby boomers, and retirees are seeking out neighborhoods that have more direct relationships to the land and to local food as urban landscapes turn into fresh-food deserts. An increasingly popular subdivision design called an agrihood is helping to fulfill this desire to connect more closely with community, nature, and our food supply.

The Fourth Annual Nevada Economic Development Conference set for Aug. 20-22, 2018 at the Atlantis Casino & Resort in Reno, and edible Reno-Tahoe magazine is a media sponsor for the event. This year’s conference will feature a presentation entitled Agrihoods 2.0 as part of its popular Agribusiness sessions. It will highlight the Corley Ranch in Douglas County as well as other agrihood developments that have sprung up around the United States.

 STORY AND PHOTOS BY SUZIE DUNDAS

It’s well known that Truckee and the North Lake Tahoe area can get pretty crowded on a Friday or Saturday night — which may be why so many locals decide to celebrate summer midweek at Truckee Thursdays, held every week until August 23.

Starting around noon in Truckee every Thursday, the downtown area on Donner Pass Road closes to traffic. Barricades and tents go up, a stage is assembled, and food trucks start rolling in by mid-afternoon. The community event is open to the public from 5 to 8:30 p.m. every evening and offers live music, a large beer garden and food truck area, and plenty of local vendors and artisans sharing their crafts in the pedestrian-friendly area in front of Downtown Truckee’s Merchant’s Row.

Food-and-drink options are plentiful at Truckee Thursdays

WRITTEN BY SUZIE DUNDAS

Warm, sunny days are back in Tahoe, and that means it’s the magical time of year when restaurants open their patios, decks, and outdoor bars, and when afternoons call for passing the time with a view of the lake and a cold drink in hand. Plenty of restaurants have rolled out exciting new summer cocktail menus. The creative team at West Shore Café, under the direction of executive chef Rob Wyss, recently rolled out their new summer-inspired drink menu. It includes light offerings perfect for slow sipping, such as the Cool Runnings, made with Flor de Caña Rum, cucumber-basil syrup, and lime. On the Nevada side, Lone Eagle Grille has introduced a new lakefront cocktail menu, with summer-appropriate and cleverly named drinks like the Keep Tahoe Brew, made with cold-brew coffee and agave nectar. 

West Shore Café

5160 W. Lake Blvd, Homewood • Westshorecafe.com,

Lone Eagle Grille

111 Country Club Drive, Incline Village • LoneEagleGrille.com

Cool Runnings. Photo courtesy of West Shore Café

PLEASE NOTE: This blog post features an event that has already passed. Visit Artown's website for future events. 

Artown’s At The Illusionist’s Table features illusionist Scott Silven and culinary delights from Mark Estee.

WRITTEN BY KYLE YOUNG

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ARTOWN

July is just around the corner, and with it comes Artown, the month-long summer arts festival in Reno. This year, about 500 events by more than 100 organizations at nearly 100 locations citywide will be part of the festivities. Most events are free or inexpensive to attend. One event not to be missed is At The Illusionist’s Table, where food and magic will come alive at Liberty Food & Wine Exchange. Scott Silven, world-renowned Scottish mentalist, has partnered with chef and restaurateur Mark Estee to deliver an evening full of illusion, mentalism, storytelling, a gourmet three-course meal, as well as a wine and scotch pairing.
A meal prepared by Chef Mark Estee is sure to please

PLEASE NOTE: This blog post features an event that has already passed. 

How Yelp’s Home Away from Home comfort-food block party supports guests of the Reno Ronald McDonald House.

WRITTEN BY RACHEL GATTUSO AND CAMIE YOKOTE

Rhondda Saunders’ first priority was her daughter, Ajia. The Bishop, Calif., teenager was involved in a car accident that resulted in a traumatic brain injury, requiring her to stay in the Renown Children’s Hospital ICU.

Rhondda didn’t have time to process the details of where she would stay and what she would eat and how the bills would get sorted. In what felt like minutes, she found herself in Reno with her critically injured daughter. Rhondda and Ajia’s story is a common one at Ronald McDonald House Charities Northern Nevada: a family with a medical tragedy who just needs a place to stay in order to tend to a child.

These stories are the reason behind Yelp’s Home Away from Home, a foodie block party at Toll Brothers Regency at Damonte Ranch on June 27 that features culinary treasures for attendees to discover while they make their way through the luxury model home park. Now in its second year, event organizers expect to welcome even more attendees than in 2017, thanks to a robust field of culinary partners and libation purveyors. Proceeds from the event support the charity’s work to keep families close during their children’s hospitalizations. But the best part is that the generosity of those involved makes this 21-and-older event free to attend. Organizers simply encourage a $20 donation be made at the door to help families who need the Reno Ronald McDonald House.

Tim Meevasin prepares paella at the Reno Ronald McDonald House for families

WRITTEN BY CLAIRE CUDAHY

Growing season is in full swing in Northern Nevada, and there is nothing quite like the connection you feel to your home state when you cook a meal made with fresh, seasonal produce pulled right from its dirt. 

It’s June, which means beautiful plump peas are in season, so skip the freezer aisle and head straight for your neighborhood farmers’ market to find the good stuff.

Spring and early summer in Northern Nevada is when you’ll find delicious fresh peas at the market