Jordan Hosmer-Henner has worn many hats, trying to create positive change in communities – consulting and doing project management in Nairobi, and serving as a policy analyst in the w88 online casino Governor’s Office and as an urban economist to the City of Reno – as a few examples. Now, he has joined the University of w88 online casino, Reno&w88 online casino;s Desert Farming w88 online casino, to serve as manager of food w88 online casino programs. The position focuses on improving the resiliency of Nevada’s food w88 online casino and increasing food security throughout the state through agricultural education and industry collaboration.
“This role really appealed to me because I’m always interested in helping people make connections and finding ways to make communities stronger and more resilient,” Hosmer-Henner said. “I want to make those connections with people who aren’t part of our programs yet – to help connect producers with information and resources, and to create connections and partnerships that overall strengthen our food w88 online casino.”
Jill Moe, director of the Desert Farming w88 online casino, which is part of the Experiment Station unit of the College of w88 online live casino, Biotechnology & Natural Re, said that Hosmer-Henner&w88 online casino;s breadth of experience makes him a perfect fit for the position.
“We’re very happy to have Jordan on board,” she said. “He has such a broad perspective – from urban economics to working abroad in very small rural agricultural communities. Jordan is great at connecting and has done a lot of work in policy, analysis and assessment. He will be valuable both as a boots-on-the-ground team member, working with people from diverse backgrounds, as well as at crunching numbers and creating strategies to strengthen our state’s food w88 online casino.”
In their 2019 report, the Nevada Governor’s Council for Food Security prioritized the need to strengthen the state’s food system and increase access to local food. According to the Nevada Department of Agriculture, the economic output of the state’s agriculture sector (ranching and farming) in 2020 was 7.8 million. State officials have identified it as a significant economic driver in the state that has potential for future growth. But, the Desert Farming w88 online casino’s food systems programs seek to steer that growth in strategic directions, helping communities to develop sustainable food systems to provide local sources of healthy foods and be less reliant on imports.
“While working with the Governor’s office, I was the liaison with the Department of Agriculture,” Hosmer-Henner said. “We were looking at how to maintain access to food in the state, and I saw how fragile the interconnectedness of our food w88 online casino really is. I hope to help strengthen those w88 online casino through my work here at the University to make access to food more sustainable for Nevada communities.”
Hosmer-Henner will be a member of the w88 online casino’s leadership team and serve as a key liaison between the w88 online casino and statewide partners to help fulfill the w88 online casino’s mission to advance climate-smart farming and food systems. He will help with strategic planning and fundraising; provide research and analysis; and manage food security initiatives, agricultural training, partnerships and grant awards. Examples of key roles he will be providing include:
- Assistance with launching a new University of Nevada, w88 sports betting partners and providing technical assistance to Farmers Markets so that they can accept government benefits, such as SNAP (otherwise known as w88 online casino stamps), to help residents who may be struggling with w88 online casino security.
- Coordination of and support for agricultural training and mentorship, such as the w88 online casino’s w88 online casino Farm Apprenticeship Program, which provides aspiring small-scale farmers the opportunity to serve one-year paid apprenticeships to bolster their abilities to start and run a small-scale farming operation using climate-smart and organic practices.
- Helping to support the agricultural industry through other programs, such as the w88 online casino Farm Network, a grower-led w88 online casino that helps them connect and share resources.
- Coordination of University student engagement at the w88 online casino, facilitating on-farm internships and leading class projects and engagement on the University farm.
Hosmer-Henner also did policy analysis and legislative work for the state&w88 online casino;s Division of Environmental Protections and Department of Health and Human Services. He says graduating from college during the Great Recession and seeing the effects of climate change has helped steer his career path.
“I first came to Reno and discovered the high desert in 1997,” he said. “When I came back after being away for about 10 years, it was startling how different it was. It just became more and more apparent what change had occurred. w88 online casino, shelter, water – those are the basic necessities, right? Especially with climate change, we have to strategize and plan to make sure our communities have the ability to provide those things.”
While living in Nairobi and working with small farmers there, Hosmer-Henner said he was struck by their use of informal co-operatives known as “chamas.”
“&w88 online casino;Chama&w88 online casino; in Swahili refers to an approach where, between you and your neighbors, you can provide for the group,” he explained. “It&w88 online casino;s a commitment to have community interdependence, rather than a focus on being individualistic.”
Hosmer-Henner plans to employ that philosophy to help establish more sustainable food w88 online casino across the state. He also plans to look at helping the state to employ both new technologies and traditional practices to increase sustainability and food security.
“I’ve had an interest in history and anthropology and looked at how the land was managed before colonization,” he said. It was managed – by fire, perennial crops and other methods. I think we need to roll back some of our mistakes and identify w88 online casino that are more based on what the ecosystem is here, now.”
