What's that sweet smell wafting in Carson Valley?

MINDEN -- It ain't hay. The unusual looking crops seen along Highway 395 both north and south of town are crops that pioneering Carson Valley farmers may never have grown, but they could have, if there had been a market.

Crops of garlic, onions and carrots are now grown for retail sale and seed by several farmers in scattered locations in the valley. Douglas County is the largest garlic producer in Nevada, with up to 700 acres in the bulb crop, longtime garlic farmer Jerry Rosse said.

Most of the land used is leased from resident valley farmers and ranchers by Rosse and Jim Snyder -- both of whom also farm in Smith and Mason valleys.

Snyder, who farms 120 acres of garlic in the Carson Valley, said the crop is a challenge, but one he's up to.

"Compared to growing onions, the garlic is rather intense," he said. "Garlic is subject to freezing, which hurt us this year in December. We lost a good 25 to 30 percent of the crop and had some damage to the remainder, but we had 60 percent survive. Back in 1991, we did have a severe winter loss in Mason Valley."

Snyder plants in September and October, usually with the contract already signed by his buyer.

"We sell to two main buyers, Christopher Ranch and Rogers Foods," he said.

Some of it goes to make seed, some is dehydrated into garlic powder and some may go to fresh product, he said. It all depends on the buyer's needs.

After planting, the ground is irrigated until the shoots start to come up, in about a month. From March to June, irrigation takes place, and is stopped so the plant can dry and season. The harvest takes place the end of July and beginning of August.

Rosse, of High Sierra Garlic, farms 140 acres in the Carson Valley and has already begun harvesting his garlic fields, starting with some Chinese garlic to be sold as seed.

Rosse, who has grown garlic for 25 years -- five of them in the Carson Valley -- said the Valley is conducive to growing this bulb crop because the area is largely disease-free, and the high altitude and cold winters serve the plant well.

Harvest for the garlic is either by hand or by machine. If the ground is wet, it will be hand-picked, but if conditions are just right, they'll use the garlic bulker machine, which works like a potato digger, Snyder said.

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