Potato Patch Ranch is a rare lush oasis in this desert landscape due to a gurgling mountain stream that bubbles out of the ground and flows down a hill providing a source of water for cottonwood & willow trees, raspberry bushes, and native medicinal plants.
A team of Paiute elders is working to create hands-on educational programs at Potato Patch to pass on knowledge about traditional uses of native plants for food, smudging, shelter, clothing, baskets, twine, medicinal teas and topical salves. Together we are preparing the land to host future school field trips, hands-on workshops, afternoon classes and weekend seminars on site.
Tasks include
– Surveying the existing landscape & creating a plant inventory map
– Building fencing to keep out grazing animals
– Pruning Fruit Trees & Raspberry Bushes
– Repairing the existing natural gravity irrigation
– Removing non-functional legacy farm equipment
– Evaluating Chicken Coop & developing repair plan
– Revitalizing the Outhouse / Latrine area
– Preparing Camp Sites for future events
Location: Potato Patch Ranch is accessible via NV-447 overlooking Winnemucca Lake about halfway between Nixon and Gerlach.
