The farm-to-table movement has been gaining in popularity, with restaurants throughout Northwestern Nevada promoting their locally sourced meats, produce, and other ingredients. In this segment of Time & Place, historian Alicia Barber takes us back to our region’s agricultural roots, when eating farm-to-table was just a part of everyday life.

Northern Nevada’s agricultural heritage lives on in the names of subdivisions like Caughlin Ranch, Double Diamond Ranch, and Damonte Ranch, all named for the historic Reno ranches they replaced. A large number of those in the area were owned by Italian families, who brought an abundant array of culinary traditions with them from the old country.