Best selling author on urban farming to visit Carson City

New York Times author Novella Carpenter will be at the 3rd and Curry Street downtown Carson City Farmer’s Market at 11 a.m. Saturday to chat about her bestselling memoir, “Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer.”

Carpenter and Northern Nevada agriculture expert Mark O’Farrell, of Hungry Mother Organics, are set to engage in a kitchen-table visit. The special event is aimed at raising awareness about the vital role farmers play in our lives.

“We hope the message promotes the importance of area food sources and educates people about where they can buy locally grown food. We also want to talk about ways all of us can contribute to sustainability with green habits especially related to water conservation,” said Pam Graber, Library Trustee and Library Foundation chairwoman.

As a part of the library’s eight-week summer reading series for adults, the special event is presented in conjunction with the Friends of the Library and the Library Foundation. Tickets are $20 per person and include the hour-long program, coffee/tea and farmer’s market zucchini bread and fresh fruit.

Tickets are available online from the library’s website at www.carsoncitylibrary.org, at the Friends of the Library Browser’s Corner Used Bookstore, 711 E. Washington St. (across the street from the main library), or at the event on from 8:30 to 11 a.m. Saturday. Proceeds benefit summer reading programs for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Western Nevada.

“Novella Carpenter and Mark O’Farrell will be discussing issues about farming in Northern Nevada and Oakland, Calif. – city farmer/country farmer – in an interesting ag discussion from two very different environments. We hope people bring their questions,” says Graber.

On Friday, July 18 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. Carpenter will be signing books at the Friends of the Library Browser’s Used Bookstore.

Librarians are also hosting a series of events, the library’s pop-up classroom at the market, which runs through Aug. 9. Seven mini farm clinics are being presented by local amateur experts about everything from backyard chickens to making kombucha.

“We are showcasing some of the common challenges all farmers face and at the same time working to raise awareness about food sources and what is really involved when enthusiasts take on backyard projects,” said library deputy director, Tammy Westergard.

For example, Carson City’s Lisa Keating-McEllistrem and her daughters Elia and Dahlia are well versed with the ins and outs of raising backyard chickens.

“I think it’s important to really think about the pros and cons of a poultry project,” said Lisa. “We have learned a lot over the last few years,” Elia and Dahlia said. “They make a lot of poo, but the eggs are really good!”