With the national economy still unsteady, many local businesses owners, agricultural business owners and community leaders in Nevada are concerned about the impact on their businesses. To help these businesses and government leaders create plans to minimize the economic risk, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension will host the Nevada Agricultural Outlook workshop, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Feb. 25. Presenters will be at the Washoe County Cooperative Extension office, 4955 Energy Way in Reno, and at the Clark County Cooperative Extension office, 8050 Paradise Road, Suite 100 in Las Vegas. Participants can attend at those locations, as well as tune in via interactive video at Cooperative Extension offices in Carson City, Elko, Fallon, Lovelock, Winnemucca and Yerington.

"Anyone watching national news will notice that the economy is still in extreme flux," said Extension Specialist Tom Harris, director of the University Center for Economic Development. "Given such uncertainty in the international and national economies, Nevada's businesses and government leaders need sound economic information and forecasts to create strategies for the coming year. Information from this workshop will help our businesses and leaders involved in or concerned with agriculture develop plans and strategies to minimize the economic risk."

The workshop will provide insight on the impact of economic trends, possible impacts of sage grouse designation, and the forecast for homegrown foods. Agriculture business owners, rural and urban business owners, county commissioners, city officials, and others involved in economic development are invited to attend. Topics include:

- Trends in International and National Economy, presented by Stephen Miller, director of the Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas 
- Trends in Agricultural Prices, presented by Mike Helmar, research analyst and agricultural economist for the University Center for Economic Development at the University of Nevada, Reno
- Representative Ranches in Nevada, presented by George Knapek, program director of Representative Farms and a member of the Department of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Food Policy Center at Texas A&M University
- Impacts to Representative Ranches from Sage Grouse Land Withdrawals, taught by Brian Herbst, research associate at the Agriculture and Food Policy Center at Texas A&M University
- Regional Impacts of Agriculture and Withdrawal, presented by Harris
- Panel Discussion on Local Agriculture, led by Lincoln County Extension Educator Holly Gatzke and Northeast Clark County Extension Educator Carol Bishop, with University of Nevada Cooperative Extension

Cost of the conference is $20 per person at the live locations in Reno and Las Vegas only, and includes all handout material and lunch. All other interactive video sites are free. For the Reno workshop, register online at http://renoagoutlook.eventbrite.com/. For the Las Vegas workshop, register online at http://lasvegasagoutlook.eventbrite.com/. For more information, contact Jennifer Kintz at kintzj@unce.unr.edu or 775-945-3444, ext. 12. Persons in need of special accommodations or assistance should call at least three days prior to the scheduled event.