The Main Station
Farm, a major research and teaching facility for the University of Nevada, Reno,
is one of the last open green spaces in Reno. The property has more than 1,000 acres
of prime farmland on the periphery of the northern Nevada city. Acquired and developed
in 1956, the farm is home to herds of cattle and pigs as well as a flock of sheep
from the Rafter 7 Ranch.
Most of the farm’s acreage is irrigated with treated effluent from a nearby
waste-water treatment facility. Through an innovative partnership with the City
of Reno, the water reuse project allows for 6.5 million gallons of the farm’s
pristine water to be left in the Truckee River during irrigation season. Instead
of going back into the river, 4 million gallons of treated effluent are used to
grow alfalfa and hay. Half of the forage, which is processed by inmates from the
Stewart Minimum Security Prison, is then used to feed wild horses that are part
of the prison’s wild horse adoption program.
The farm is also home to
Wolf Pack Meats, one of the most technologically advanced
meat processing plants in the region. Students gain hands-on experience at this
abattoire in the principles of converting of muscle foods and the processing and
packaging of meat products. The meat processing facility is open commercially to
the public, and Wolf Pack Meats sells steaks, legs of lamb, gourmet burgers and
other meat products the are developed by students.
From a research perspective, the farm showcases cutting-edge science in the areas
of animal genetics, stem-cell research, melanoma therapies and even water quality,
as the farm is bordered by the Truckee River and Steamboat Creek. Faculty are working
to develop animal genetics in order to breed a hardier variety of cattle that will
thrive in harsh climates such as that of the Great Basin.
Sheep on site contribute to internationally recognized research that is expanding
the potential of gene therapy and stem-cell research in humans. By injecting human
stem cells into sheep embryos, scientists have created partially humanized organs
in sheep. Though there is no visual difference from other sheep, the goal is to
develop the potential for treating birth defects and an array of human diseases
and conditions