By Julie Thelen
Agricultural production methods around the world are very diverse and comprise many different technologies, but what we sometimes fail to recall is how innovative and exciting agricultural practices are across the United States. Whether a 4-H project or the largest ranch in the United States, there are similarities and differences in production practices. Michigan State University Extension offers a glimpse into agriculture throughout the United States in this news article series. Let’s take a look at the “Silver State,” Nevada.
With Las Vegas being the home to more than 70 percent of the states’ residents, it should be no surprise that Nevada is the nation’s most urban state. What may be surprising is that despite being the driest state in the nation, receiving an average annual rainfall of 7 inches, agriculture is one of Nevada’s most important industries. In fact, according to 2010 data, the economic impact of the agricultural cluster was estimated to be $5.3 billion. Nevada continues to meet local and state needs with growing emphasis in local food production and niche-agriculture marketing. This article will focus more closely at the traditional impact including beef production, alfalfa production, water use and 4-H.
Beef production
Although tourism leads the economic impact on Nevada, making the largest contribution within the agricultural sector is beef production. The 420,322 cattle and calves produced in Nevada rank the state 37th in production, with cow-calf operations being the most common. These cattle contribute to 62.5 percent of farm receipts totaling $732,883,000 according to the Nevada Department of Agriculture in 2011. Nevada tends to have less farms or ranches than we may see in the Midwest, however, those farms are larger in size as Nevada ranks third in the nation in ranch size, averaging 3,500 acres.
If visiting Nevada, you would find some of the largest cattle ranches located in the northern half of the state. Also differing vastly from the Midwest, cattle and most other livestock are raised in range systems. The majority of the land in Nevada is owned by the federal government, thus grazing rights continue to be a challenge for livestock producers.
Alfalfa production
With the use of irrigation, the process of applying water directly to the crops, alfalfa is Nevada’s leading cash crop. Alfalfa is a protein rich legume that is grown mostly through flood irrigation in Nevada and serves as a major feed source for cattle. Alfalfa is the most common hay crop with about 40 percent of U.S. production occurring in 11 western states including Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. In Nevada specifically, alfalfa seeds and hay make a measureable impact on the economy. Alfalfa is often sold as hay, cubes or compressed bales depending on its intended use domestically or internationally.